Canticum Canticorum 1
2 [Sponsa Osculetur me osculo oris sui; quia meliora sunt ubera tua vino,
Kisse he me with the cos of his mouth. For thi tetis ben betere than wyn,
3 fragrantia unguentis optimis. Oleum effusum nomen tuum; ideo adolescentulæ dilexerunt te.
and yyuen odour with beste oynementis. Thi name is oile sched out; therfor yonge damesels loueden thee.
4 Chorus Adolescentularum Trahe me, post te curremus in odorem unguentorum tuorum. Introduxit me rex in cellaria sua; exsultabimus et lætabimur in te, memores uberum tuorum super vinum. Recti diligunt te.
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.
5 Sponsa Nigra sum, sed formosa, filiæ Jerusalem, sicut tabernacula Cedar, sicut pelles Salomonis.
Ye douytris of Jerusalem, Y am blak, but fair, as the tabernaclis of Cedar, as the skynnes of Salomon.
6 Nolite me considerare quod fusca sim, quia decoloravit me sol. Filii matris meæ pugnaverunt contra me; posuerunt me custodem in vineis: vineam meam non custodivi.
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.
7 Indica mihi, quem diligit anima mea, ubi pascas, ubi cubes in meridie, ne vagari incipiam post greges sodalium tuorum.
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.
8 Sponsus Si ignoras te, o pulcherrima inter mulieres, egredere, et abi post vestigia gregum, et pasce hædos tuos juxta tabernacula pastorum.
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.
9 Equitatui meo in curribus Pharaonis assimilavi te, amica mea.
Mi frendesse, Y licnede thee to myn oost of knyytis in the charis of Farao.
10 Pulchræ sunt genæ tuæ sicut turturis; collum tuum sicut monilia.
Thi chekis ben feire, as of a turtle; thi necke is as brochis.
11 Murenulas aureas faciemus tibi, vermiculatas argento.
We schulen make to thee goldun ournementis, departid and maad dyuerse with silver.
12 Sponsa Dum esset rex in accubitu suo, nardus mea dedit odorem suum.
Whanne the kyng was in his restyng place, my narde yaf his odour.
13 Fasciculus myrrhæ dilectus meus mihi; inter ubera mea commorabitur.
My derlyng is a bundel of myrre to me; he schal dwelle bitwixe my tetis.
14 Botrus cypri dilectus meus mihi in vineis Engaddi.
My derlyng is to me a cluster of cipre tre, among the vyneres of Engaddi.
15 Sponsus Ecce tu pulchra es, amica mea! ecce tu pulchra es! Oculi tui columbarum.
Lo! my frendesse, thou art fair; lo! thou art fair, thin iyen ben the iyen of culueris.
16 Sponsa Ecce tu pulcher es, dilecte mi, et decorus! Lectulus noster floridus.
Lo, my derling, thou art fair, and schapli; oure bed is fair as flouris.
17 Tigna domorum nostrarum cedrina, laquearia nostra cypressina.]
The trees of oure housis ben of cedre; oure couplis ben of cipresse.
