Longing for Her Beloved

1Oh that thou wert as my brother, That sucked the breasts of my mother! Should I find thee without, I would kiss thee; And they would not despise me.

2I would lead thee, bring thee into my mother's house; Thou wouldest instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate.

3His left hand would be under my head, And his right hand embrace me.

4I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem, ... Why should ye stir up, why awake [my] love, till he please?

The Friends

5Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? I awoke thee under the apple-tree: There thy mother brought thee forth; There she brought thee forth [that] bore thee.

Solomon

6Set me as a seal upon thy heart, As a seal upon thine arm: For love is strong as death; Jealousy is cruel as Sheol: The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, Flames of Jah.

7Many waters cannot quench love, Neither do the floods drown it: Even if a man gave all the substance of his house for love, It would utterly be contemned.

The Friends

8We have a little sister, And she hath no breasts: What shall we do for our sister In the day when she shall be spoken for? --

9If she be a wall, We will build upon her a turret of silver; And if she be a door, We will enclose her with boards of cedar.

The Bride

10I am a wall, and my breasts like towers; Then was I in his eyes as one that findeth peace.

11Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon: He let out the vineyard unto keepers; Every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand silver-pieces.

12My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: The thousand [silver-pieces] be to thee, Solomon; And to the keepers of its fruit, two hundred.

Solomon

13Thou that dwellest in the gardens, The companions hearken to thy voice: Let me hear [it].

The Bride

14Haste, my beloved, And be thou like a gazelle or a young hart Upon the mountains of spices.