< Canticum Canticorum 8 >

1 Quis mihi det te fratrem meum sugentem ubera matris meae, ut inveniam te foris, et deosculer te, et iam me nemo despiciat?
I would that you, O my kinsman, were he that sucked the breasts of my mother; when I found you without, I would kiss you; yes, they should not despise me.
2 Apprehendam te, et ducam in domum matris meae: ibi me docebis, et dabo tibi poculum ex vino condito, et mustum malorum granatorum meorum.
I would take you, I would bring you into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me; I would make you to drink of spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranates.
3 Laeva eius sub capite meo, et dextera illius amplexabitur me.
His left hand [should be] under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
4 Adiuro vos filiae Ierusalem, ne suscitetis, neque evigilare faciatis dilectam donec ipsa velit.
I have charged you, you daughters of Jerusalem, by the virtues of the field, that you stir not up, nor awake [my] love, until he please.
5 Quae est ista, quae ascendit de deserto, deliciis affluens, innixa super dilectum suum? Sub arbore malo suscitavi te: ibi corrupta est mater tua, ibi violata est genitrix tua.
Who is this that comes up all white, leaning on her kinsman? I raised you up under an apple tree; there your mother brought you forth; there she that bore you brought you forth.
6 Pone me ut signaculum super cor tuum, ut signaculum super brachium tuum: quia fortis est ut mors dilectio. dura sicut infernus aemulatio, lampades eius lampades ignis atque flammarum. (Sheol h7585)
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave, her shafts are shafts of fire, [even] the flames thereof. (Sheol h7585)
7 Aquae multae non potuerunt extinguere charitatem, nec flumina obruent illam: si dederit homo omnem substantiam domus suae pro dilectione, quasi nihil despiciet eam.
Much water will not be able to quench love, and rivers shall not drown it; if a man would give all his substance for love, [men] would utterly despise it.
8 Soror nostra parva, et ubera non habet. quid faciemus sorori nostrae in die quando alloquenda est?
Our sister is little, and has no breasts; what shall we do for our sister, in the day wherein she shall be spoken for?
9 Si murus est, aedificemus super eum propugnacula argentea: si ostium est, compingamus illud tabulis cedrinis.
If she is a wall, let us build upon her silver bulwarks; and if she is a door, let us carve for her cedar panels.
10 Ego murus: et ubera mea sicut turris, ex quo facta sum coram eo quasi pacem reperiens.
I am a wall, and my breasts are as towers; I was in their eyes as one that found peace.
11 Vinea fuit pacifico in ea, quae habet populos: tradidit eam custodibus, vir affert pro fructu eius mille argenteos.
Solomon had a vineyard in Beelamon; he let his vineyard to keepers; every one was to bring for its fruit a thousand [pieces] of silver.
12 Vinea mea coram me est. Mille tui pacifici, et ducenti his, qui custodiunt fructus eius.
My vineyard, even mine, is before me; Solomon [shall have] a thousand, and they that keep its fruit two hundred.
13 Quae habitas in hortis, amici auscultant: fac me audire vocem tuam.
You that dwell in the gardens, the companions listen to your voice: make me hear [it].
14 Fuge dilecte mi, et assimilare capreae, hinnuloque cervorum super montes aromatum.
Away, my kinsman, and be like a doe or a fawn on the mountains of spices.

< Canticum Canticorum 8 >