Longing for Her Beloved

¹Oh that you were like a brother to me

who nursed at my mother's breasts!

If I found you outside, I would kiss you,

and none would despise me.

²I would lead you and rbring you

into the house of my mother—

she who used to teach me.

I would give you sspiced wine to drink,

the juice of my pomegranate.

³tHis left hand is under my head,

and his right hand embraces me!

⁴I uadjure you, O vdaughters of Jerusalem,

wthat you not stir up or awaken love

until it pleases.

⁵xWho is that coming up from the wilderness,

leaning on her beloved?

Under the apple tree I awakened you.

There your mother was in labor with you;

there she who bore you was in labor.

⁶Set me as a seal upon your heart,

as ya seal upon your arm,

for zlove is strong as death,

ajealousy1 is fierce as the grave.2

Its flashes are flashes of fire,

the very bflame of the Lord.

⁷Many waters cannot quench love,

neither can floods drown it.

If a man offered for love

all the wealth of his chouse,

he3 would be utterly despised.

Final Advice

Others

⁸We have a little sister,

and she dhas no breasts.

What shall we do for our sister

on the day when she is spoken for?

⁹If she is a wall,

we will build on her a battlement of silver,

but if she is a door,

we will enclose her with eboards of cedar.

She

¹⁰fI was a wall,

and my gbreasts were like towers;

then I was in his eyes

as one who finds4 peace.

¹¹Solomon had ha vineyard at Baal-hamon;

he ilet out the vineyard to jkeepers;

each one was to bring for its fruit ka thousand pieces of silver.

¹²My vineyard, my very own, is before me;

you, O Solomon, may have the thousand,

and lthe keepers of the fruit two hundred.

He

¹³mO you who dwell in the gardens,

with ncompanions listening for your voice;

olet me hear it.

She

¹⁴pMake haste, my beloved,

and be qlike a gazelle

or a young stag

on rthe mountains of spices.