1 W ho 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,

“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 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,

“I would lead you and 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 H is left hand under my head, And his right doth embrace me.

“Let his left hand be under my head And his right hand embrace me.”

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

“ I want you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem, Do not arouse or awaken my love Until she pleases.”

5 W ho 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.

“ Who is this coming up from the wilderness Leaning on her beloved?” “ Beneath the apple tree I awakened you; There your mother was in labor with you, There she was in labor and gave you birth.

6 S et 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!

“Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, Jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the Lord.

7 M any 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.

“Many waters cannot quench love, Nor will rivers overflow it; If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly despised.”

8 W e 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?

“ We have a little sister, And she has no breasts; What shall we do for our sister On the day when she is spoken for?

9 I f 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.

“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 planks of cedar.”

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

“ I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers; Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.

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

“Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers. Each one was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.

12 M y 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!

“My very own vineyard is at my disposal; The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon, And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”

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

“ O you who sit in the gardens, My companions are listening for your voice— Let me hear it!”

14 O r to a young one of the harts on mountains of spices!

“ Hurry, my beloved, And be like a gazelle or a young stag On the mountains of spices.”