1. If only you were as my brother—the one who nursed at my mother’s breast.I would find you in the street and kiss you,and no one would shame me for it.
2. I would lead you, I would bring youto my mother’s house;she would teach me what to do.I would give you spiced wine to drink,some of my fresh pomegranate juice.
3. His left arm is beneath my head,and his right embraces me!
4. Make a solemn pledge,daughters of Jerusalem,never to rouse, never to arouse loveuntil it desires.[Daughters of Jerusalem]
5. Who is this coming up from the wildernessleaning against her lover?[Woman]Under the apple tree I aroused you—there, where your mother labored with you,there where, laboring, she bore you.
6. Set me as a seal over your heart,as a seal upon your arm,for love is as strong as death,passionate love unrelenting as the grave.Its darts are darts of fire—divine flame!
7. Rushing waters can’t quench love;rivers can’t wash it away.If someone gaveall his estate in exchange for love,he would be laughed to utter shame.[The Woman’s Brothers]
8. Our sister is small;she has no breasts.What will we do for our sisteron the day that she is spoken for?
9. If she is a city wall,then we will build a turret of silver on her.And if she is a door,then we will barricade her with a panel of cedar.[Woman]
10. I’m a city wall,and my breasts are the towers.So now I’m in his eyesas one who brings peace.[Man]
11. Solomon had a vineyardin Baal-hamon.He gave charge of the vineyard to keepers;one would bring in exchange for its fruita thousand pieces of silver.
12. My vineyard, my very own, is before me.You can have the thousand, Solomon—with two hundred for those who tend the fruit!
13. You who sit in the gardens,my companions are listening for your voice.Let me hear it![Woman]
14. "Take flight, my love,and be like a gazelleor a young stagon the mountains of spice!"