8 “O that you were like a brother to me, who nursed from my mother’s breasts! If I found you outside, I would kiss you, and no one would hate me. ² I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother, who used to teach me. I would give you wine with spices to drink, made from my pomegranates. ³ Let his left hand be under my head, and his right hand hold me close.”

King Solomon

⁴ “I tell you, O daughters of Jerusalem. You must not wake up my love, until it is pleasing to her.”

The Sixth Song

Women of Jerusalem

⁵ “Who is this coming up from the desert, resting on her loved one?”

The Woman

“I woke you up under the fruit tree. There your mother suffered and gave birth to you. ⁶ Put me over your heart and on your arm, never to be taken off. For love is as strong as death. Jealousy is as hard as the grave. Its bright light is like the light of fire, the very fire of the Lord. ⁷ Many waters cannot put out love. Rivers cannot cover it. If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would all be hated.”

The Woman’s Brothers

⁸ “We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What should we do for our sister on the day when she is promised in marriage? ⁹ If she is a wall, we should build on her a tower of silver. But if she is a door, we should cover her with strong pieces of cedar wood.”

The Woman

¹⁰ “I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers. Then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace.”

The Woman’s Brothers

¹¹ “Solomon has a grape-field at Baal-hamon. He put the grape-field into the care of certain men. Each one was to bring 1,000 pieces of silver for its fruit. ¹² My own grape-field is for myself. The 1,000 pieces of silver are for you, Solomon. And 200 are for those who take care of its fruit.”

¹³ “O you who sit in the gardens, my friends are listening for your voice. Let me hear it.”

The Woman

¹⁴ “Hurry, my love. Be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spices.”