Song of Songs 8
New International Version
8 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.
2 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.
3 His left arm is under my head
    and his right arm embraces me.(B)
4 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
    Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(C)
Friends
5 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.
6 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]
7 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
8 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?
9 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
Footnotes
- Song of Songs 8:6 Or ardor
- Song of Songs 8:6 Or fire, / like the very flame of the Lord
- Song of Songs 8:7 Or he
- Song of Songs 8:11 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms; also in verse 12
- Song of Songs 8:12 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms
Song of Solomon 8
King James Version
8 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 Baalhamon; 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.
Song of Solomon 8
New American Standard Bible
The Lovers Speak
8 “Oh that you were like a brother to me
Who nursed at my mother’s breasts.
If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you;
No one would despise me, either.
2 I would lead you and (A)bring you
Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;
I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of my pomegranates.
3 Let (B)his left hand be under my head,
And his right hand embrace me.”
The Groom
4 “(C)Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem:
[a]Do not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”
The Chorus
5 “(D)Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
Leaning on her beloved?”
The Bride
“Beneath the (E)apple tree I awakened you;
There your mother went into labor with you,
There she was in labor and gave birth to you.
6 Put me like a seal over your heart,
Like a (F)seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
[b](G)Jealousy is as severe as Sheol;
Its flames are flames of fire,
[c]The flame of the Lord.
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor will rivers flood over it;
(H)If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,
It would be utterly despised.”
The Chorus
8 “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?
9 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.”
The Bride
10 “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)entrusted the vineyard to (N)caretakers.
Each one was to bring a (O)thousand shekels of silver for its (P)fruit.
12 My very own vineyard is [d]at my disposal;
The thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who take care of its fruit.”
The Groom
The Bride
14 “[e]Hurry, my beloved,
And be (S)like a gazelle or a young [f]stag
On the (T)mountains of balsam trees!”
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 8:4 Lit Why should you disturb or
- Song of Solomon 8:6 Or Its passion is as inflexible
- Song of Solomon 8:6 Another reading is A vehement flame
- Song of Solomon 8:12 Lit before me
- Song of Solomon 8:14 Lit Flee
- Song of Solomon 8:14 Lit of the stags
Cantico dei Cantici 8
Conferenza Episcopale Italiana
8 Oh se tu fossi un mio fratello,
allattato al seno di mia madre!
Trovandoti fuori ti potrei baciare
e nessuno potrebbe disprezzarmi. 
2 Ti condurrei, ti introdurrei nella casa di mia madre;
m'insegneresti l'arte dell'amore.
Ti farei bere vino aromatico,
del succo del mio melograno. 
3 La sua sinistra è sotto il mio capo
e la sua destra mi abbraccia.
Lo sposo
4 Io vi scongiuro, figlie di Gerusalemme,
non destate, non scuotete dal sonno l'amata,
finché non lo voglia.
EPILOGO
5 Chi è colei che sale dal deserto,
appoggiata al suo diletto?
Sotto il melo ti ho svegliata;
là, dove ti concepì tua madre,
là, dove la tua genitrice ti partorì.
La sposa
6 Mettimi come sigillo sul tuo cuore,
come sigillo sul tuo braccio;
perché forte come la morte è l'amore,
tenace come gli inferi è la passione:
le sue vampe son vampe di fuoco,
una fiamma del Signore! 
7 Le grandi acque non possono spegnere l'amore
né i fiumi travolgerlo.
Se uno desse tutte le ricchezze della sua casa
in cambio dell'amore, non ne avrebbe che dispregio.
APPENDICI
Due epigrammi
8 Una sorella piccola abbiamo,
e ancora non ha seni.
Che faremo per la nostra sorella,
nel giorno in cui se ne parlerà? 
9 Se fosse un muro,
le costruiremmo sopra un recinto d'argento;
se fosse una porta,
la rafforzeremmo con tavole di cedro. 
10 Io sono un muro
e i miei seni sono come torri!
Così sono ai suoi occhi
come colei che ha trovato pace! 
11 Una vigna aveva Salomone in Baal-Hamòn;
egli affidò la vigna ai custodi;
ciascuno gli doveva portare come suo frutto
mille sicli d'argento. 
12 La vigna mia, proprio mia, mi sta davanti:
a te, Salomone, i mille sicli
e duecento per i custodi del suo frutto!
Ultime aggiunte
13 Tu che abiti nei giardini
- i compagni stanno in ascolto -
fammi sentire la tua voce. 
14 «Fuggi, mio diletto,
simile a gazzella
o ad un cerbiatto,
sopra i monti degli aromi!».
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

