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 your breasts are better than wine.
3 and yyuen odour with beste oynementis. Thi name is oile sched out; therfor yonge damesels loueden thee.
And the smell of your ointments is better than all spices: your name is ointment poured forth; therefore do the young maidens love you.
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.
They have drawn you: we will run after you, for the smell of your ointments: the king has brought me into closet: let us rejoice and be glad in you; we will love your breasts more than wine: righteousness loves you.
5 Ye douytris of Jerusalem, Y am blak, but fair, as the tabernaclis of Cedar, as the skynnes of Salomon.
I am black, but beautiful, you 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 dark, because the sun has looked unfavourably upon me: my mother's sons strove with me; they made me keeper in the vineyards; I have not kept my own vineyard.
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, [you] whom my soul loves, where you tend your flock, where you cause [them] to rest at noon, lest I become as one that is veiled by the flocks of your 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 you know not yourself, you fair one amongst women, go you forth by the footsteps of the flocks, and feed your kids by the shepherd's tents.
9 Mi frendesse, Y licnede thee to myn oost of knyytis in the charis of Farao.
I have likened you, my companion, to my horses in the chariots of Pharao.
10 Thi chekis ben feire, as of a turtle; thi necke is as brochis.
How are your cheeks beautiful as [those] of a dove, your neck as chains!
11 We schulen make to thee goldun ournementis, departid and maad dyuerse with silver.
We will make you figures of gold with studs of silver.
12 Whanne the kyng was in his restyng place, my narde yaf his odour.
So long as the king was at table, my spikenard gave forth its smell.
13 My derlyng is a bundel of myrre to me; he schal dwelle bitwixe my tetis.
My kinsman is to me a bundle of myrrh; he shall lie between my breasts.
14 My derlyng is to me a cluster of cipre tre, among the vyneres of Engaddi.
My kinsman is to me a cluster of camphor in the vineyards of Engaddi.
15 Lo! my frendesse, thou art fair; lo! thou art fair, thin iyen ben the iyen of culueris.
Behold, you are fair, my companion; behold, you are fair; your eyes are doves.
16 Lo, my derling, thou art fair, and schapli; oure bed is fair as flouris.
Behold, you are fair, my kinsman, yes, beautiful, overshadowing our bed.
17 The trees of oure housis ben of cedre; oure couplis ben of cipresse.
The beams of our house are cedars, our ceilings are of cypress.
