Song of Solomon 1
This is Solomon’s Song of Songs.
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 more delightful than wine.
3 and yyuen odour with beste oynementis. Thi name is oile sched out; therfor yonge damesels loueden thee.
The fragrance of your perfume is pleasing; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the maidens adore 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.
Take me away with you—let us hurry! May the king bring me to his chambers. We will rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine. It is only right that they adore you.
5 Ye douytris of Jerusalem, Y am blak, but fair, as the tabernaclis of Cedar, as the skynnes of Salomon.
I am dark, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like 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.
Do not stare because I am dark, for the sun has gazed upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me a keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have neglected.
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 one I love, where do you pasture your sheep? Where do you rest them at midday? Why should I be like a veiled woman beside 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 do not know, O fairest of women, follow the tracks of the flock, and graze your young goats near the tents of the shepherds.
9 Mi frendesse, Y licnede thee to myn oost of knyytis in the charis of Farao.
I compare you, my darling, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Thi chekis ben feire, as of a turtle; thi necke is as brochis.
Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels.
11 We schulen make to thee goldun ournementis, departid and maad dyuerse with silver.
We will make you ornaments of gold, studded with beads of silver.
12 Whanne the kyng was in his restyng place, my narde yaf his odour.
While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance.
13 My derlyng is a bundel of myrre to me; he schal dwelle bitwixe my tetis.
My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts.
14 My derlyng is to me a cluster of cipre tre, among the vyneres of Engaddi.
My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of En-gedi.
15 Lo! my frendesse, thou art fair; lo! thou art fair, thin iyen ben the iyen of culueris.
How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how very beautiful! Your eyes are like doves.
16 Lo, my derling, thou art fair, and schapli; oure bed is fair as flouris.
How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how delightful! The soft grass is our bed.
17 The trees of oure housis ben of cedre; oure couplis ben of cipresse.
The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are fragrant firs.
