1 O h, that you were like my brother, who nursed from the breasts of my mother! If I should find you without, I would kiss you, yes, and none would despise me.

Who doth make thee as a brother to me, Sucking the breasts of my mother? I find thee without, I kiss thee, Yea, they do not despise me,

2 I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother, who would instruct me. I would cause you to drink spiced wine and of the juice of my pomegranates.

I lead thee, I bring thee in unto my mother's house, She doth teach me, I cause thee to drink of the perfumed wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate,

3 O h, that his left hand were under my head and that his right hand embraced me!

His left hand under my head, And his right doth embrace me.

4 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you never stir up or awaken love until it pleases.

I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, How ye stir up, And how ye wake the love till she please!

5 W ho is this who comes up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened you; there your mother gave you birth, there she was in travail and bore you.

Who this coming from the wilderness, Hasting herself for her beloved? Under the citron-tree I have waked thee, There did thy mother pledge thee, There she gave a pledge bare thee.

6 S et me like a seal upon your heart, like a seal upon your arm; for love is as strong as death, jealousy is as hard and cruel as Sheol (the place of the dead). Its flashes are flashes of fire, a most vehement flame!

Set me as a seal on thy heart, as a seal on thine arm, For strong as death is love, Sharp as Sheol is jealousy, Its burnings burnings of fire, a flame of Jah!

7 M any waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man would offer all the goods of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned and despised.

Many waters are not able to quench the love, And floods do not wash it away. If one give all the wealth of his house for love, Treading down -- they tread upon it.

8 W e have a little sister and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for in marriage?

We have a little sister, and breasts she hath not, What do we do for our sister, In the day that it is told of her?

9 I f she is a wall, we will build upon her a turret of silver; but if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.

If she is a wall, we build by her a palace of silver. And if she is a door, We fashion by her board-work of cedar.

10 I am a wall, and my breasts are like the towers of it. Then was I in eyes as one to find peace.

I a wall, and my breasts as towers, Then I have been in his eyes as one finding peace.

11 S olomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he let out the vineyard to keepers; everyone was to bring him a thousand pieces of silver for its fruit.

Solomon hath a vineyard in Baal-Hamon, He hath given the vineyard to keepers, Each bringeth for its fruit a thousand silverlings;

12 Y ou, O Solomon, can have your thousand, and those who tend the fruit of it two hundred; but my vineyard, which is mine, is before me!

My vineyard -- my own -- is before me, The thousand for thee, O Solomon. And the two hundred for those keeping its fruit. O dweller in gardens!

13 O you who dwell in the gardens, your companions have been listening to your voice—now cause me to hear it.

The companions are attending to thy voice, Cause me to hear. Flee, my beloved, and be like to a roe,

14 M ake haste, my beloved, and come quickly, like a gazelle or a young hart upon the mountains of spices!

Or to a young one of the harts on mountains of spices!