This verse brings us to the end of the Fifth Poem. As elsewhere at the end of major sections, we find the lovers locked in embrace before the concluding “I adjure you” refrain.

For the meaning see comments on 2.6. Under our discussion there we noted that this sentence, expressed as a wish or a longing in Revised Standard Version, can also be translated as a simple indicative, following Good News Translation.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Song of Songs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1998. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .