|
SONG
OF SOLOMON
CHAPTER
1
1
The Ballet of Ballettes of Solomon, called in Latin, Canticum Canticorum. [Song
of Solomon]
2 O that he would kisse me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy loue is more
pleasaunt then wine,
3 and that because of the good and pleasaunt sauour of thy most precious baulmes.
Thy name is a sweet smelling oyntment when it is shed foorth, therfore do the
maydens loue thee.
4 Drawe thou me [vnto thee] we wyll runne after thee. The kyng hath brought me
into his priuie chaumbers: We wylbe glad and reioyce in thee, we thinke more of
thy loue then of wine: they that be righteous loue thee.
5 I am blacke (O ye daughters of Hierusalem) but yet fayre and well fauoured,
like as the tentes of the Cedarenes, and as the hanginges of Solomon.
6 Marueyle not at me that I am so blacke, for why? the sunne hath shined vpon
me: my mothers chyldren haue euyll wyll at me, they made me the keper of the
vineyardes, but mine owne vineyarde haue I not kept.
7 Tell me O thou whom my soule loueth, where thou feedest the sheepe, where thou
makest them rest at the noone day: for why shall I be like hym that goeth wrong
about the flockes of thy companions?
8 If thou knowe not thy selfe (O thou fayrest among women) then go thy way
foorth after the footesteppes of the sheepe, and feede thy goates besyde the
shepheardes tentes.
9 Unto the hoast of Pharaos charets haue I compared thee, O my loue.
10 Thy cheekes and thy necke is beautifull as the turtles, and hanged with
spanges and goodly iewels,
11 a neckband of golde wyll we make thee, with siluer buttons.
12 When the king sitteth at the table, he shall smell my Nardus:
13 a bundell of myrre is my loue vnto me, he wyll lye betwixt my brestes:
14 a cluster of Camphire in the vineyardes of Engaddi is my loue vnto me.
15 Oh howe fayre art thou my loue, Oh howe fayre art thou? thou hast doues eyes.
16 O howe fayre art thou my beloued, howe well fauoured art thou? Our bed is
dect with flowres,
17 the seelinges of our house are of Cedar tree, and our crosse ioyntes of
Cipresse.
CHAPTER
2
1 I am the rose of the fielde, and lillie of the valleys,
2 As the lillie among the thornes: so is my loue among the daughters.
3 Like as the apple tree among the trees of the wood: so is my beloued among the
sonnes.
4 My delight is to sit vnder his shadowe, for his fruite is sweete vnto my
throte.
5 He bringeth me into his wine seller, his banner spread ouer me, whiche is his
loue.
6 Set about me cuppes of wine, comfort me with apples, for I am sicke of loue.
7 His left hande lyeth vnder my head, and his right hande shall imbrace me.
8 I charge you (O ye daughters of Hierusalem) by the roes and hindes of the
fiede, that ye wake not vp my loue, nor touche her, tyll she be content her
selfe.
9 Me thinke I heare the voyce of my beloued: lo, there commeth he hopping vpon
the mountaines, and leaping ouer the litle hilles.
10 My beloued is lyke a roe or a young hart: beholde he standeth behinde our
wall, he looketh in at the windowe, and peepeth thorowe the grace.
11 My beloued aunswered and sayd vnto me: O stande vp my loue, my beautifull,
and go to thyne owne: for lo the winter is nowe past, the rayne is away and
gone.
12 The flowres are come vp in the field, the tyme of the byrdes singing is come,
and the voyce of the turtle doue is hearde in our lande.
13 The figge tree bryngeth foorth her figges, and the vines beare blossomes and
haue a good smell.
14 O stande vp then and come my loue my beautifull, [and come I say] O my doue,
out of the caues of the rockes, out of the holes of the wall, O let me see thy
countenaunce and heare thy voyce: for sweete is thy voyce, and fayre is thy
face.
15 Get vs the foxes, yea the litle foxes that hurt the vines: for our vines
beare blossomes.
16 My loue is mine, & I am his, whiche feedeth among the lillies vntill the
day breake, and till the shadowes be gone:
17 Come agayne O my beloued, and be lyke as a roe or a young hart vpon the wyde
mountaines.
CHAPTER
3
1 By night in my bed I sought hym whom my soule loueth: yea diligently sought I
him, but I found him not.
2 I will get vp [thought] & go about the citie, in the wayes in all the
streates wyll I seeke hym whom my soule loueth: but when I sought him I founde
him not.
3 The watchmen also that go about the citie, founde me [to whom I sayde] Sawe ye
not hym whom my soule loueth?
4 So when I was a litle past them, I founde him whom my soule loueth: I haue
gotten holde vpon hym, and wyll not let him go, vntyll I bryng him into my
mothers house, and into her chaumber that bare me.
5 I charge you O ye daughters of Hierusalem by the roes and hyndes of the fielde,
that ye wake not vp my loue, nor touch her, till she be content her self.
6 Who is this that commeth vp out of the wyldernesse like vapours of smoke, as
it were a smell of myrre, frankensence, and all maner spices of the Apothecarie?
7 Beholde, about Solomons bedsteede there stande threescore valiaunt, of the
most mightie in
Israel
: They holde swordes euery one, and are expert in warre.
8 Euery man also hath his sworde vpon his thigh, because of feare in the night.
9 Kyng Solomon had made him selfe a pallace of the wood of Libanus,
10 the pillers are of siluer, the couering of golde, the seate of purple, the
grounde is pleasauntly paued with loue for the daughters of Hierusalem.
11 Go foorth (O ye daughters of Sion) and beholde king Solomon in the crowne
wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his mariage, and in the day of
the gladnesse of his heart.
CHAPTER
4
1 O howe fayre art thou my loue, howe fayre art thou? thou hast doues eyes,
beside that which lyeth hid within: Thy heerie lockes are lyke the wooll of a
flocke of goates that be shorne vpon
mount
Gilead
.
2 Thy teeth are like a flocke [of sheepe] of the same bignesse whiche went vp
from the washing place, where euery one beareth two twinnes, and not one
vnfruitfull among them.
3 Thy lippes are lyke a rose coloured ribande, thy wordes are louely, thy
cheekes are like a peece of a pomegranate within thyne heeres.
4 Thy necke is like the towre of Dauid buylded with costly stones, lying out on
the sides wherevpon there hange a thousande shieldes: yea all the weapons of the
giauntes.
5 Thy two breastes are lyke two twinnes of young Roes, whiche feede among roses.
6 O that I might go to the mountaine of myrre, and to the hil of frankencense,
til the day breake, and til the shadowes be past away.
7 Thou art all fayre (O my loue) and no spot is there in thee.
8 Come to me from Libanus (O my spouse) come to me from Libanus: looke from the
top of Amana, from the top of Sanir and Hermon, from the lions dennes, and from
the mountaines of the leopardes.
9 Thou hast [with loue] bewitched my heart O my sister my spouse, thou hast
bewitched my heart with one of thyne eyes, and with one chayne of thy necke.
10 O howe fayre are thy breastes, my sister, my spouse? Thy breastes are more
pleasaunt then wine, and the smell of thyne oyntmentes passeth all spices.
11 Thy lippes, O my spouse, drop as the hony combe, yea mylke and hony is vnder
thy tongue, and the smell of thy garmentes is like the smell of Libanus.
12 A garden well locked is my sister, my spouse: a garden well locked, and a
sealed well.
13 The fruites that are planted in thee, are lyke a very paradise of
pomegranates with sweete fruites, as Camphire, Nardus,
14 & Saffron, Calamus, Sinamom, with all sweete smellyng trees, Myrre,
Aloes, and all the best spyces,
15 a well of gardens, a well of liuing waters which runne downe from Libanus.
16 Up thou north winde, come thou south winde and blowe vpon my garden, that the
smell therof may be caryed on euery side: yea that my beloued may come into his
garden, and eate of the sweete fruites [that growe therein.]
