1If only I could treat you like my brother,
one who nursed at my mother’s breasts,
I would find you in public and kiss you,
and no one would scorn me.
2I would lead you, I would take you,
to the house of my mother who taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink
from the juice of my pomegranate.
3May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me.
4Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.
Young Women
5Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on the one she loves?
Woman
I awakened you under the apricot tree.
There your mother conceived you;
there she conceived and gave you birth.
6Set me as a seal on your heart,
as a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death;
jealousy is as unrelenting as Sheol.
Love’s flames are fiery flames —
an almighty flame!
7A huge torrent cannot extinguish love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If a man were to give all his wealth for love,
it would be utterly scorned.
Brothers
8Our sister is young;
she has no breasts.
What will we do for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
9If she is a wall,
we will build a silver barricade on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with cedar planks.
Woman
10I am a wall
and my breasts like towers.
So to him I have become
like one who finds peace.
11Solomon owned a vineyard in Baal-hamon.
He leased the vineyard to tenants.
Each was to bring for his fruit
one thousand pieces of silver.
12I have my own vineyard.
The one thousand are for you, Solomon,
but two hundred for those who take care of its fruits.
Man
13You who dwell in the gardens,
companions are listening for your voice;
let me hear you!
Woman
14Run away with me, my love,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spices.