Song of Solomon 8

1Oh that you were my brother, who took milk from my mother's breasts! When I came to you in the street, I would give you kisses; yes, I would not be looked down on.

1Who shall give thee to me for my brother, sucking the breasts of my mother, that I may find thee without, and kiss thee, and now no man may despise me?

2I would take you by the hand into my mother's house, and she would be my teacher. I would give you drink of spiced wine, drink of the pomegranate.

2I will take hold of thee, and bring thee into my mother's house: there thou shalt teach me, and I will give thee a cup of spiced wine and new wine of my pomegranates.

3His left hand would be under my head, and his right hand about me.

3His left hand under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me.

4I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not let love be moved till it is ready.

4I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you stir not up, nor awake my love till she please.

5Who is this, who comes up from the waste places, resting on her loved one? It was I who made you awake under the apple-tree, where your mother gave you birth; there she was in pain at your birth.

5Who is this that cometh up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I raised thee up: there thy mother was corrupted, there she was defloured that bore thee.

6Put me as a sign on your heart, as a sign on your arm; love is strong as death, and wrath bitter as the underworld: its coals are coals of fire; violent are its flames.

6Put me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy as hard as hell, the lamps thereof are fire and flames.

7Much water may not put out love, or the deep waters overcome it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be judged a price not great enough.

7Many waters cannot quench charity, neither can the floods drown it: if a man should give all the substance of his house for love, he shall despise it as nothing.

8We have a young sister, and she has no breasts; what are we to do for our sister in the day when she is given to a man?

8Our sister is little, and hath no breasts. What shall we do to our sister in the day when she is to be spoken to?

9If she is a wall, we will make on her a strong base of silver; and if she is a door, we will let her be shut up with cedar-wood.

9If she be a wall: let us build upon it bulwarks of silver: if she be a door, let us join it together with boards of cedar.

10I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers; then was I in his eyes as one to whom good chance had come.

10I am a wall: and my breasts are as a tower since I am become in his presence as one finding peace.

11Solomon had a vine-garden at Baal-hamon; he let out the vine-garden to keepers; every one had to give a thousand bits of silver for its fruit.

11The peaceable had a vineyard, in that which hath people: he let out the same to keepers, every man bringeth for the fruit thereof a thousand pieces of silver.

12My vine-garden, which is mine, is before me: you, O Solomon, will have the thousand, and those who keep the fruit of them two hundred.

12My vineyard is before me. A thousand are for thee, the peaceable, and two hundred for them that keep the fruit thereof.

13You who have your resting-place in the gardens, the friends give ear to your voice; make me give ear to it.

13Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the friends hearken: make me hear thy voice.

14Come quickly, my loved one, and be like a roe on the mountains of spice.

14Flee away, O my beloved, and be like to the roe, and to the young hart upon the mountains of aromatical spices.