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,

“O that you were like a brother to me, who nursed from my mother’s breasts! If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would hate me.

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 teach me. I would give you wine with spices to drink, made from 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 hold me close.” King Solomon

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

“I tell you, O daughters of Jerusalem. You must not wake up my love, until it is pleasing to her.” The Sixth Song Women of Jerusalem

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 desert, resting on her loved one?” The Woman “I woke you up under the fruit tree. There your mother suffered and gave birth to you.

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 over your heart and on your arm, never to be taken off. For love is as strong as death. Jealousy is as hard as the grave. Its bright light is like the light of fire, the very fire 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 put out love. Rivers cannot cover it. If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would all be hated.” The Woman’s Brothers

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 should we do for our sister on the day when she is promised in marriage?

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 should build on her a tower of silver. But if she is a door, we should cover her with strong pieces of cedar wood.” The Woman

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 was in his eyes as one who finds peace.” The Woman’s Brothers

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 has a grape-field at Baal-hamon. He put the grape-field into the care of certain men. Each one was to bring 1, 000 pieces 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 own grape-field is for myself. The 1, 000 pieces of silver are for you, Solomon. And 200 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 friends are listening for your voice. Let me hear it.” The Woman

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

“Hurry, my love. Be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spices.”