Song of Solomon 3

1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

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

2 [I said], I will rise now, and go about the city, in the streets and in the broad ways, I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

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 that go about the city found me: [to whom I said], Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

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

4 It was but a little that I passed from them, when I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that 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, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awaken love, until it please.

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 that cometh up out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders 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 the litter of Solomon; threescore mighty men are about 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 hath his sword upon 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 palanquin of the wood of Lebanon.

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

10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the seat of it of purple, the midst thereof 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 forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon, with the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him in the day of his espousals, and 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.