Shyr Shalumah (Songs of Solomon) — 8
Young Woman
1 Oh, I wish you were my brother, who nursed at my mother’s breasts, then I could kiss you no matter who was watching, and no one would criticize me.
2 I would bring you to my childhood home, and there you would teach me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, my sweet pomegranate wine.
3 Your left arm would be under my head, and your right arm would embrace me.
4 Promise me, O women of Yahushalam, not to awaken love until the time is right.
Young Women of Yahushalam
5 Who is this sweeping in from the desert, leaning on her lover?
Young Woman
I aroused you under the apple tree, where your mother gave you birth, where in great pain she delivered you.
6 Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave, love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned.
The Young Woman’s Brothers
8 We have a little sister too young to have breasts. What will we do for our sister if someone asks to marry her?
9 If she is a virgin, like a wall, we will protect her with a silver tower, but if she is promiscuous, like a swinging door, we will block her door with a cedar bar.
Young Woman
10 I was a virgin, like a wall; now my breasts are like towers, when my lover looks at me, he is delighted with what he sees.
11 King Shalumah has a vineyard at Baal-hamun, which he leases out to tenant farmers, each of them pays a thousand pieces of silver for harvesting its fruit.
12 But my vineyard is mine to give, and Shalumah need not pay a thousand pieces of silver, but I will give two hundred pieces to those who care for its vines.
Young Man
13 O my darling, lingering in the gardens, your companions are fortunate to hear your voice. Let me hear it, too!
Young Woman
14 Come away, my love! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.