SONG OF SONGS
CHAPTER 1
1 Here beginneth the Song of Songs*.
2 Kiss he me with the kiss of his mouth. For thy loves be better than wine†,
3 and give odour with best oint-ments. Thy name is like oil shed [or poured] out; therefore [the] young damsels loved thee.
4 Draw thou me after thee; we shall run. The king led me into his cellars; we mindful of thy loves above wine, shall make full out joy, and we shall be glad in thee; rightful men love thee.
5 Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I am black, but fair, as the tabernacles of Kedar, as the skins of Solomon.
6 Do not ye behold me, that I am black, for the sun hath discoloured me; the sons of my mother fought against me, they set me a keeper in vineries; I kept not my vinery.
7 Thou spouse, whom my soul loveth, show to me, where thou pasturest, where thou restest in mid-day; lest I begin to wander, after the flocks of thy fellows.
8 A! thou fairest among women, if thou knowest not thyself, go thou out, and go forth after the steps of thy flocks; and feed thy kids, beside the tabernacles of shepherds.
9 My love, I likened thee to mine host of knights in the chariots of Pharaoh.
10 Thy cheeks be fair, as of a turtle; thy neck is as brooches.
11 We shall make to thee golden ornaments, parted and made diverse with silver.
12 When the king was in his resting place, my nard gave his odour.
13 My darling is a bundle of myrrh to me; he shall dwell betwixt my teats.
14 My darling is to me a cluster of cypress trees, among the vineries of Engedi.
15 Lo! my love, thou art fair; lo! thou art fair, thine eyes be the eyes of culvers.
16 Lo! my darling, thou art fair and shapely; our bed is fair as flowers.
17 The beams of our houses be of cedar; our couplings be of cypress.
* CHAPTER 1:1 One manuscript adds, ‘that were made of (or by) Solomon, to be sung in the temple of the Lord, into everlasting worshipping, and needeth none other prologue’. † CHAPTER 1:2 The “Early Version” of the “Wycliffe Bible”, and one copy of the “Later Version” labeled “X”, present this book as an allegorical dialogue between Christ and the Church. For example, this verse is introduced as: ‘The Church, of the coming of Christ speaketh (or The Church speaketh of the coming of Christ), saying,…’.