1. Would that you were a brother to me,nursed at my mother’s breasts!If I met you out of doors, I would kiss youand none would despise me.
2. I would lead you, bring you to my mother’s house,where you would teach me,Where I would give you to drinkspiced wine, my pomegranate juice.
3. His left hand is under my head,and his right arm embraces me.
4. I adjure you, Daughters of Jerusalem,do not awaken or stir up loveuntil it is ready!
5. D? Who is this coming up from the desert,leaning upon her lover?W Beneath the apple tree I awakened you;there your mother conceived you;there she who bore you conceived.
6. Set me as a seal upon your heart,as a seal upon your arm;For Love is strong as Death,longing is fierce as Sheol.Its arrows are arrows of fire,flames of the divine.
7. Deep waters cannot quench love,nor rivers sweep it away.Were one to offer all the wealth of his house for love,he would be utterly despised.
8. W “We have a little sister;she has no breasts as yet.What shall we do for our sisteron the day she is spoken for?
9. If she is a wall,we will build upon her a silver turret;But if she is a door,we will board her up with cedar planks.”
10. I am a wall,and my breasts are like towers.I became in his eyesas one who brings peace.
11. M? Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;he gave over the vineyard to caretakers.For its fruit one would have to paya thousand silver pieces.
12. My vineyard is at my own disposal;the thousand pieces are for you, Solomon,and two hundred for the caretakers of its fruit.
13. M You who dwell in the gardens,my companions are listening for your voice—let me hear it!
14. W Swiftly, my lover,be like a gazelle or a young stagupon the mountains of spices.