< Song of Solomon 8 >
1 Oh that thou hadst been a very brother to me, who had sucked the breasts of my own mother, —Had I found thee without, I had kissed thee, Yea, folk would not have despised me!
O that thou wert as my brother, that was nourished at the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee outside, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.
2 I would have guided thee—brought thee into the house of my mother, Thou wouldst have instructed me, —I would have let thee drink of spiced wine, of the pressed-out juice of my pomegranate.
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 under my head, then, his right hand, embraceth me.
His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
4 I [HE] adjure you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, —Why will ye wake, and why will ye arouse the dear love until she please!
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not, nor awake my love, until he please.
5 [THEY] Who is this, coming up out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? [HE] Under the apple-tree, I roused thee, where thy mother, was in pain with thee, where she was in pain who gave thee birth!
Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I awakened thee under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bore thee.
6 [SHE] Set me as a seal, upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm, For, mighty as death, is love, Exacting as hades, is jealousy, —The flames thereof, are flames of fire, The flash of Yah! (Sheol )
Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals of it are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. (Sheol )
7 Many waters, cannot quench love, nor shall, floods, overwhelm it, —If a man would give all the substance of his house, for love, they would, utterly despise, him.
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 despised.
8 [THEY] A sister, have we, a little one, and, breasts, hath she none, What shall we do for our sister, in the day when she may be spoken for?
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, a wall, she is, we will build upon it a battlement of silver, —but if, a door, she is, we will close it up with a plank of cedar.
If she is a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she is a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.
10 [SHE] I, was a wall, and, my breasts, like towers, —Then, became I, in his eyes, one who did indeed find good content.
I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.
11 A vineyard, had Solomon, as the owner of abundance, He put out the vineyard to keepers, —Every man, was to bring in, for the fruit thereof, a thousand silverlings:
Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard to keepers; every one for the fruit of it was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.
12 Mine own vineyard, is before me, —The thousand belong to thee, O Solomon, and two hundred to the keepers of the fruit thereof.
My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit of it two hundred.
13 [HE] O thou fair dweller in the gardens, the companions are giving heed to thy voice, Let me hear it.
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.
14 [SHE] Come quickly, my beloved, and resemble thou a gazelle, or a young stag, upon the mountains of balsam-trees.
Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices.