CHAPTER 8
1 Who may grant to me thee, my brother, sucking the teats of my mother, that I find thee alone without-forth, and that I kiss thee, and no man despise me then?
2 I shall take thee, and I shall lead thee into the house of my mother, and into the bed-closet of my mother; there thou shalt teach me, and I shall give to thee drink of wine made sweet, and of the must of my pomegranates.
3 His left hand shall be under mine head, and his right hand shall embrace me.
4 Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you greatly, that ye raise not, neither make the dearworthy spousess to awake, till she will.
5 Who is this spousess, that goeth up from desert, and floweth in delights, and resteth on her darling? I raised thee under a pomegranate tree; there thy mother was corrupted, there thy mother was defouled.
6 Set thou me as a signet on thine heart, as a signet on thine arm; for love is strong as death, envy is hard as hell; the lamps thereof be[the] lamps of fire, and of flames.
7 Many waters be not able to quench charity, neither floods shall oppress it. Though a man give all the chattel of his house for love, he shall despise, or reckon it, as nought.
8 Our sister is little, and hath no teats; what shall we do to our sister, in the day when she shall be spoken to?
9 If it is a wall, build we thereon silveren towers; if it is a door, join we together with boards of cedar.
10 I am a wall, and my teats be as a tower; since I am made as finding peace before him.
11 A vinery was to the peaceable; in that city, that hath peoples, he betook it to keepers; a man bringeth a thousand pieces of silver for the fruit thereof.
12 The vinery is before me; a thousand be of thee peaceable, and two hundred to them that keep the fruits thereof.
13 Friends hearken to thee, that dwellest in orchards; make thou me to hear thy voice.
14 My darling, fly thou; be thou made like a capret, and a calf of harts, on the hills of sweet smelling spices.