Chapter 8

1

Who doth make thee as a brother to me, Sucking the breasts of my mother? I find thee without, I kiss thee, Yea, they do not despise me,

2

I lead thee, I bring thee in unto my mother's house, She doth teach me, I cause thee to drink of the perfumed wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate,

3

His left hand is under my head, And his right doth embrace me.

4

I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, How ye stir up, And how ye wake the love till she please!

5

Who is this coming from the wilderness, Hasting herself for her beloved? Under the citron-tree I have waked thee, There did thy mother pledge thee, There she gave a pledge that bare thee.

6

Set me as a seal on thy heart, as a seal on thine arm, For strong as death is love, Sharp as Sheol is jealousy, Its burnings are burnings of fire, a flame of Jah!

7

Many waters are not able to quench the love, And floods do not wash it away. If one give all the wealth of his house for love, Treading down -- they tread upon it.

8

We have a little sister, and breasts she hath not, What do we do for our sister, In the day that it is told of her?

9

If she is a wall, we build by her a palace of silver. And if she is a door, We fashion by her board-work of cedar.

10

I am a wall, and my breasts as towers, Then I have been in his eyes as one finding peace.

11

Solomon hath a vineyard in Baal-Hamon, He hath given the vineyard to keepers, Each bringeth for its fruit a thousand silverlings;

12

My vineyard -- my own -- is before me, The thousand is for thee, O Solomon. And the two hundred for those keeping its fruit. O dweller in gardens!

13

The companions are attending to thy voice, Cause me to hear. Flee, my beloved, and be like to a roe,

14

Or to a young one of the harts on mountains of spices!