Song of Solomon 8

¹Who `mai grante to me thee, my brother, soukynge the tetis of my modir, that Y fynde thee aloone without forth, and that Y kisse thee, and no man dispise me thanne?

²Y schal take thee, and Y schal lede thee in to the hous of my modir, and in to the closet of my modir; there thou schalt teche me, and Y schal yyue to thee drink of wyn maad swete, and of the must of my pumgranatis.

³His lefthond vndur myn heed, and his riythond schal biclippe me.

⁴Ye douytris of Jerusalem, Y charge you greetli, that ye reise not, nether make the dereworthe spousesse to awake, til sche wole.

⁵Who is this spousesse, that stieth fro desert, and flowith in delices, and restith on hir derlynge? Y reiside thee vndur a pumgranate tre; there thi modir was corrupt, there thi modir was defoulid.

⁶Set thou me as a signet on thin herte, as a signet on thin arm; for loue is strong as deth, enuy is hard as helle; the laumpis therof ben laumpis of fier, and of flawmes.

⁷Many watris moun not quenche charite, nether floodis schulen oppresse it. Thouy a man yyue al the catel of his hous for loue, he schal dispise `that catel as nouyt.

⁸Oure sistir is litil, and hath no tetys; what schulen we do to oure sistir, in the dai whanne sche schal be spokun to?

⁹If it is a wal, bilde we theronne siluerne touris; if it is a dore, ioyne we it togidere with tablis of cedre.

¹⁰I am a wal, and my tetis ben as a tour; sithen Y am maad as fyndynge pees bifore hym.

¹¹A vyner was to the pesible; in that citee, that hath puplis, he bitook it to keperis; a man bryngith a thousynde platis of siluer for the fruyt therof.

¹²The vyner is bifore me; a thousynde ben of thee pesible, and two hundrid to hem that kepen the fruytis therof.

¹³Frendis herkene thee, that dwellist in orchertis; make thou me to here thi vois.

¹⁴My derlyng, fle thou; be thou maad lijk a capret, and a calf of hertis, on the hillis of swete smellynge spices.

Song of Solomon 8

¹O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.

²I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother’s house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.

³His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.

⁴I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please.

⁵Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee.

⁶Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

⁷Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

⁸We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?

⁹If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.

¹⁰I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.

¹¹Solomon had a vineyard at Baal–hamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.

¹²My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a thousand, and those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.

¹³Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it.

¹⁴Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.