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The Power and Preciousness of Love

“Oh that you were like a brother to me
Who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
If I found you outside, I would kiss you;
No one would despise me, either.
I would lead you and (A)bring you
Into the house of my mother, who used to teach me;
I would give you spiced wine to drink from the sweet wine of my pomegranates.
Let (B)his left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”

[a](C)I call you to solemnly swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,
[b]Why should you arouse or awaken my love
Until [c]she pleases?”

[d](D)Who is this coming up from the wilderness
Leaning on her beloved?”
[e]Beneath the [f](E)apple tree I awakened you;
There your mother was in labor with you;
There she was in labor and gave you birth.
Put me like a [g]seal over your heart,
Like a (F)seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
[h](G)Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
[i]The very flame of [j]Yah.
Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers overflow it;
(H)If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.”

[k]We have a little sister,
And she (I)has no 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 battlement of silver;
But if she is a door,
We will barricade her with (J)planks of cedar.”

10 [l]I was a wall, and (K)my breasts were like towers;
Then I became in his eyes as one who finds peace.
11 Solomon had a (L)vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He (M)gave the vineyard to (N)caretakers.
Each one was to bring [m]one (O)thousand shekels of silver for its (P)fruit.
12 My very own vineyard is before me;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”

13 [n]O you who sit in the gardens,
My (Q)companions are giving heed to your voice—
(R)Let me hear it!”

14 [o][p]Hurry, my beloved,
And be (S)like a gazelle or a young [q]stag
On the (T)mountains of spices.”

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 8:4 BRIDEGROOM
  2. Song of Songs 8:4 Or Do not arouse
  3. Song of Songs 8:4 Or it
  4. Song of Songs 8:5 CHORUS
  5. Song of Songs 8:5 BRIDE
  6. Song of Songs 8:5 Or apricot
  7. Song of Songs 8:6 Or signet
  8. Song of Songs 8:6 Or Its ardor is as inflexible
  9. Song of Songs 8:6 Or A vehement flame
  10. Song of Songs 8:6 The shortened form of Yahweh, found in poetry and praise (e.g. Hallelujah), and in names (e.g. Zechariah)
  11. Song of Songs 8:8 CHORUS
  12. Song of Songs 8:10 BRIDE
  13. Song of Songs 8:11 Approx. 25 lb. or 11.3 kg, a shekel was approx. 0.4 oz. or 11 gm
  14. Song of Songs 8:13 BRIDEGROOM
  15. Song of Songs 8:14 BRIDE
  16. Song of Songs 8:14 Lit Flee
  17. Song of Songs 8:14 Lit of the stags

¡Quién te diera ser mi hermano,
criado a los pechos de mi madre!
Si te encontrara en la calle,
incluso podría besarte
sin temor a los reproches.
Te llevaría y te entraría
a la casa de mi madre,
donde tú me enseñarías
y yo te serviría el vino oloroso
y mi licor de granadas.
En su izquierda reposa mi cabeza,
con su derecha me abraza.

Amado

Júrenme, muchachas de Jerusalén
por las gacelas y ciervas del campo,
que no despertarán ni turbarán
al amor hasta que él quiera.

Conclusión

Coro

¿Quién es esa que sube del desierto,
recostada en el hombro del amor?

Amado

Debajo del manzano te desperté,
allí donde te concibió tu madre,
allí donde te concibió y te dio a luz.

Amada

Grábame como un sello
sobre tu corazón,
como un sello en tu brazo;
porque el amor es más fuerte que la muerte,
la pasión, más implacable que el abismo.
Sus saetas son saetas de fuego,
llamarada divina.
No podrán los océanos
apagar el amor,
ni los ríos anegarlo.
Para el que quiera comprar el amor
con todas sus riquezas,
el más profundo desprecio.

Apéndices

Coro

A nuestra hermana pequeña
no le han crecido los pechos.
¿Qué vamos a hacer con ella
cuando vengan a pedirla?
Si es una muralla,
la coronaremos
de almenas de plata;
y si es una puerta,
la recubriremos
con tablas de cedro.

Amada

10 Soy una muralla
y mis pechos, torres;
mas seré para él
remanso de paz.

Coro

11 Salomón tenía una viña
en Baal Hamón.
Le dio la viña a los guardas
y cada cual le pagaba
por su cosecha
con mil monedas de plata.

Amada

12 Mi viña, mi propia viña
es sólo mía;
para ti, rey Salomón,
las mil monedas;
y da a los guardas doscientas
por custodiar la cosecha.

Amado

13 Señora de los jardines,
mis compañeros te escuchan,
¡déjame escuchar tu voz!

Amada

14 Amor mío, huye corriendo
como corzo o cervatillo
por las montañas de especias.

Lovers Reunited at Their Country Home

Oh, that you were like my brother,
Who nursed at my mother’s breasts!
If I should find you outside,
I would kiss you;
I would not be despised.
I would lead you and bring you
Into the (A)house of my mother,
She who used to instruct me.
I would cause you to drink of (B)spiced wine,
Of the juice of my pomegranate.

(To the Daughters of Jerusalem)

(C)His left hand is under my head,
And his right hand embraces me.
(D)I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.

Love Renewed in Lebanon

A Relative

(E)Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning upon her beloved?

I awakened you under the apple tree.
There your mother brought you forth;
There she who bore you brought you forth.

The Shulamite to Her Beloved

(F)Set me as a seal upon your heart,
As a seal upon your arm;
For love is as strong as death,
(G)Jealousy as [a]cruel as [b]the grave;
Its flames are flames of fire,
[c]A most vehement flame.

Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor can the floods drown it.
(H)If a man would give for love
All the wealth of his house,
It would be utterly despised.

The Shulamite’s Brothers

(I)We have a little sister,
And she has no breasts.
What shall we do for our sister
In the day when she is spoken for?
If she is a wall,
We will build upon her
A battlement of silver;
And if she is a door,
We will enclose her
With boards of cedar.

The Shulamite

10 I am a wall,
And my breasts like towers;
Then I became in his eyes
As one who found peace.
11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon;
(J)He leased the vineyard to keepers;
Everyone was to bring for its fruit
A thousand silver coins.

(To Solomon)

12 My own vineyard is before me.
You, O Solomon, may have a thousand,
And those who tend its fruit two hundred.

The Beloved

13 You who dwell in the gardens,
The companions listen for your voice—
(K)Let me hear it!

The Shulamite

14 (L)Make[d] haste, my beloved,
And (M)be like a gazelle
Or a young stag
On the mountains of spices.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 8:6 severe, lit. hard
  2. Song of Solomon 8:6 Or Sheol
  3. Song of Solomon 8:6 Lit. A flame of Yah, poetic form of YHWH, the Lord
  4. Song of Solomon 8:14 Hurry, lit. Flee