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                   SEPTEMBER 4
                        And your breasts like its clusters.  THE SHULAMITE TO HER BELOVED
                     8
                        I said, “I will go up to the palm tree,  6  Set me as a seal upon your heart,
                        I will take hold of its branches.”
                        Let now your breasts be like clusters of  As a seal upon your arm;
                           the vine,                           For love is as strong as death,
                        The fragrance of your breath like      Jealousy as cruel as the grave;
                           apples,                             Its flames are flames of fire,
                        And the roof of your mouth like the
                     9                                         A most vehement flame.
                           best wine.                       7  Many waters cannot quench love,
                                                               Nor can the floods drown it.
                   THE SHULAMITE
                                                               If a man would give for love
                        The wine goes down smoothly for my     All the wealth of his house,
                           beloved,                            It would be utterly despised.
                        Moving gently the lips of sleepers.
                        I am my beloved’s,
                     10
                        And his desire is toward me.
                     11
                        Come, my beloved,                  8:6,7 For love. This represents the 1 Corinthians
                        Let us go forth to the field;      13:1–8 of the Old  Testament. Four qualities of
                        Let us lodge in the villages.      love appear: 1) love is unyielding in marriage, as
                     12  Let us get up early to the vineyards;  death is to life;2) love is intense like the brightest
                        Let us see if the vine has budded,  flame, perhaps as bright as the glory of the Lord;
                        Whether the grape blossoms are open,  3) love is invincible or unquenchable, even when
                        And the pomegranates are in bloom.  flooded by difficulty; and 4) love is so priceless
                        There I will give you my love.     that it cannot be bought, only given away.
                     13  The mandrakes give off a fragrance,
                        And at our gates are pleasant fruits,
                        All manner, new and old,          THE SHULAMITE’S BROTHERS
                        Which I have laid up for you, my
                           beloved.                         8  We have a little sister,
                   8    Oh, that you were like my              And she has no breasts.
                                                               What shall we do for our sister
                           brother,
                        Who nursed at my mother’s breasts!     In the day when she is spoken for?
                                                            9  If she is a wall,
                        If I should find you outside,
                        I would kiss you;                      We will build upon her
                        I would not be despised.               A battlement of silver;
                     2                                         And if she is a door,
                        I would lead you and bring you
                        Into the house of my mother,           We will enclose her
                        She who used to instruct me.           With boards of cedar.
                        I would cause you to drink of spiced wine,  THE SHULAMITE
                        Of the juice of my pomegranate.
                                                           10
                                                               I am a wall,
                   (TOTHE DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM)              And my breasts like towers;
                                                               Then I became in his eyes
                     3
                        His left hand is under my head,
                        And his right hand embraces me.        As one who found peace.
                                                           11
                        I charge you, O daughters
                     4                                         Solomon had a vineyard at Baal
                           of Jerusalem,                         Hamon;
                        Do not stir up nor awaken love         He leased the vineyard to keepers;
                        Until it pleases.                      Everyone was to bring for its fruit
                                                               A thousand silver coins.
                   A RELATIVE
                                                          (TO SOLOMON)
                     5
                        Who is this coming up from the
                                                           12  My own vineyard is before me.
                           wilderness,
                        Leaning upon her beloved?              You, O Solomon, may have a thousand,
                                                               And those who tend its fruit two
                        I awakened you under the apple tree.     hundred.
                        There your mother brought you forth;
                                                          THE BELOVED
                        There she who bore you brought you
                           forth.                          13  You who dwell in the gardens,
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