Song of Solomon 1
The Song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
2 Kisse he me with the cos of his mouth. For thi tetis ben betere than wyn,
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine.
3 and yyuen odour with beste oynementis. Thi name is oile sched out; therfor yonge damesels loueden thee.
Thine oils have a goodly fragrance; Thy name is [as] oil poured forth; Therefore do the virgins love thee.
4 Drawe thou me after thee; we schulen renne in to the odour of thin oynementis. The kyng ledde me in to hise celeris; we myndeful of thi teetis aboue wyn, schulen make ful out ioye, and schulen be glad in thee; riytful men louen thee.
Draw me; we will run after thee: The king hath brought me into his chambers; We will be glad and rejoice in thee; We will make mention of thy love more than of wine: Rightly do they love thee.
5 Ye douytris of Jerusalem, Y am blak, but fair, as the tabernaclis of Cedar, as the skynnes of Salomon.
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon.
6 Nyle ye biholde me, that Y am blak, for the sunne hath discolourid me; the sones of my modir fouyten ayens me, thei settiden me a kepere in vyners; Y kepte not my vyner.
Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, Because the sun hath scorched me. My mother’s sons were incensed against me; They made me keeper of the vineyards; [But] mine own vineyard have I not kept.
7 Thou spouse, whom my soule loueth, schewe to me, where thou lesewist, where thou restist in myddai; lest Y bigynne to wandre, aftir the flockis of thi felowis.
Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, Where thou feedest [thy flock], Where thou makest [it] to rest at noon: For why should I be as one that is veiled Beside the flocks of thy companions?
8 A! thou fairest among wymmen, if thou knowist not thi silf, go thou out, and go forth aftir the steppis of thi flockis; and feede thi kidis, bisidis the tabernaclis of scheepherdis.
If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, And feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.
9 Mi frendesse, Y licnede thee to myn oost of knyytis in the charis of Farao.
I have compared thee, O my love, To a steed in Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Thi chekis ben feire, as of a turtle; thi necke is as brochis.
Thy cheeks are comely with plaits [of hair], Thy neck with strings of jewels.
11 We schulen make to thee goldun ournementis, departid and maad dyuerse with silver.
We will make thee plaits of gold With studs of silver.
12 Whanne the kyng was in his restyng place, my narde yaf his odour.
While the king sat at his table, My spikenard sent forth its fragrance.
13 My derlyng is a bundel of myrre to me; he schal dwelle bitwixe my tetis.
My beloved is unto me [as] a bundle of myrrh, That lieth betwixt my breasts.
14 My derlyng is to me a cluster of cipre tre, among the vyneres of Engaddi.
My beloved is unto me [as] a cluster of henna-flowers In the vineyards of En-gedi.
15 Lo! my frendesse, thou art fair; lo! thou art fair, thin iyen ben the iyen of culueris.
Behold, thou art fair, my love; Behold thou art fair; Thine eyes are [as] doves.
16 Lo, my derling, thou art fair, and schapli; oure bed is fair as flouris.
Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: Also our couch is green.
17 The trees of oure housis ben of cedre; oure couplis ben of cipresse.
The beams of our house are cedars, [And] our rafters are firs.
