Canticum Canticorum 8
1 Quis mihi det te fratrem meum sugentem ubera matris meæ, ut inveniam te foris, et deosculer te, et iam me nemo despiciat?
O that thou wert as my brother, that was nourished at the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee outside, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.
2 Apprehendam te, et ducam in domum matris meæ: ibi me docebis, et dabo tibi poculum ex vino condito, et mustum malorum granatorum meorum.
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 Læva eius sub capite meo, et dextera illius amplexabitur me.
His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
4 Adiuro vos filiæ Ierusalem, ne suscitetis, neque evigilare faciatis dilectam donec ipsa velit.
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not, nor awake my love, until he please.
5 Quæ est ista, quæ ascendit de deserto, deliciis affluens, innixa super dilectum suum? Sub arbore malo suscitavi te: ibi corrupta est mater tua, ibi violata est genitrix tua.
Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I awakened thee under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bore thee.
6 Pone me ut signaculum super cor tuum, ut signaculum super brachium tuum: quia fortis est ut mors dilectio, dura sicut infernus æmulatio, lampades eius lampades ignis atque flammarum. (Sheol h7585)
Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals of it are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. (Sheol h7585)
7 Aquæ multæ non potuerunt extinguere charitatem, nec flumina obruent illam: si dederit homo omnem substantiam domus suæ pro dilectione, quasi nihil despiciet eam.
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 despised.
8 Soror nostra parva, et ubera non habet. Quid faciemus sorori nostræ in die quando alloquenda est?
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 Si murus est, ædificemus super eum propugnacula argentea: si ostium est, compingamus illud tabulis cedrinis.
If she is a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she is a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.
10 Ego murus: et ubera mea sicut turris, ex quo facta sum coram eo quasi pacem reperiens.
I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.
11 Vinea fuit pacifico in ea, quæ habet populos: tradidit eam custodibus, vir affert pro fructu eius mille argenteos.
Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard to keepers; every one for the fruit of it was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.
12 Vinea mea coram me est. Mille tui pacifici, et ducenti his, qui custodiunt fructus eius.
My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit of it two hundred.
13 Quæ habitas in hortis, amici auscultant: fac me audire vocem tuam.
Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.
14 Fuge dilecte mi, et assimilare capreæ, hinnuloque cervorum super montes aromatum.
Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices.
