8 I would like it if you were my brother
who drank milk from my mother's breasts!
If you were my brother,
if I found you outside, I could kiss you.
Nobody would think that I was doing something wrong.
2 I would lead you to my mother's house.
She is the one who has taught me.
I would give you wine with spices to drink,
the juice from my pomegranates.
3 His left hand is under my head.
His right hand brings me near to him.
4 Promise this to me, young women of Jerusalem:
Do not cause our love to wake up.
Do not cause it to become too strong
until the time is right.
5 Who is this who is coming from the desert?
Her head is on her lover's shoulder.
Under the apple tree,
I caused your love to wake.
That is the place where your mother became pregnant.
In that place too, your mother gave birth to you in pain.
6 Keep me near to you, like a seal over your heart. [ a ]
Keep me like a seal on your arm.
Keep me there always,
because love is as powerful as death.
It keeps hold of people as strongly as the grave does.
Love burns like a hot fire.
It burns with bright flames.
7 Even a flood of water cannot stop the flames.
Rivers of water cannot carry it away.
A man might try to give all his riches
to buy a woman's love.
But she would refuse to accept what he offers to her.
8 We have a younger sister.
Her breasts have not yet grown.
What will we do to help her
when it is the time for her to marry?
9 If she is a wall,
we will use silver to build towers on her.
But if she is a door,
we will use boards of cedar wood to keep the door shut.
10 I am a wall.
My breasts are like strong towers.
So my lover is happy when he looks at me.
11 King Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon.
He allowed other people to take care of it.
They each paid him 1,000 silver coins for its fruit.
12 But my own vineyard belongs to me alone.
I take care of it myself.
You may keep the 1,000 silver coins, Solomon.
And I will give 200 silver coins to those who take care of the fruit.
13 You have been staying in the garden
with your friends who are listening to you.
Let me too hear your voice!
14 Come quickly to me now, my lover!
Run like a gazelle or a young deer.
Come to the mountains that have sweet spices!
8 If you were a baby, like my little brother nursing at his mother’s breasts,
and if I found you outside,
I could kiss you,
and no one would say it was wrong.
2 I would lead you into my mother’s house,
to the room of she who taught me.
I would give you spiced wine
squeezed from my pomegranate.
3 His left arm is under my head,
and his right hand holds me.
4 Women of Jerusalem, promise me,
don’t awaken love,
don’t arouse love, until I am ready. [ a ]
5 Who is this woman
coming from the desert, leaning on her lover?
I woke you under the apple tree,
where your mother gave birth to you,
where you were born.
6 Keep me near you like a seal you wear over your heart,
like a signet ring you wear on your hand.
Love is as strong as death.
Passion is as strong as the grave. [ b ]
Its sparks become a flame,
and it grows to become a great fire [ c ] !
7 A flood cannot put out love.
Rivers cannot drown love.
Would people despise a man for giving
everything he owns for love?
8 We have a little sister,
and her breasts are not yet grown.
What should we do for our sister
when a man comes asking to marry her?
9 If she were a wall,
we would put silver trim [ d ] around her.
If she were a door,
we would put a cedar board around her.
10 I am a wall,
and my breasts are my towers.
And he is satisfied with me! [ e ]
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon.
He put men in charge of the vineyard.
Each man brought in grapes
worth 1000 shekels [ f ] of silver.
12 Solomon, you can keep your 1000 shekels.
Give 200 shekels to each man for the grapes he brought.
But I will keep my own vineyard.
13 There you are, sitting in the garden.
Friends are listening to your voice.
Let me hear it too!
14 Hurry, my lover!
Be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spice.
8 O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.
2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.
3 His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.
5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.
6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.
8 We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?
9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.
10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.
12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.
13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.
14 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.
8 “Oh that you were like a brother to me
Who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;
No one would despise me, either.
2 I would lead you and ( A ) bring you
Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;
I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.
3 Let ( B ) his left hand be under my head,
And his right hand embrace me.”
4 “ ( C ) Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem:
[ a ] Do not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”
5 “ ( D ) Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning on her beloved?”
“Beneath the ( E ) apple tree I awakened you;
There your mother went into labor with you,
There she was in labor and gave birth to you.
6 Put me like a seal over your heart,
Like a ( F ) seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
[ b ] ( G ) Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flames are flames of fire,
[ c ] The flame of the Lord .
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers flood over it;
( H ) If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.”
8 “We have a little sister,
And she ( I ) has no breasts;
What shall we do for our sister
On the day when she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall,
We will build on her a battlement of silver;
But if she is a door,
We will barricade her with ( J ) planks of cedar.”
10 “I was a wall, and ( K ) my breasts were like towers;
Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.
11 Solomon had a ( L ) vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He ( M ) entrusted the vineyard to ( N ) caretakers.
Each one was to bring a ( O ) thousand shekels of silver for its ( P ) fruit.
12 My very own vineyard is [ d ] at my disposal;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”
13 “You who sit in the gardens:
My ( Q ) companions are listening for your voice—
( R ) Let me hear it!”
14 “ [ e ] Hurry, my beloved,
And be ( S ) like a gazelle or a young [ f ] stag
On the ( T ) mountains of balsam trees!”
8 If only you were to me like a brother,
who was nursed at my mother’s breasts!
Then, if I found you outside,
I would kiss you,
and no one would despise me.
2 I would lead you
and bring you to my mother’s house ( A ) —
she who has taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
the nectar of my pomegranates.
3 His left arm is under my head
and his right arm embraces me. ( B )
4 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires. ( C )
5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness ( D )
leaning on her beloved?
Under the apple tree I roused you;
there your mother conceived ( E ) you,
there she who was in labor gave you birth.
6 Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love ( F ) is as strong as death,
its jealousy [ a ] ( G ) unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame. [ b ]
7 Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of one’s house for love,
it [ c ] would be utterly scorned. ( H )
8 We have a little sister,
and her breasts are not yet grown.
What shall we do for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall,
we will build towers of silver on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with panels of cedar.
10 I am a wall,
and my breasts are like towers.
Thus I have become in his eyes
like one bringing contentment.
11 Solomon had a vineyard ( I ) in Baal Hamon;
he let out his vineyard to tenants.
Each was to bring for its fruit
a thousand shekels [ d ] ( J ) of silver.
12 But my own vineyard ( K ) is mine to give;
the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
and two hundred [ e ] are for those who tend its fruit.
13 You who dwell in the gardens
with friends in attendance,
let me hear your voice!
