1⌞How I wish that you were my little brother⌟, who nursed ⌞upon my mother’s breasts⌟! If ⌞I met you outside⌟, I would kiss you, ⌞and no one would despise me⌟!
2⌞I would surely bring you⌟ to the house of my mother, ⌞who would surely teach me⌟; ⌞I would give you spiced wine to drink⌟, the ⌞sweet wine⌟ of my pomegranates.
3His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me.
4I adjure you, ⌞O maidens of Jerusalem⌟, do not arouse or awaken love until it pleases!
5Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened you; there your mother ⌞conceived you⌟; there she who was in labor gave birth to you.
6Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death; passion is fierce as Sheol; its flashes are flashes of fire; it is a blazing flame.
7Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all the wealth of his house ⌞for love⌟, he would be utterly scorned.
8⌞We have a little sister⌟, ⌞and she does not yet have any breasts⌟. What should we do for our sister ⌞on the day when she is betrothed⌟?
9If she is a wall, ⌞we will adorn her with a turret of silver⌟; but if she is a door, we will barricade her with boards of cedar.
10I was a wall, and my breasts were like the towers, ⌞so my betrothed viewed me with great delight⌟.
11⌞Solomon had a vineyard⌟ at Baal-hamon; ⌞he entrusted his vineyard to the keepers⌟; ⌞people paid a thousand silver pieces for its fruit⌟.
12⌞My own “vineyard” belongs to me⌟; the “thousand” are for you, O Solomon, ⌞and “two hundred” for those who tend its fruit⌟.
13O you who dwell in the garden, my companions are listening to your voice. Let me hear it!
14Flee, my beloved! ⌞Be like a gazelle⌟ or ⌞a young stag⌟ upon ⌞the perfumed mountains⌟!