Longing for Her Beloved

1O that you were to me like a brother

who nursed at my mother’s breasts!

If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you,

and no one would despise me.

2I would lead you and bring you

to the house of my mother who taught me.

I would give you spiced wine to drink,

the nectar of my pomegranates.

3His left hand is under my head,

and his right arm embraces me.

4O daughters of Jerusalem (city of peace), I adjure you⁺:

Do not arouse or awaken love

until the time is right.

The Friends

5Who is this coming up from the wilderness,

leaning on her beloved?

The Bride

I roused you under the apple tree;

there your mother conceived you;

there she travailed and brought you forth.

6Set me as a seal over your heart,

as a seal upon your arm.

For love is as strong as death,

its jealousy (passion)a as unrelenting as Sheol.

Its sparks are fiery flames,

the fiercest blaze of all.

7Mighty waters cannot quench love;

rivers cannot sweep it away.

If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love,

his offer would be utterly scorned.

The Friends

8We 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?

9If she is a wall,

we will build a tower of silver upon her.

If she is a door,

we will enclose her with panels of cedar.

The Bride

10I am a wall,

and my breasts are like towers.

So I have become in his eyes

like one who brings peace.

11Solomon (peace) had a vineyard in Baal-hamon (lord of abundance).

He leased it to the tenants.

For its fruit, each was to bring

a thousand shekels of silver <25.1 lb / 11.4 kg>.b

12But my own vineyard is mine to give;

the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon (peace),

and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit.

The Bridegroom

13You who dwell in the gardens,

my companions are listening for your voice.

Let me hear it!

The Bride

14Come away, my beloved,

and be like a gazelle

or a young stag

on the mountains of spices.