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Wishing

[Woman]

If only you were as my brother—
        the one who nursed at my mother’s breast.
I would find you in the street and kiss you,
        and no one would shame me for it.
I would lead you, I would bring you
        to my mother’s house;
        she would teach me what to do.[a]
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
        some of my fresh pomegranate juice.

        His left arm is beneath my head,
        and his right embraces me!

Make a solemn pledge,
        daughters of Jerusalem,
        never to rouse, never to arouse love
        until it desires.

Love, strong and invaluable

[Daughters of Jerusalem]

Who is this coming up from the wilderness
        leaning against her lover?

[Woman]

Under the apple tree I aroused you—
        there, where your mother labored with you,
        there where, laboring, she bore you.
Set me as a seal over your heart,
        as a seal upon your arm,
for love is as strong as death,
        passionate love unrelenting as the grave.[b]
Its darts are darts of fire—
        divine flame!
Rushing waters can’t quench love;
        rivers can’t wash it away.
If someone gave
        all his estate in exchange for love,
        he would be laughed to utter shame.

[The Woman’s Brothers]

Our sister is small;
        she has no breasts.
What will we do for our sister
        on the day that she is spoken for?
If she is a city wall,
        then we will build a turret of silver on her.[c]
And if she is a door,
        then we will barricade her[d] with a panel of cedar.

[Woman]

10 I’m a city wall,
        and my breasts are the towers.
So now I’m in his eyes
        as one who brings peace.

[Man]

11 Solomon had a vineyard
        in Baal-hamon.
He gave charge of the vineyard to keepers;
        one would bring in exchange for its fruit
            a thousand pieces of silver.
12 My vineyard, my very own, is before me.
You can have the thousand, Solomon[e]
        with two hundred for those who tend the fruit!

13 You who sit in the gardens,
        my companions are listening for your voice.
            Let me hear it!

[Woman]

14 “Take flight, my love,
        and be like a gazelle
        or a young stag
        on the mountains of spice!”

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 8:2 Or you would teach me; LXX, Syr to my mother's house, and to the chamber of the one who conceived me (cf 3:4)
  2. Song of Solomon 8:6 Heb Sheol
  3. Song of Solomon 8:9 Or on it (the city wall)
  4. Song of Solomon 8:9 Or it (the door)
  5. Song of Solomon 8:12 Cf 1 Kgs 11:3

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