מִי יִתֶּנְךָ כְּאָח לִי יוֹנֵק שְׁדֵי אִמִּי אֶמְצָאֲךָ בַחוּץ אֶשָּׁקְךָ גַּם לֹא־יָבֻזוּ לִי

Until this point, the poem described a love bounded neither by space nor by time, with the lovers seemingly everywhere and nowhere at once. In the following verses, the woman expresses her desire to strengthen and stabilize her bond with her beloved: If only you were like a brother to me, who sucked the breasts of my mother. I would find you outside; I would kiss you, yet they would not despise me. Kissing a brother in public is not considered an undignified act. The young woman yearns to openly display her love for her beloved in such a natural manner.

אֶנְהָגְךָ אֲבִיאֲךָ אֶל־בֵּית אִמִּי תְּלַמְּדֵנִי אַשְׁקְךָ מִיַּיִן הָרֶקַח מֵעֲסִיס רִמֹּנִי

I would lead you unabashedly, I would bring you to my mother’s house, who teaches me; there I would give you from the spiced wine to drink, from the juice of my pomegranate.

שְׂמֹאלוֹ תַּחַת רֹאשִׁי וִימִינוֹ תְּחַבְּקֵנִי

Another fantasy: His left arm is under my head, and his right embraces me intimately.

הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם מַה תָּעִירוּ וּמַה תְּעֹרְרוּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ

Nevertheless, I administer an oath to you, daughters of Jerusalem: For what do you awaken and for what do you rouse love, until it desires to awaken by itself? Let the love develop at its own pace.

מִי זֹאת עֹלָה מִן־הַמִּדְבָּר מִתְרַפֶּקֶת עַל־דּוֹדָהּ תַּחַת הַתַּפּוּחַ עוֹרַרְתִּיךָ שָׁמָּה חִבְּלַתְךָ אִמֶּךָ שָׁמָּה חִבְּלָה יְלָדַתְךָ

This verse is spoken by a third party, depicting the relationship from a more stable, objective perspective: Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Is it not the woman, who says to her beloved: Under the apple tree I met you and I roused you from your slumber; or, I roused your love for me. There your mother conceived you; there she who bore you conceived. The word ḥibela, translated here as “conceived,” could also mean “suffered birth pangs.” The shade of the apple tree is the beloved’s place of origin, and it is there that he now encounters his love. Previously, the woman sought to bring her beloved into her mother’s house; now, she arrives from an unknown wilderness, drawn to the place where her beloved was formed. Though she does not meet his parents, she makes reference to them. Understood allegorically, this verse refers to the soul’s quest to rise above the mundane, and to find God in its own source and origin.

שִׂימֵנִי כַחוֹתָם עַל־לִבֶּךָ כַּחוֹתָם עַל־זְרוֹעֶךָ כִּי־עַזָּה כַמָּוֶת אַהֲבָה קָשָׁה כִשְׁאוֹל קִנְאָה רְשָׁפֶיהָ רִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ שַׁלְהֶבֶתְיָה

The woman asks of her beloved: Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm. Let me be like your seal, a personal item unique to you. This is another symbol of the increasing permanence of their bond. So powerful is the woman’s devotion that she wishes to relinquish her independent existence altogether, preferring to attach herself to her beloved as a seal. There is, however, another side to this, as love is as intense as death. Alongside the delights of love, there is also a dark side. Just as death swallows everything and cannot be deferred, so too the feelings of love are so overpowering as to be inescapable. Furthermore, jealousy is as cruel as the grave. This refers to the demand for exclusive possession of the object of one’s love. Such jealousy is a profound emotion that is difficult to bear. Understood allegorically, the jealousy that is built into love for God, who demands complete devotion, is very difficult for other peoples to comprehend. To the nation of Israel, the relationship with God is not only its most important bond, but the only thing in the world that matters. This feeling is as harsh, absolute, and uncompromising as the grave. Its sparks, the sparks of love, are the sparks of fire, which can burn and even destroy a person. Love is a great conflagration.

מַיִם רַבִּים לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת אֶת הָאַהֲבָה וּנְהָרוֹת לֹא יִשְׁטְפוּהָ אִם־יִתֵּן אִישׁ אֶת־כָּל־הוֹן בֵּיתוֹ בּאַהֲבָה בּוֹז יָבוּזוּ לוֹ

If love is true, much water cannot extinguish the fire of that love, and rivers cannot wash it away; even if a man were to give all the wealth of his house for the purchase of love, he would be scorned. By means of gestures, gifts, and displays of emotion, one can acquire a certain level of friendship, but not love.

