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Old 11-16-2006, 02:35 PM   #1
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Default If anyone here can read Hebrew, can you translate Songs of Songs Chapter 7?

In English Songs of Songs Chapter 7 reads:

""How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman. Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies. Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.""

Is it true that in the original Hebrew, the navel is mistranslated and should be correctly translated as the Vagina, as the navel does not ordinarily produce secretions but the Vagina does.

And does the belly-heap of wheat refer to pubic hair?
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Old 11-16-2006, 03:25 PM   #2
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The word used for navel is also used for umbilical cord.
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Old 11-16-2006, 03:29 PM   #3
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Young's Literal Translation has "waist" instead of navel.

Various translations
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Old 11-16-2006, 03:32 PM   #4
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This seems to be inspired by this thread.
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Old 11-16-2006, 04:20 PM   #5
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We definitely need a hebraist here, waist and navel are not the same thing. Perhaps Hebrew didn't distinguish between the two (unlikely, I'd say)? It could of course be that the verse was pre-bowdlerised by its author because in that society mention of the vagina was taboo: "Your navel (nudge nudge wink wink) is like...". Given that not wanting for some form of moisture is explicitly stated, neither navel nor waist make much sense.

Does anybody know about any body part taboos in that culture?

Gerard
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Old 11-16-2006, 05:21 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Toto View Post
This seems to be inspired by this thread.
:wave: :wave: :wave: :wave:
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Old 11-16-2006, 05:52 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gstafleu View Post
We definitely need a hebraist here, waist and navel are not the same thing. Perhaps Hebrew didn't distinguish between the two (unlikely, I'd say)? It could of course be that the verse was pre-bowdlerised by its author because in that society mention of the vagina was taboo: "Your navel (nudge nudge wink wink) is like...". Given that not wanting for some form of moisture is explicitly stated, neither navel nor waist make much sense.

Does anybody know about any body part taboos in that culture?

Gerard
exactly, also mound of wheat sounds like pubic hair.
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Old 11-17-2006, 08:59 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by gnosis92 View Post
exactly, also mound of wheat sounds like pubic hair.
Errr, emmm, hmmmm, errrr, well, perhaps I'll let that one slide .

Hm, on the other hand, perhaps the author doesn't mean a heap of grains but more something like this:

But I still think I'll let it slide. Especially as we see these trees in the distance that someone was sitting under and eating fruit.

Gerard
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Old 11-17-2006, 09:31 AM   #9
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Is your wife ...like twin roes...eh? Know what I mean? Know what I mean? Nudge nudge. Nudge nudge. Know what I mean? Say no more...know what I mean?
I beg your pardon?
Your wife...is she, er, is she 'like two roes' - eh? eh? eh? Know what I mean, know what I mean? Nudge nudge. Say no more.
Well, she sometimes is, yes.
I bet she is. I bet she is. I bet she is. Know what I mean? Nudge nudge.
I'm sorry, I don't quite follow you.
Follow me. Follow me. I like that. That's good. A nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat, eh? (elbow gesture; rubs it)
Are you trying to sell something?
Selling, selling. Very good. Very good. (hand tilting quickly) Oh, wicked. Wicked. You're wicked. Eh? Know what I mean. Know what I mean? Nudge nudge. Know what I mean? Nudge nudge. Nudge nudge. (leaning over to him, making eye gesture; speaks slowly) Say...no...more. (leans back as if having imparted a great secret)
But...
(stops him with finger which he lays alongside nose; gives slight tap) Your wife is she, eh... does she 'wanteth no liquor'. Eh?
She likes liquor, yes!
I bet she does, I bet she does!
She is very fond of wine, as a matter of fact.
(leans across, looking away) Who isn't, eh? Know what I mean. Navel like a goblet, like a goblet. Knew she would have. Knew she would have. Knew she would have. Likes liquor, eh? She's been around, eh? Been around?
She's traveled. She's from Bethlehem.
Oh...oh. Say no more, say no more. Say no more - Bethlehem, say no more. Bethlehem, eh? Know what I mean, know what I mean. Say no more.
(about to speak; can't think of anything to say)
(leers, grinning) Your wife interested in er... (waggles head, leans across) heaps of wheat, eh? Know what I mean? Heaps of wheat, 'he asked him knowingly'.
Heaps of wheat?
Yes. Nudge nudge. Heaps of wheat. Surrounded by lillies, wink wink, say no more?
In the vegetable patch?
Could be, could be in the 'vegetable patch'. Could be yes - lillies. Know what I mean. Set about with lillies. Know what I mean, nudge nudge.
No, no we don't have a garden.
Oh. Still (slaps hands lightly twice) Woah! Eh? Wo-oah! Eh?
Look, are you insinuating something?
Oh...no...no... Yes.
Well?
Well. I mean. Er, I mean. You're a man of the world, aren't you...I mean, er, you've er... you've been there haven't you...I mean you've been around...eh?
What do you mean?
Well I mean like you've er...you've done it...I mean like, you know...you've...er...you've slept...with a lady.
Yes.
What's it like?
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Old 11-17-2006, 11:02 AM   #10
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That's a great one Pervy! I actually went and checked the original just to make sure .

Gerard
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