1  O that thou wert as my brother, 
   that sucked the breasts of my mother! 
   when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; 
   yea, I should not be despised.
2  I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, 
   who would instruct me:
   I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine 
   of the juice of my pomegranate.
3  His left hand should be under my head,
   and his right hand should embrace me.
4  I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, 
   that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, 
   until he please.
5  Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, 
   leaning upon her beloved? 
   I raised thee up under the apple tree: 
   there thy mother brought thee forth: 
   there she brought thee forth that bare thee.
6  Set me as a seal upon thine heart, 
   as a seal upon thine arm:
   for love is strong as death[; 
   jealousy is cruel as the grave: 
   the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame]1.
7  Many waters cannot quench love, 
   neither can the floods drown it[: 
   if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, 
   it would utterly be contemned]1.
8  We have a little sister, 
   and she hath no breasts: 
   what shall we do for our sister 
   in the day when she shall be spoken for?
9  If she be a wall,
   we will build upon her a palace of silver: 
   and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.
10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: 
   then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; 
   he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit 
   thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.
12 My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: 
   thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, 
   and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.
13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions 
   hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.
14 Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe
   or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.