¹Oh that you were like my brother,

who nursed from the breasts of my mother!

If I found you outside , I would kiss you ;

yes , and no one would despise me .

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

who would instruct me .

I would have you drink spiced wine ,

of the juice of my pomegranate .

³His left hand would be under my head .

His right hand would embrace me .

⁴I adjure you , daughters of Jerusalem ,

that you not stir up , nor 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 labour 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 .

Its flashes are flashes of fire ,

a very flame of the LORD .

⁷Many waters can ’t quench love,

neither can floods drown it .

If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love,

he would be utterly scorned.

⁸We have a little sister.

She has no breasts .

What shall 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 boards 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 !