4Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:

Do not arouse or awaken love

until it so desires.

Friends

5Who is this coming up from the desert

leaning on her lover?

Beloved

Under the apple tree I roused you;

there your mother conceived you,

there she who was in labor gave you birth.

6Place me like a seal over your heart,

like a seal on your arm;

for love is as strong as death,

its jealousy^a unyielding as the grave.^b

It burns like blazing fire,

like a mighty flame.^c

7Many waters cannot quench love;

rivers cannot wash it away.

If one were to give

all the wealth of his house for love,

it^d would be utterly scorned.

Friends

8We have a young sister,

and her breasts are not yet grown.

What shall we do for our sister

for the day she is spoken for?

9If 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.

Beloved

10I am a wall,

and my breasts are like towers.

Thus I have become in his eyes

like one bringing contentment.

11Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon;

he let out his vineyard to tenants.

Each was to bring for its fruit

a thousand shekels^e of silver.

12But my own vineyard is mine to give;

the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon,

and two hundred^f are for those who tend its fruit.

Lover

13You who dwell in the gardens

with friends in attendance,

let me hear your voice!

Beloved

14Come away, my lover,

and be like a gazelle

or like a young stag

on the spice-laden mountains.