1 If only I could treat you like my brother, G
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 g who taught me. H
I would give you spiced wine to drink
from the juice of my pomegranate.
3 May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me. h
4 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time. i
Young Women
5 Who is this j coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on the one she loves?
Woman
I awakened you under the apricot tree. k
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. l
For love is as strong as death; m
jealousy is as unrelenting as Sheol.
Love’s flames are fiery flames n—
an almighty flame! I
7 A huge torrent cannot extinguish love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If a man were to give all his wealth J for love, o
it would be utterly scorned.
Brothers
8 Our sister is young;
she has no breasts. p
What will we do for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
we will build a silver barricade on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with cedar planks. q
Woman
10 I am K a wall
and my breasts like towers.
So in his eyes I have become
11 Solomon owned a vineyard in Baal-hamon. r
He leased the vineyard to tenants. s
Each was to bring for his fruit
one thousand pieces of silver. t
12 I have my own vineyard. N,u
The one thousand are for you, Solomon,
but two hundred for those who take care of its fruits.
Man
13 You O who dwell in the gardens,
companions v are listening for your voice;
let me hear you! w
Woman
14 Run away with me, P my love,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spices. x