1 The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.2 Shulamite: Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for your love is better than wine.3 Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, your name is ointment poured forth; therefore the virgins love you.4 Draw me away! Daughters of Jerusalem: We will run after you. Shulamite: The king has brought me into his chambers. Daughters of Jerusalem: We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will remember your love more than wine. Shulamite: Rightly do they love you.5 I am black, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.6 Do not look upon me, because I am black, because the sun has looked upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept.7 To Her Beloved: Tell me, O you whom I love, where you feed your flock, where you make it rest at noon. For why should I be as one who veils herself by the flocks of your companions?8 The Beloved: If you do not know, O most beautiful among women, follow in the footsteps of the flock, and feed your young goats beside the tents of the shepherds.9 I have compared you, my love, to my filly among Pharaoh’s chariots.10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with chains of gold.11 Daughters of Jerusalem: We will make you ornaments of gold with studs of silver.12 Shulamite: While the king is at his table, my spikenard sends forth its fragrance.13 A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, who lies between my breasts.14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blooms in the vineyards of En Gedi.15 The Beloved: Behold, you are beautiful, my love! Behold, you are beautiful; with dove’s eyes!16 Shulamite: Behold, you are handsome, my beloved! Yes, pleasant! Also our bed is green.17 The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.

1 Kisse he me with the cos of his mouth.2 For thi tetis ben betere than wyn, and yyuen odour with beste oynementis. Thi name is oile sched out; therfor yonge damesels loueden thee.3 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.4 Ye douytris of Jerusalem, Y am blak, but fair, as the tabernaclis of Cedar, as the skynnes of Salomon.5 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.6 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.7 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.8 Mi frendesse, Y licnede thee to myn oost of knyytis in the charis of Farao.9 Thi chekis ben feire, as of a turtle; thi necke is as brochis.10 We schulen make to thee goldun ournementis, departid and maad dyuerse with silver.11 Whanne the kyng was in his restyng place, my narde yaf his odour.12 My derlyng is a bundel of myrre to me; he schal dwelle bitwixe my tetis.13 My derlyng is to me a cluster of cipre tre, among the vyneres of Engaddi.14 Lo! my frendesse, thou art fair; lo! thou art fair, thin iyen ben the iyen of culueris.15 Lo, my derling, thou art fair, and schapli; oure bed is fair as flouris.16 The trees of oure housis ben of cedre; oure couplis ben of cipresse.