Read the Bible

² I would lead you
and bring you to my mother's house-
she who has taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
the nectar of my pomegranates.

³ His left arm is under my head
and his right arm embraces me.

⁴ Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.

Friends

⁵ Who is this coming up from the desert
leaning on her lover?

Beloved

Under the apple tree I roused you;
there your mother conceived you,
there she who was in labor gave you birth.

⁶ Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy ^(F15) unyielding as the grave. ^(F16)
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame. ^(F17)

⁷ Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot wash it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of his house for love,
it ^(F18) would be utterly scorned.

Friends

⁸ We have a young sister,
and her breasts are not yet grown.
What shall we do for our sister
for the day she is spoken for?

⁹ If she is a wall,
we will build towers of silver on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with panels of cedar.

Beloved

¹⁰ I am a wall,
and my breasts are like towers.
Thus I have become in his eyes
like one bringing contentment.

¹¹ Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon;
he let out his vineyard to tenants.
Each was to bring for its fruit
a thousand shekels ^(F19) of silver.

¹² But my own vineyard is mine to give;
the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon,
and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit.

Lover

¹³ You who dwell in the gardens
with friends in attendance,
let me hear your voice!

Beloved

¹⁴ Come away, my lover,
and be like a gazelle
or like a young stag
on the spice-laden mountains.