Protestantism
English
O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.1
- I should not…: Heb. they should not despise me
Oh that thou wert as my brother, That sucked the breasts of my mother! When I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; Yea, and none would despise me.
Who doth make thee as a brother to me, Sucking the breasts of my mother? I find thee without, I kiss thee, Yea, they do not despise me,
Oh that thou wert as my brother, That sucked the breasts of my mother! Should I find thee without, I would kiss thee; And they would not despise me.
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.
Oh that thou were as my brother, who sucked the breasts of my mother! When I should find thee outside, I would kiss thee. Yes, and none would despise me.
1 The love of the Church to Christ. 6 The vehemence of love. 8 The calling of the Gentiles. 14 The Church prays for Christ’s coming.
O that you were as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find you without, I would kiss you; yes, I should not be despised.
Oh that you were my brother, who took milk from my mother's breasts! When I came to you in the street, I would give you kisses; yes, I would not be looked down on.
O that you were to me like a brother who nursed at my mother’s breasts! If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me.
Oh that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! When I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, and none would despise me.
O that thou [wert] as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! [when] I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; and I should not be despised.
O THAT thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.
Maiden’s Fanciful Wish
⌞How I wish that you were my little brother⌟,12 who nursed ⌞upon my mother’s breasts⌟!3 If ⌞I met you outside⌟,4 I would kiss you, ⌞and no one would despise me⌟!5
- Literally “O that he would give you like a brother to me”
- The Hebrew construction (which is somewhat misleading if rendered in a woodenly literal sense) is an idiom expressing one’s fanciful wish
- Literally “at the breast of my mother”
- Literally “I will find you in the street”
- Literally “also they would not despise me”
Who can give You to me, as my brother, who sucked the breasts of my mother? When I find You outside, I would kiss You. They also would not despise me.
Who could give You to me as my brother, who sucked my mother's breasts? When I find You outside, I would kiss You; yea, they would not despise me.
Oh that you were like my brother, who sucked the breasts of my mother! If I found you outside, I would kiss you; yes, and no one would despise me.
Oh that you were like my brother, who sucked the breasts of my mother! If I found you outside, I would kiss you; yes, and no one would despise me.
Oh that you were like my brother, who sucked the breasts of my mother! If I found you outside, I would kiss you; yes, and no one would despise me.
O that thou wert as my brother, That sucked the breast of my mother! When I found thee abroad, I might kiss thee; And for it no one would deride me.
O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.1
- I should not…: Heb. they should not despise me.
O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.
Oh that thou hadst been a very brother to me, who had sucked the breasts of my own mother,—Had I found thee without, I had kissed thee, Yea, folk would not have despised me!
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.1
- I should not...: Heb. they should not despise me
O that you were as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find you without, I would kiss you; yea, I should not be despised.
Catholicism
English
Who shall give thee to me for my brother, sucking the breasts of my mother, that I may find thee without, and kiss thee, and now no man may despise me?
The love of the church to Christ: his love to her.
Bride to Groom: Who will give you to me as my brother, feeding from the breasts of my mother, so that I may discover you outside, and may kiss you, and so that now no one may despise me?1
- 8:1The bride began not knowing the groom. Then she meditated on his exterior and interior qualities, reaching a better understanding of him. She became closer and closer to the groom, until now, finally, she is as close to him as two members of the same family. +The faithful move closer and closer to Christ, through the Church, until they realize that they are siblings of Christ, members of the same close-knit family.(Conte)