8 Oh, that you were like my brother,
Who nursed at my mother’s breasts!
If I should find you outside,
I would kiss you;
I would not be despised.
² I would lead you and bring you
Into the ^(A)house of my mother,
She who used to instruct me.
I would cause you to drink of ^(B)spiced wine,
Of the juice of my pomegranate.

^3 (C)His left hand is under my head,
And his right hand embraces me.
^4 (D)I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.

^5 (E)Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning upon her beloved?

^6 (F)Set me as a seal upon your heart,
As a seal upon your arm;
For love is as strong as death,
^(G)Jealousy as ^[a]cruel as ^[b]the grave;
Its flames are flames of fire,
^[c]A most vehement flame.

^8 (I)We have a little sister,
And she has no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister
In the day when she is spoken for?
⁹ If she is a wall,
We will build upon her
A battlement of silver;
And if she is a door,
We will enclose her
With boards of cedar.

¹⁰ I am a wall,
And my breasts like towers;
Then I became in his eyes
As one who found peace.
¹¹ Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon;
^(J)He leased the vineyard to keepers;
Everyone was to bring for its fruit
A thousand silver coins.

¹² My own vineyard is before me.
You, O Solomon, may have a thousand,
And those who tend its fruit two hundred.

¹³ You who dwell in the gardens,
The companions listen for your voice—
^(K)Let me hear it!

^14 (L)Make^[d] haste, my beloved,
And ^(M)be like a gazelle
Or a young stag
On the mountains of spices.