OET interlinear SNG 2:5

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

סַמְּכ֨וּ⁠נִי֙ בָּֽ⁠אֲשִׁישׁ֔וֹת רַפְּד֖וּ⁠נִי בַּ⁠תַּפּוּחִ֑ים

sustain,me in/on/at/with,raisins refresh,me in/on/at/with,apples

These two clauses mean basically the same thing. In the author’s culture both raisins and apples were believed to give people strength for love. The second clause emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. Hebrew poetry was based on this kind of repetition. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the clauses with a word that shows that the second clause is repeating the first one, not saying something additional, or you could combine these two clauses into one. Alternate translation: [Sustain me with raisin cakes; yes, refresh me with apples] or [strengthen me with fruit] or [strengthen me for love with fruit]

Note 2 topic: translate-plural

סַמְּכ֨וּ⁠נִי֙ & רַפְּד֖וּ⁠נִי

sustain,me & refresh,me

The phrases Sustain me and refresh me are plural imperative forms in the original language. The woman is addressing the man using plural forms to show the intensity of her feelings. The ULT indicates this intensity by placing an exclamation point at the end of this verse. Your language may allow you to use a plural form for this purpose, or you could use the singular form and show the intensity of emotion in another way.

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

סַמְּכ֨וּ⁠נִי֙ בָּֽ⁠אֲשִׁישׁ֔וֹת רַפְּד֖וּ⁠נִי בַּ⁠תַּפּוּחִ֑ים כִּי־חוֹלַ֥ת אַהֲבָ֖ה אָֽנִי

sustain,me in/on/at/with,raisins refresh,me in/on/at/with,apples that/for/because/then/when faint_of love I

If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases, since the second phrase gives the reason for the result that the first phrase describes. Alternate translation: [Because I am sick with love, sustain me with raisin cakes and refresh me with apples]

Note 4 topic: translate-unknown

בָּֽ⁠אֲשִׁישׁ֔וֹת

in/on/at/with,raisins

Here, raisin cakes were cakes made of dried grapes pressed together. If your readers would not be familiar with this type of fruit, you could use the name of something similar in your area, or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: [with cakes made of dried fruit]

Note 5 topic: translate-unknown

בַּ⁠תַּפּוּחִ֑ים

in/on/at/with,apples

See how you translated the word “apple” in [2:3](../02/03.md).

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

כִּי־חוֹלַ֥ת אַהֲבָ֖ה אָֽנִי

that/for/because/then/when faint_of love I

The woman speaks of feeling sick with love as an exaggeration to emphasize the strength of her feelings for the man. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different way to express the emphasis. Alternate translation: [for my love for you is so strong that I feel as if I were sick with love] or [because my love for you overwhelms me like a sickness]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

אַהֲבָ֖ה

love

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of love, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [longing for you]