< Song of Solomon 2 >

1 As a lily among the thorns,
I am a flour of the feeld, and a lilye of grete valeis.
2 So [is] my friend among the daughters!
As a lilie among thornes, so is my frendesse among douytris.
3 As a citron among trees of the forest, So [is] my beloved among the sons, In his shade I delighted, and sat down, And his fruit [is] sweet to my palate.
As an apple tre among the trees of wodis, so my derlyng among sones. I sat vndur the shadewe of hym, whom Y desiride; and his fruyt was swete to my throte.
4 He has brought me to a house of wine, And his banner over me [is] love,
The king ledde me in to the wyn celer; he ordeynede charite in me.
5 Sustain me with grape-cakes, Support me with citrons, for I [am] sick with love.
Bisette ye me with flouris, cumpasse ye me with applis; for Y am sijk for loue.
6 His left hand [is] under my head, And his right embraces me.
His left hond is vndur myn heed; and his riyt hond schal biclippe me.
7 I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes or by the does of the field, Do not stir up nor wake the love until she pleases!
Ye douytris of Jerusalem, Y charge you greetli, bi capretis, and hertis of feeldis, that ye reise not, nether make to awake the dereworthe spousesse, til sche wole. The vois of my derlyng; lo!
8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, this—he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.
this derlyng cometh leepynge in mounteyns, and skippynge ouer litle hillis.
9 My beloved [is] like to a roe, Or to a young one of the harts. Behold, this—he is standing behind our wall, Looking from the windows, Blooming from the lattice.
My derlyng is lijk a capret, and a calf of hertis; lo! he stondith bihynde oure wal, and biholdith bi the wyndows, and lokith thorouy the latisis.
10 My beloved has answered and said to me, “Rise up, my friend, my beautiful one, and come away,
Lo! my derlyng spekith to me, My frendesse, my culuer, my faire spousesse, rise thou, haaste thou, and come thou;
11 For behold, the winter has passed by, The rain has passed away—it has gone.
for wyntir is passid now, reyn is goon, and is departid awei.
12 The flowers have appeared in the earth, The time of the singing has come, And the voice of the turtle was heard in our land,
Flouris apperiden in oure lond, the tyme of schridyng is comun; the vois of a turtle is herd in oure lond,
13 The fig tree has ripened her green figs, And the sweet-smelling vines have given forth fragrance, Rise, come, my friend, my beautiful one, indeed, come away.
the fige tre hath brouyt forth hise buddis; vyneris flourynge han youe her odour. My frendesse, my fayre spousesse, rise thou, haaste thou, and come thou.
14 My dove, in clefts of the rock, In a secret place of the ascent, Cause me to see your appearance, Cause me to hear your voice, For your voice [is] sweet, and your appearance lovely.”
My culuer is in the hoolis of stoon, in the chyne of a wal with out morter. Schewe thi face to me, thi vois sowne in myn eeris; for thi vois is swete, and thi face is fair.
15 Seize for us foxes, Little foxes—destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.
Catche ye litle foxis to vs, that destrien the vyneris; for oure vyner hath flourid.
16 My beloved [is] mine, and I [am] his, Who is delighting among the lilies,
My derlyng is to me, and Y am to hym, which is fed among lilies;
17 Until the day breaks forth, And the shadows have fled away, Turn, be like, my beloved, To a roe, or to a young one of the harts, On the mountains of separation!
til the dai sprynge, and schadewis be bowid doun. My derlyng, turne thou ayen; be thou lijk a capret, and a calf of hertis, on the hillis of Betel.

< Song of Solomon 2 >