Song of Solomon 8
1 If only I could treat you like my brother, one who nursed at my mother's breasts, I would find you in public and kiss you, and no one would scorn me. 2 I would lead you, I would take you, to the house of my mother who taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink from my pomegranate juice. 3 His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
4 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you:
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.
5 Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on the one she loves?
I awakened you under the apricot tree.
There your mother conceived you;
there she conceived and gave you birth.
6 Set me as a seal on your heart,
as a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death;
ardent love is as unrelenting as Sheol.
Love's flames are fiery flames-
the fiercest of all.
7 Mighty waters cannot extinguish love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If a man were to give all his wealth for love,
it would be utterly scorned.
8 Our sister is young;
she has no breasts.
What will we do for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
9 If she is a wall,
we will build a silver parapet on it.
If she is a door,
we will enclose it with cedar planks.
10 I am a wall
and my breasts like towers.
So in his eyes I have become
like one who finds peace.
11 Solomon owned a vineyard in Baal-hamon.
He leased the vineyard to tenants.
Each was to bring for his fruit
1,000 pieces of silver.
12 I have my own vineyard.
The 1,000 are for you, Solomon,
but 200 for those who guard its fruits.
13 You who dwell in the gardens-
companions are listening for your voice-
let me hear you!
14 Hurry [to me], my love,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spices.
Song of Solomon 8
The Beloved’s Wish Song
1 Oh, how I wish you weret my little brother,t
nursing at my mother’s breasts;
if I sawt you outside, I could kiss you –
surelyt no one would despise me!s
2 I would lead you and bring you to my mother’s house,
the one who taught me.st
I would give yous spiced winest to drink,s
the nectar of my pomegranates.ss
Double Refrain: Embracing and Adjuration
3 His left hand caresses my head,
and his right hand stimulates me.t
4 I admonish you, O maidenst of Jerusalem:
“Do nott arouse or awaken love until it pleases!”
The Awakening of Love
5 Who is this coming up from the desert,
leaning on her beloved?
Under the apple tree I aroused you;s
there your mother conceived you,
there she who bore you was in labor of childbirth.t
The Nature of True Love
6 Set me like a cylinder seals over your heart,ts
like a signett on your arm.t
For love is as strong as death,s
passiont is as unrelentingt as Sheol.
Its flames burst forth,t
it is a blazing flame.t
7 Surging waters cannot quench love;
floodwaterst cannot overflow it.
If someone were to offer all his possessionst to buy love,t
the offert would be utterly despised.t
The Brother’s Plan and the Sister’s Reward
8 We have a little sister,
and as yet she has no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister
on the day when she is spoken for?s
9 If she is a wall,s
we will build on her a battlements of silver;
but if she is a door,
we will barricades her with boardst of cedar.s
10 I was a wall,
and my breasts were like fortress towers.s
Then I found favort in his eyes.t
Solomon’s Vineyard and the Beloved’s Vineyard
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-Hamon;
he leased outt the vineyard to those who maintained it.
Each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.
12 My vineyard,s which belongs to me,t is at my disposal alone.t
The thousand shekels belong to you, O Solomon,
and two hundred shekels belong to those who maintain it for its fruit.
Epilogue: The Lover’s Request and His Beloved’s Invitation
13 O you who stay in the gardens,
my companions are listening attentivelyt for your voice;
let me be the one tos hear it!t
14 Make haste, my beloved!
Be like a gazelle or a young stag
on the mountains of spices.