Longing for Her Beloved

1O that I might finde thee without and kisse thee, whom I loue as my brother whiche suckt my mothers brestes, and that thou shalt not be dispised,

2I wyll leade thee and bryng thee into my mothers house, that thou myghtest teache me, and that I myght geue thee drynke of the spiced wine, and of the sweete sappe of my pomegranates.

3His left hande shalbe vnder my head, and his ryght hande shall imbrace me.

4I charge you O ye daughters of Hierusalem that ye wake not vp my loue, nor touche her, tyll she be content her selfe.

5(What is she this that cometh vp from the wildernesse, and leaneth vpon her loue?) I wake thee vp among the apple trees where thy mother conceaued thee, where thy mother I say brought thee into the worlde.

6O set me as a seale vpon thine heart, and as a seale vpon thine arme: for loue is myghtie as the death, and gelousie as the hell.

7Her coales are coales of fire, and a very vehement flambe of the Lorde: so that many waters are not able to quenche loue, neither may the streames drowne it: Yea yf a man woulde geue all the good of his house for loue, he shoulde count it nothyng.

8Our sister is but young and hath no brestes: what shall we do for our sister when she shalbe spoken for?

9If she be a wall, we shall builde a siluer bulwarke thervpon: yf she be a doore, we shall fasten her with boordes of Cedar tree.

10I am a wall, and my brestes lyke towres, then was I as one that hath founde fauour in his syght.

11Solomon hath a vineyarde at BaalHamon: and this vineyarde deliuered he vnto the kepers, that euery one for the fruite therof shoulde geue hym a thousande peeces of siluer.

12My vineyarde which is myne, is in my syght: thou (O Solomon) must haue a thousande, and the kepers two hundred, which kepe the fruite.

13Thou that dwellest in the gardens, O let me heare thy voyce, that my companions may hearken to the same.

14O get thee away my loue, and be as a roe or a young hart vpon the sweete smellyng mountaynes.