Song of Solomon 1
2 Kisse he me with the cos of his mouth. For thi tetis ben betere than wyn,
Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine,
3 and yyuen odour with beste oynementis. Thi name is oile sched out; therfor yonge damesels loueden thee.
Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved 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 to the odour of thy ointments. The king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the righteous 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 beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, 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.
Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath altered my colour: the sons of my mother have fought against me, they have made me the keeper in the vineyards: my vineyard I have 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.
Shew me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest in the midday, lest I begin to wander after 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 thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds.
9 Mi frendesse, Y licnede thee to myn oost of knyytis in the charis of Farao.
To my company of horsemen, in Pharao’s chariots, have I likened thee, O my love.
10 Thi chekis ben feire, as of a turtle; thi necke is as brochis.
Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove’s, thy neck as jewels.
11 We schulen make to thee goldun ournementis, departid and maad dyuerse with silver.
We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver.
12 Whanne the kyng was in his restyng place, my narde yaf his odour.
While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth the odour thereof.
13 My derlyng is a bundel of myrre to me; he schal dwelle bitwixe my tetis.
A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts.
14 My derlyng is to me a cluster of cipre tre, among the vyneres of Engaddi.
A cluster of cypress my love is to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi.
15 Lo! my frendesse, thou art fair; lo! thou art fair, thin iyen ben the iyen of culueris.
Behold thou art fair, O my love, behold thou art fair, thy eyes are as those of doves.
16 Lo, my derling, thou art fair, and schapli; oure bed is fair as flouris.
Behold thou art fair, my beloved, and comely. Our bed is flourishing.
17 The trees of oure housis ben of cedre; oure couplis ben of cipresse.
The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypress trees.