אָחוֹת לָנוּ קְטַנָּה וְשָׁדַיִם אֵין לָהּ מַה־נַּעֲשֶׂה לַאֲחוֹתֵנוּ בַּיּוֹם שֶׁיְּדֻבַּר־בָּהּ

Now, relatives of the lovers begin to openly discuss their relationship. The brothers of the young woman speak first: We have a little sister, and she has no breasts, she is too young and insufficiently developed. Therefore, what shall we do for our sister on the day that she will be spoken for concerning marriage? Since she is not yet ready for marriage, what shall we do when the proposal arrives? How long can we delay it?

אִם־חוֹמָה הִיא נִבְנֶה עָלֶיהָ טִירַת כָּסֶף וְאִם־דֶּלֶת הִיא נָצוּר עָלֶיהָ לוּחַ אָרֶז

As long as the little sister was simply playing outside, singing and dancing, the brothers did not take much notice of her behavior. Now, however, they begin to appraise her character: If she is a wall, guarded and modest, we will build upon her a silver parapet, we will decorate her with conspicuous jewelry. And if she is a door, which can be open and unguarded, we will affix on her cedar panels to protect her.

אֲנִי חוֹמָה וְשָׁדַי כַּמִּגְדָּלוֹת אָז הָיִיתִי בְעֵינָיו כְּמוֹצְאֵת שָׁלוֹם

The young woman responds: First, I am a wall, not a door, and second, my breasts are like the towers. I have breasts; you have merely failed to notice how much I have grown. Then, in this state, I was in his eyes, the eyes of the beloved, who is perhaps not immediately present, as one who finds peace. My beloved already knows that I have found my peace with my choice of him. You should have no misgivings about my relationship. I am ready physically, emotionally, and morally to be married.

כֶּרֶם הָיָה לִשְׁלֹמֹה בְּבַעַל הָמוֹן נָתַן אֶת־הַכֶּרֶם לַנֹּטְרִים אִישׁ יָבִא בְּפִרְיוֹ אֶלֶף כָּסֶף

An anonymous third party provides background for the continuation of the woman’s speech: King Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon. He gave the vineyard to the guards, to take care of it. Each would bring, earn in exchange for its fruit, a sizable income of one thousand pieces of silver. The vineyard symbolizes a woman, specifically the female protagonist of the poem, and Solomon is her guardian, the closest thing to a paternal figure, who has appointed the brothers to look after their sister. These guards of the vineyard receive a handsome payment for fruits of the vineyard. Allegorically, the nation of Israel is the vineyard. When it fulfills its divine purpose, its profits are distributed among the nations, if they only know to appreciate the vineyard and show responsibility for it.

כַּרְמִי שֶׁלִּי לְפָנָי הָאֶלֶף לְךָ שְׁלֹמֹה וּמָאתַיִם לְנֹטְרִים אֶת־פִּרְיוֹ

Now, the young woman, who considers herself mature, decides for herself the fate of her vineyard: My vineyard is before me, and I intend to give it to my beloved; I intend to marry him. As part of the arrangement, the profits from the vineyard will be distributed: The thousand is for you, Solomon, the custodian, and two hundred will be given for those who guard its fruit. Now, when the couple wishes to establish their bond in marriage, they erect boundaries. Allegorically speaking, the bride is the individual soul or the Jewish people that yearns and seeks to be married to God. In this context, the Sages expound that “the day of his wedding” (3:11) refers to the giving of the Torah, and “the day of the rejoicing of his heart” refers to the building of the Temple (see commentary on 3:11). Of course, there was love between God and Israel before these events, but their relationship was not cemented in a formal covenant. The giving of the Torah was the wedding of Israel to God, as it was at that moment that a binding relationship was established. Likewise, when God dwelled among the nation of Israel with the building of the Temple, it was as if the bride and groom had created a new, shared household. On every level of interpretation, the same questions are posed: Who is the bride? Is she worthy? Is she ready for marriage or must she wait a few more years? And on every level of interpretation, a permanent relationship consists of agreements and commitments, and carries with it a price. The great King Solomon clearly does not require more money. Still, in order to finalize the agreement, the bride must relinquish part of her inheritance and give her vineyard as a dowry.

הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּגַּנִּים חֲבֵרִים מַקְשִׁיבִים לְקוֹלֵךְ הַשְׁמִיעִנִי

Throughout this dialogue, the beloved was not present. Now, he addresses his bride-to-be: You, the one who dwells in the gardens, whose companions listen to your voice, as you proved when you spoke to the brothers: Let me hear it. I wish to meet you and listen to your sweet voice myself.

בְּרַח דּוֹדִי וּדְמֵה־לְךָ לִצְבִי אוֹ לְעֹפֶר הָאַיָּלִים עַל הָרֵי בְשָׂמִים

She responds: Indeed, the consummation of our relationship is nearer than ever, but its time has not yet arrived. In the meantime, flee, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spices. You are assured of my love; I am yours. Now leap on the hills and enjoy their fragrance, for I know that you will return.