¹Oh that you were like my brother,

who nursed from the breasts of my mother!

Then if I found you outside, I could kiss you,

and no one would despise me.

²I would lead you, bringing you into the house of my mother

who taught me.

I give you spiced wine to drink,

the juice of my pomegranates.

³His left hand would be under my head.

His right hand would embrace me.

⁴I admonish y’all, O daughters of Jerusalem:

Y’all must not arouse or awaken love,

until it so desires.

⁵Who is this who comes up from the wilderness,

leaning on her beloved?

Under the apple tree I awakened you.

There your mother conceived you.

There she was in labor and bore you.

⁶Set me as a seal on your heart,

as a seal on your arm;

for love is strong as death.

Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol.

It is like a blazing fire,

like the flame of YHWH.

⁷Many waters can’t quench love,

neither can floods drown it.

If a one gave all the wealth of one’s house for love,

it would be utterly scorned.

⁸We have a little sister.

whose breasts are not yet grown.

What should we do for our sister

in the day when she is to be spoken for?

⁹If she is a wall,

we will build on her a turret of silver.

If she is a door,

we will enclose her with planks of cedar.

¹⁰I am a wall, and my breasts like towers,

then I was in his eyes like one who found peace.

¹¹Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon.

He leased out the vineyard to keepers.

Each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.

¹²My own vineyard is before me.

The thousand are for you, Solomon,

two hundred for those who tend its fruit.

¹³You who dwell in the gardens, with friends in attendance,

let me hear your voice!

¹⁴Come away, my beloved!

Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!