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¡Ah, si fueras mi propio hermano,
    criado a los pechos de mi madre!
Al encontrarte en la calle podría besarte,
    y nadie me juzgaría mal.
Tomándote de la mano,
    te llevaría a la casa de mi madre,
    y me enseñarías el arte del amor.
Te daría a beber vino con especias,
    y el néctar de mis granadas.

¡Ojalá pudiera mi cabeza
    reposar sobre su izquierda!
    ¡Ojalá su derecha me abrazara!

El amado

Yo os ruego, mujeres de Jerusalén,
    que no desveléis ni molestéis a mi amada,
    hasta que ella quiera despertar.

Sexto Canto

El coro

¿Quién es esta que sube por el desierto
    apoyada sobre el hombro de su amado?

El amado

Bajo el manzano te desperté;
    allí te concibió tu madre,
    allí mismo te dio a luz.

La amada

Grábame como un sello sobre tu corazón;
    llévame como una marca sobre tu brazo.
Fuerte es el amor, como la muerte,
    y tenaz la pasión, como el sepulcro.
Como llama divina
    es el fuego ardiente del amor.
Ni las muchas aguas pueden apagarlo,
    ni los ríos pueden extinguirlo.
Si alguien ofreciera todas sus riquezas
    a cambio del amor,
    solo conseguiría el desprecio.

El coro

Tan pequeña es nuestra hermana
    que no le han crecido los pechos.
¿Qué haremos por nuestra hermana
    cuando vengan a pedirla?
Si fuera una muralla,
    construiríamos sobre ella almenas de plata.
Si acaso fuera una puerta,
    la recubriríamos con paneles de cedro.

La amada

10 Una muralla soy yo,
    y mis pechos, sus dos torres.
Por eso a los ojos de mi amado
    soy como quien ha hallado la paz.

11 Salomón tenía una viña en Baal Jamón,
    que dejó al cuidado de aparceros.
Cada uno entregaba, por sus frutos,
    mil monedas[a] de plata.
12 ¡Quédate, Salomón, con las mil monedas,
    y vosotros, aparceros, con doscientas,
    pero mi viña solo a mí me pertenece!

El amado

13 Tú, que reinas en los jardines,
    pendientes de tu voz están nuestros amigos;
    ¡déjanos escucharla!

La amada

14 ¡Apresúrate, amado mío!
    ¡Corre como venado, como cervatillo,
    sobre los montes de bálsamo cubiertos!

Footnotes

  1. 8:11 mil monedas de plata. Lit. mil [siclos] de plata.

If only you were to me like a brother,
    who was nursed at my mother’s breasts!
Then, if I found you outside,
    I would kiss you,
    and no one would despise me.
I would lead you
    and bring you to my mother’s house(A)
    she who has taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
    the nectar of my pomegranates.
His left arm is under my head
    and his right arm embraces me.(B)
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
    Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(C)

Friends

Who is this coming up from the wilderness(D)
    leaning on her beloved?

She

Under the apple tree I roused you;
    there your mother conceived(E) you,
    there she who was in labor gave you birth.
Place me like a seal over your heart,
    like a seal on your arm;
for love(F) is as strong as death,
    its jealousy[a](G) unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
    like a mighty flame.[b]
Many waters cannot quench love;
    rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
    all the wealth of one’s house for love,
    it[c] would be utterly scorned.(H)

Friends

We have a little sister,
    and her breasts are not yet grown.
What shall we do for our sister
    on the day she is spoken for?
If she is a wall,
    we will build towers of silver on her.
If she is a door,
    we will enclose her with panels of cedar.

She

10 I am a wall,
    and my breasts are like towers.
Thus I have become in his eyes
    like one bringing contentment.
11 Solomon had a vineyard(I) in Baal Hamon;
    he let out his vineyard to tenants.
Each was to bring for its fruit
    a thousand shekels[d](J) of silver.
12 But my own vineyard(K) is mine to give;
    the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
    and two hundred[e] are for those who tend its fruit.

He

13 You who dwell in the gardens
    with friends in attendance,
    let me hear your voice!

She

14 Come away, my beloved,
    and be like a gazelle(L)
or like a young stag(M)
    on the spice-laden mountains.(N)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 8:6 Or ardor
  2. Song of Songs 8:6 Or fire, / like the very flame of the Lord
  3. Song of Songs 8:7 Or he
  4. Song of Songs 8:11 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms; also in verse 12
  5. Song of Songs 8:12 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms

O, that you were like a brother to me,
    who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
If I found you outside, I would kiss you,
    and no one would despise me.
I would lead you
    and bring you into my mother’s house—
    she who has taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink
    from the nectar of my pomegranate.
O that his left hand were under my head,
    and his right hand embraced me.

I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem,
    Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so delights.

Protecting Love

Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her lover?
Under the apple tree I roused you.
    There your mother travailed with you.
There she who was in labor gave you birth.
Set me like a seal over your heart,
    like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
    jealousy as cruel as Sheol.
Its flames are bolts of fire,
    the flame of Adonai.
Many waters cannot quench love,
    nor rivers wash it away.
If one gave all the wealth of his house for love,
    it would be utterly despised.

We have a little sister,
    still without breasts.
What shall we do for our sister
    on the day when she is spoken for?
If she is a wall,
    we will build on her a turret of silver.
If she is a door,
    we will fence her in with cedar plank.

10 I am a wall,
    and my breasts like towers.
Thus I have become in his eyes
    as one bringing shalom.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon.
He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers.
Each was to bring for his fruit
    a thousand pieces of silver.
12 My very own vineyard is before me.
The thousand are for you, Solomon,
    and two hundred for those
    who tend the fruit.

13 You who abide in the gardens,
    friends are listening for your voice.
Let me hear it!

14 Come quickly, my beloved,
    and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!