1How I wish you were like a brother to me, one who nursed at my mother's breasts! Then if I met you on the street I could kiss you and no one would tell me off.

2Then I could take you home to my mother's house, where she used to teach me. ⁶⁴I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranate.

3He supports my head with his left hand, and holds me close with his right.

4Women of Jerusalem, swear to me that you won't disturb our love until the right time.

5Who is this coming in from the wilderness holding her love close to her? Woman: I woke you up under the apple tree where your mother conceived you, and where she gave birth to you. ⁶⁵

6Stamp my name as a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm, ⁶⁶for love is strong as death, passion as unyielding as the grave—its arrows flash like fire, a blazing flame of the Lord.

7Floods of water cannot extinguish love; rivers cannot submerge it. If a man offered everything he owned in order to buy love he would be completely rejected.

8We have a younger sister whose breasts are still small. What shall we do for our sister when someone asks to marry her?

9If she is a wall, we will build a silver tower on it. But if she is a door, we will bar the way with cedar planks. ⁶⁷

10I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. So when he looks at me he's happy! ⁶⁸

11Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon which he leased to tenant farmers. Each of them paid him one thousand silver coins for the fruit it produced.

12But I own my vineyard, it is mine alone. One thousand silver coins are for you, Solomon, and two hundred for those who look after it.

13My darling, sitting there in the gardens with companions listening to you—please talk to me!

14Come quickly, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spices.