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 love is better than wine.
3 and yyuen odour with beste oynementis. Thi name is oile sched out; therfor yonge damesels loueden thee.
Because of the smell of your good ointments your name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins 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.
Draw me, we will run after you: the king has brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in you, we will remember your love more than wine: the upright love 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 comely, O 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 on me, because I am black, because the sun has looked on me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but my 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 you whom my soul loves, where you feed, where you make your flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turns aside 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, O you fairest among women, go your way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed your kids beside the shepherds’ tents.
9 Mi frendesse, Y licnede thee to myn oost of knyytis in the charis of Farao.
I have compared you, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Thi chekis ben feire, as of a turtle; thi necke is as brochis.
Your cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, your neck with chains of gold.
11 We schulen make to thee goldun ournementis, departid and maad dyuerse with silver.
We will make you borders of gold with studs of silver.
12 Whanne the kyng was in his restyng place, my narde yaf his odour.
While the king sits at his table, my spikenard sends forth the smell thereof.
13 My derlyng is a bundel of myrre to me; he schal dwelle bitwixe my tetis.
A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved to me; he shall lie all night between my breasts.
14 My derlyng is to me a cluster of cipre tre, among the vyneres of Engaddi.
My beloved is to me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.
15 Lo! my frendesse, thou art fair; lo! thou art fair, thin iyen ben the iyen of culueris.
Behold, you are fair, my love; behold, you are fair; you have doves’ eyes.
16 Lo, my derling, thou art fair, and schapli; oure bed is fair as flouris.
Behold, you are fair, my beloved, yes, pleasant: also our bed is green.
17 The trees of oure housis ben of cedre; oure couplis ben of cipresse.
The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.
