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. 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.

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.

1 Ag, was u maar vir my soos 'n broer wat aan die borste van my moeder drink! As ek u daar buite vind, ek sou u kus; en tog sou hulle my nie verag nie.

2 Ek sou u lei, ek sou u bring in die huis van my moeder; sy sou my leer; ek sou u laat drink van die gekruide wyn, van my granaatmos.

3 Laat sy linkerarm onder my hoof wees en sy regterarm my omhels.

4 Ek besweer julle, dogters van Jerusalem: Waarom wil julle wakker maak en waarom wil julle opwek die liefde voordat dit die liefde behaag?

5 Wie is dit wat daar opkom uit die woestyn, wat leun op haar beminde? Onder die appelboom het ek u opgewek. Daar was u moeder in barensweë oor u, daar was sy in barensweë wat u voortgebring het.

6 Dra my soos 'n seëlring op u hart, soos 'n seëlring op u arm; want liefde is sterk soos die dood, die liefdes-ywer is hard soos die doderyk, sy gloed is 'n gloed van vuur, 'n vlam van die HERE.

7 Groot waters kan die liefde nie uitblus en riviere dit nie oorstroom nie; al gee 'n man ook al die goed van sy huis vir die liefde, hulle sou hom diep verag.

8 Ons het 'n klein sustertjie wat nog nie borste het nie; wat moet ons met ons suster maak die dag as sy gevra word?

9 As sy 'n muur is, sal ons 'n silwerrand daarop bou, en as sy 'n deur is, sal ons dit met 'n sederplank toeslaan.

10 Ek is 'n muur, en my borste soos torings: toe het ek in sy oë geword soos een wat vrede vind.

11 Salomo het 'n wingerd in Ba„l-Hamon gehad; hy het die wingerd aan die oppassers oorgegee; elkeen moes vir sy vrugte duisend sikkels silwer inbring.

12 My wingerd, myne, is hier voor my, die duisend sikkels is vir u, Salomo, en twee honderd vir die wat sy vrugte bewaak.

13 U wat in die tuine woon vriende luister na u stem; laat my dit hoor.

14 Vlug, my beminde, en maak soos die gemsbok of die jong takbok op die balsemberge.