8I said, “I will climb the palm tree;

I will take hold of its fruit.”

May your breasts be like the clusters of the vine,

the fragrance of your breath like apples,

9and your mouth like the best wine.

Beloved

May the wine go straight to my lover,

flowing gently over lips and teeth.^a

10I belong to my lover,

and his desire is for me.

11Come, my lover, let us go to the countryside,

let us spend the night in the villages.^b

12Let us go early to the vineyards

to see if the vines have budded,

if their blossoms have opened,

and if the pomegranates are in bloom—

there I will give you my love.

13The mandrakes send out their fragrance,

and at our door is every delicacy,

both new and old,

that I have stored up for you, my lover.