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¹ Oh that thou werest as my brother that sucked the brestes of my mother: I would finde thee without, I would kisse thee, then they should not despise thee.² I will leade thee and bring thee into my mothers house: there thou shalt teache me: and I will cause thee to drinke spiced wine, and newe wine of the pomegranate.³ His left hand shalbe vnder mine head, and his right hand shall embrace me.⁴ I charge you, O daughters of Ierusale, that you stir not vp, nor waken my loue, vntil she please.

⁵ (Who is this that commeth vp out of the wildernesse, leaning vpon her welbeloued?) I raysed thee vp vnder an apple tree: there thy mother conceiued thee: there she coceiued that bare thee.⁶ Set mee as a seale on thine heart, and as a signet vpo thine arme: for loue is strong as death: ielousie is cruel as the graue: the coles thereof are fierie coles, and a vehement flame.⁷ Much water can not quench loue, neither can the floods drowne it: If a man should giue all the substance of his house for loue, they would greatly contemne it.

⁸ Wee haue a litle sister, and she hath no breastes: what shall we do for our sister when she shalbe spoken for?⁹ If shee be a wall, we will builde vpon her a siluer palace: and if she be a doore, we wil keepe her in with bordes of cedar.¹⁰ I am a wall, and my breasts are as towres: then was I in his eyes as one that findeth peace.¹¹ Salomon had a vine in Baal-hamon: hee gaue the vineyarde vnto keepers: euery one bringeth for ye fruite thereof a thousand pieces of siluer.¹² But my vineyarde which is mine, is before me: to thee, O Salomon appertaineth a thousand pieces of siluer, and two hundreth to them that keepe the fruite thereof.

¹³ O thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken vnto thy voyce: cause me to heare it.¹⁴ O my welbeloued, flee away, and be like vnto the roe, or to the yong harte vpon ye mountaines of spices.