1. If only I could treat you like my brother, one who nursed at my mother’s breasts,I would find you in public and kiss you,and no one would scorn me.
2. I would lead you, I would take you,to the house of my mother who taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drinkfrom my pomegranate juice.
3. His left hand is under my head,and his right arm embraces me.
4. Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you:do not stir up or awaken loveuntil the appropriate time.
5. Who is this coming up from the wilderness,leaning on the one she loves?I awakened you under the apricot tree. There your mother conceived you;there she conceived and gave you birth.
6. Set me as a seal on your heart,as a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death; ardent love is as unrelenting as Sheol.Love’s flames are fiery flames —the fiercest of all.
7. Mighty waters cannot extinguish love;rivers cannot sweep it away.If a man were to give all his wealth for love, it would be utterly scorned.
8. Our sister is young;she has no breasts. What will we do for our sisteron the day she is spoken for?
9. If she is a wall,we will build a silver parapet on it.If she is a door,we will enclose it with cedar planks.
10. I am a walland my breasts like towers.So in his eyes I have becomelike one who finds peace.
11. Solomon owned a vineyard in Baal-hamon. He leased the vineyard to tenants. Each was to bring for his fruit1,000 pieces of silver.
12. I have my own vineyard. The 1,000 are for you, Solomon,but 200 for those who guard its fruits.
13. You who dwell in the gardens —companions are listening for your voice —let me hear you!
14. Hurry to me, my love,and be like a gazelleor a young stagon the mountains of spices.