Song of Solomon 3

1 By night on my bed, I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I didn’t find him.

In my litle bed Y souyte hym bi niytis, whom my soule loueth; Y souyte hym, and Y foond not.

2 I will get up now, and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I didn’t find him.

I shal rise, and Y schal cumpasse the citee, bi litle stretis and large stretis; Y schal seke hym, whom my soule loueth; I souyte hym, and Y foond not.

3 The watchmen who go about the city found me; “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”

Wakeris, that kepen the citee, founden me. Whether ye sien hym, whom my soule loueth?

4 I had scarcely passed from them, when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, into the room of her who conceived me.

A litil whanne Y hadde passid hem, Y foond hym, whom my soule loueth; Y helde hym, and Y schal not leeue hym, til Y brynge him in to the hous of my modir, and in to the closet of my modir.

5 I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, or by the hinds of the field, that you not stir up nor awaken love, until it so desires.

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

6 Who is this who comes up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all spices of the merchant?

Who is this womman, that stieth bi the deseert, as a yerde of smoke of swete smellynge spices, of mirre, and of encence, and of al poudur of an oynement makere?

7 Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage! Sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel.

Lo! sixti stronge men of the strongeste men of Israel cumpassen the bed of Salomon; and alle thei holden swerdis,

8 They all handle the sword, and are expert in war. Every man has his sword on his thigh, because of fear in the night.

and ben moost witti to batels; the swerd of ech man is on his hipe, for the drede of nyytis.

9 King Solomon made himself a carriage of the wood of Lebanon.

Kyng Salomon made to hym a seete, of the trees of Liban;

10 He made its pillars of silver, its bottom of gold, its seat of purple, the middle of it being paved with love, from the daughters of Jerusalem.

he made the pilers therof of siluer; he made a goldun restyng place, a stiyng of purpur; and he arayede the myddil thingis with charite, for the douytris of Jerusalem.

11 Go out, you daughters of Zion, and see King Solomon, with the crown with which his mother has crowned him, in the day of his weddings, in the day of the gladness of his heart.

Ye douytris of Sion, go out, and se kyng Salomon in the diademe, bi which his modir crownede hym, in the dai of his spousyng, and in the dai of the gladnesse of his herte.