CHAPTER
5
1 I am come into my garden, O my sister, my spouse, I haue gathered my Myrre
with my spice: I haue eate hony with my hony combe, I haue drunke my wine with
my milke: Eate O ye frendes, drinke and be merie O ye beloued.
2 I am a sleepe, but my heart is waking: I heare the voyce of my beloued when he
knocketh, saying, Open to me O my sister, my loue, my doue, my dearling: for my
head is full of deawe, and the lockes of my heere are full of the nyght doppes.
3 I haue put of my coate, howe can I do it on agayne? I haue washed my feete,
howe shall I fyle them agayne?
4 My loue put in his hande at the hole, and my heart was moued within me.
5 I stoode vp to open vnto my beloued, and my handes dropped with Myrre, &
the Myrre ranne downe my fingers vpon the locke.
6 I opened vnto my beloued, but he was departed and gone his way: Now whe he
spake, my heart was gone: I sought him, but I coulde not finde him: I cryed vpon
hym, neuerthelesse he gaue me no aunswere.
7 So the watchmen that went about the citie, founde me, smote me, and wounded
me: yea they that kept the walles toke away my kerchaffe from me.
8 I charge you therfore O ye daughters of Hierusalem, yf ye fynde my beloued,
that ye tell hym howe that I am sicke for loue.
9 What maner of man is thy loue aboue other louers, O thou fairest among women?
Or what can thy loue do more then other louers, that thou chargest vs so
straytly?
10 As for my loue, he is whyte and red coloured, a goodly person among tenne
thousande.
11 His head is as the most fine golde, the lockes of his heere are busshed,
& blacke as a crowe.
12 His eyes are as the eyes of doues by the water brookes as though they were
wasshed with mylke, and are set lyke pearles in golde.
13 His cheekes are lyke a garden bed, wherin the Apothecaries plant all maner of
sweete thynges. His lippes are lyke lilies that droppe sweete smellyng Myrre:
14 His handes are lyke golde rynges, hauyng inclosed the precious stone of
Tharsis. His body is as the pure iuorie, dect ouer with Saphires:
15 His legges are as the pillers of Marble set vpon sockettes of golde. His face
is as Libanus: and as the beautie of the Cedar trees.
16 The wordes of his mouth are sweete: yea he is altogether louely: Such a one
is my loue O ye daughters of Hierusalem, such a one is my loue.
CHAPTER
6
1 Whyther is thy loue gone then O thou fairest among women? whyther is thy loue
departed, and we wyll seke hym with thee?
2 My loue is gone downe into his garden vnto the sweete smellyng beddes, that he
may refreshe hym selfe in the garden, & gather lilies.
3 My loue is myne, and I am his, which feedeth among the lilies.
4 Thou are beautifull O my loue as is [the place] Thirza, thou art faire as
Hierusalem, fearefull as an armie of men with their banners.
5 Turne away thine eyes from me, for they haue set me on fire: Thy heery lockes
are lyke a flocke of goates shorne vpon the mount of
Gilead
.
6 Thy teeth are lyke a flocke of shorne sheepe which go out of the wasshyng
place, where euery one beareth twinnes, and not one vnfruitfull among them.
7 Thy cheekes are like a peece of a pomegranate within thy lockes of heere.
8 There are threescore queenes, fourescore wiues, and damselles without number.
9 One is my doue, one is my dearlyng: She is the only beloued of her mother, and
deare vnto her that bare her: When the daughters sawe her, they sayde she was
blessed, yea the queenes & wiues praysed her.
10 What is she this that loketh foorth as the mornyng, faire as the moone,
cleare as the sunne, and fearfull as an armie of men with their banners?
11 I went downe into the nut garden to see what grewe by the brookes, and to
loke yf the vineyarde florished, or yf the pomegranates were not foorth.
12 I knewe not that my soule had made me the charyot of the people that be vnder
tribute.
13 Turne agayne turne agayne O thou perfect one, turne agayne turne agayne and
we wyll loke vpon thee: What will ye see in the Sulamite? She is lyke men of
warre singing in a companie.
CHAPTER
7
1 O howe pleasaunt are thy treadynges with thy shoes, thou princes daughter? the
ioyntes of thy thighes are like a faire iewell, which is wrought by a cunnyng
workemaister.
2 Thy nauell is lyke a rounde goblet, which is neuer without drynke. Thy wombe
is like a heape of wheate that is set about with lilies.
3 Thy two breastes are lyke two twinnes of young roes.
4 Thy necke is as it were a towre of iuorie: thine eyes also are lyke the water
pooles that are in Hesebon, beside the port of Bathrabbim, thy nose is lyke the
towre of Libanus, which loketh towarde Damascus.
5 That head that standeth vpon thee is lyke
Carmel
: and the heere of thy head is like purple, and like a kyng dwellyng among many
water conduites.
6 O Howe faire and louely art thou my dearlyng in pleasures?
7 Thy stature is lyke a paulme tree, and thy breastes lyke the grapes.
8 I sayde, I wyll climbe vp into the paulme tree, and take holde of his hye
braunches. Thy breastes also shalbe as the wine clusters, the smell of thy
nosethrilles like as the smell of apples.
9 And thy rooffe of thy mouth lyke the best wine, which is meete for my best
beloued, pleasaunt for his lippes, and for his teeth to chawe.
10 I am my beloueds, and he shall turne hym vnto me.
11 O come on my loue, we wyll go foorth into the fielde, and take our lodgyng in
the villages.
12 In the mornyng wyll we go see the vineyarde, we wyll see yf the vine be
sprong foorth, yf the grapes be growen, and yf the pomegranates be shot out.
There will I geue thee my brestes:
13 the Mandragoras geue their sweete smell, and besyde our doores are all maner
of pleasaunt fruites both newe and olde, which I haue kept for thee O my beloued.
CHAPTER
8
1 O that I might finde thee without and kisse thee, whom I loue as my brother
whiche suckt my mothers brestes, and that thou shalt not be dispised,
2 I wyll leade thee and bryng thee into my mothers house, that thou myghtest
teache me, and that I myght geue thee drynke of the spiced wine, and of the
sweete sappe of my pomegranates.
3 His left hande shalbe vnder my head, and his ryght hande shall imbrace me.
4 I charge you O ye daughters of Hierusalem that ye wake not vp my loue, nor
touche her, tyll she be content her selfe.
5 (What is she this that cometh vp from the wildernesse, and leaneth vpon her
loue?) I wake thee vp among the apple trees where thy mother conceaued thee,
where thy mother [I say] brought thee into the worlde.
6 O set me as a seale vpon thine heart, and as a seale vpon thine arme: for loue
is myghtie as the death, and gelousie as the hell.
7 Her coales are coales of fire, and a very vehement flambe [of the Lorde]: so
that many waters are not able to quenche loue, neither may the streames drowne
it: Yea yf a man woulde geue all the good of his house for loue, he shoulde
count it nothyng.
8 Our sister is but young and hath no brestes: what shall we do for our sister
when she shalbe spoken for?
9 If she be a wall, we shall builde a siluer bulwarke thervpon: yf she be a
doore, we shall fasten her with boordes of Cedar tree.
10 I am a wall, and my brestes lyke towres, then was I as one that hath founde
fauour in his syght.
11 Solomon hath a vineyarde at BaalHamon: and this vineyarde deliuered he vnto
the kepers, that euery one for the fruite therof shoulde geue hym a thousande
peeces of siluer.
12 My vineyarde which is myne, is in my syght: thou (O Solomon) must haue a
thousande, and the kepers two hundred, which kepe the fruite.
13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, O let me heare thy voyce, that my
companions may hearken to the same.
14 O get thee away my loue, and be as a roe or a young hart vpon the sweete
smellyng mountaynes.
|
