The Book of Canticles
THE BOOK OF CANTICLES
[Carefully transcribed from a MS. of the fourteenth century in the Editor’s possession]
Here begynnyth the Boke that is clepid Songis of
Songis, of the Bridulis of Crist and of the Chirche.
CAP. I
The Chirche of the commyng of Crist, spekith seying,
2. Kysse he me with the cosse of his mouth.
The voice of the Fadir.
For better ben thi tetis thann wyn, smelling with best oynmentis. The voice of the Chirche.
3. Oyle held oute thi name: there fore the yunge waxinge wymmen loviden thee ful myche.
The voice of the Chirche to Crist.
4. Drawe me after thee: we schul rennen in the smell of thin oynmentis. The Chirche seyeth of Crist.
Brogte me in the king into his celers. We schul ful out joyen and gladen in thee, myndful of thi tetis upon wyn, rigtmen loven thee. The Chirche, of hir tribulacyouns.
5. O zee dogtris of Jerusalem, blac I am but schappli, as the tabernaculis of cedar, as
6. the skynnes of Salomon. Willith not beholden that I be broun; for discolord me hath the sunne. The sones of my modir fogten agein me: thei setiden me keper in vynes: my vyne gerde I kepte not.
The voice of the Chirche to Crist.
7. Schewe thou to me whom lovith my soule, where thou gevest leswe, where thou lygge in myd day: lest to gou vagraunt I begynne aftir the flockis of thi felawes.
The voice of Crist to the Chirche.
8. Gif thou knowest not thee, O thou fair most among wymmen; go oute, and go awei after the steppis of thi flockis and feed thi goot beside the tabernaculis of schepperdis.
9. To my ryding in charis of Pharao, I licned
10. thee, O my leef! Fair ben thy cheekis as
11. of a turture; thi necke as brochis. Golden ribanes we schul maken to thee maad furrede with sylvir.
The voice of the Chirche, of Crist.
12. Whan the king was in his lying place, my
13. maad encense gave his smell. A bundlet of mirre my lemman is to me: between my
14. tetis he schal dwellen. The cluster of cypre tree my lemman to me: in the vynes of Engaddy.
The voice of Crist to the Chirche.
15. Loo thou art fair my leef, loo thou fair: thin eegen of culveris. The voice of the Chirche to Crist.
16. Loo thou art fair my lemman, and seemli; oure bed is schynynge. The trees of oure hous as cedre; oure couplis cypresse.
CAP. II
The voice of Crist, of him and of the Chirche.
1, 2. I the floure of the feeld, and the lilie of al valeys, as a lilie among thornes, so my leef among dogtris.
The voice of the Chirche, of Crist.
3. As an apple tree among the trees of wodis; so my lemman among sones. Undir the schadewe of him whom I hadde desirede, I satte: and his fruyte sweet to my throote.
4. The king ladde me into his wyne celere, he
5. ordeynede in me charite. Undir leye gee me with floures, settith me about applis; for I languych for love.
The voice of the Chirche, of Crist.
6. The left hond of him undir myn heued; and his rigt hond schal clippen me.
The voice of Crist, of the Chirche.
7. I adjure gou, gee dogtris of Jerusalem, by the capretis and the hertis of feeldis, ne rere gee, ne makith my leef to waken, to the time that sche wille. The voice of the Chirche, of Crist.
8. The voice of my lemman: Loo, this commith lepinge in mounteynes, and over
9. lepinge hilles. Liic is my lemman to an capret and to an hert, calf of hertis. Loo, he stant behinden our wall beholding by the wyndowis a fer loking thurg the latises.
10. Loo my lemman spekith to me: Riis go thou my leef, my culver my schappli and
11. cum. Now forsothe wynter passide, wedir
12. geed fro, and is gon awei. Ploures appeereden in our lond-tyme of cutting is cummen; the voice of the turtur is herd in
13. oure londe. The fiige tree brogt forth his first fiigs: The vynes flouryng geven their smell.
The voice of Crist to the Chirche.
14. Riis, go my leef, my schaply and cum thou my culver, in the hoolis of the stoon wal. Schewe thou to me thi face, and soun thi voice in my eris; thi voice forsoth is sweet, and thi face seemli.
The voice of Crist to the Chirche agein herytikis.
15. Take gee to us litil foxis that destruyen vynes: for oure vyne flourede. The voice of the Chirche, of Crist.
16. My loved to me, and I to him, that is fed among lilies, to the tyme that the day
17. springe, and schadewis ben bowed in. Turne agein; liic be thou O my lemman to a capret, and to the hert, calf of hertis, upon the mounteynes of Bether.
CAP. III
The voice of Chirche gedred togyder of Gentilis.
1. In my litil bed by nigtis, I sougt whom lovede my soule: I sogte him, and I founde
2. not. I schal riisen and gon aboute the cytee, by tounes and streetis: I schal sechen whom loveth my soule. I sogt him
3. and found not. There founden me the wacheris that kepen the cytee. The Chirche seith of Crist, to the Apostlis.
Wheyther whom loveth my soule, gee
4. seegen? A litil whan I hadde passid hem, I foond whom lovith my soule; I heeld him and I schal not leven to the tyme that I bringe him into the hous of my moder: and into the bed of hir that gat me.
The voice of Crist, of the Chirche.
5. I adjure gou ge dogtris of Jerusalim, by capretis and hertis of feeldis, ne reire gee, ne make gee my leef to waken to the tyme that sche wille. The Synagoge, of the Chirche.
6. What is sche this that stiegeth up by desert, as a litil gerde of smoke of the swote spyces of mirre and of cense, and of al pymentarie poudre? The voice of the Chirche, of Crist.
7. Loo the litil bed of Salomon; sixti stronge men compassen, of the most strong men of
8. Israel; the whiche alle ben holdinge swerdis; and to bataile best tagt. Of eche oon the swerd upon his hip, for the nigt dredis.
Of Crist, and of the Chirche, chosen of Gentilis.
9. A chaier King Salomon maad to him of the
10. trees of Liban. His pileers, he maade sylveren; the lenying place, golden; the steiging up, purpure; the myddis he enournede with charite, for the dogteris of Jerusalem.
The voice of the Chirche, of Crist.
11. Goth out and seeth gee dogtris of Syon, Kyng Salomon, in the dyademe in the whiche crowned him his modir, in the dai of spousing of him; and in the dai of gladneese of his herte.
CAP. IV
The voice of Crist to the Chirche.
1. How fair art thou my leef, hou fair ert thou! Thyn eegen of culveris, with out it that with ine forth is hid. Thin heris as the flockis of Got, that steigiden up fro the the hill of Galaad.
2. Thi teeth as the flockis of clippid scheep that steigeden up fro the wasching place. Alle with double lombis in the wombe; and
3. bareyn is not there among hem. Als a furred sylken fylet, thi lippis, and thy fair speche swote. Als the brekyng of a powmgarnet, so thy cheekis; without it, that
4. withine forth litt hid. Als the tour of David thi neck that is bild out with pynaclis. A thousand scheeldis hangen of it al the
5. armour of strong men. Thi two tetis as two yunge capretis twynglingis of the
6. capret, that ben fed in lilies: to the tyme that the day brethe out, and the schadewis ben in bowid. I schal gou to the mount of
7. mirre, and to the hill of cens. Al fair thou art my leef, and wemm is not in thee.
8. Cumm thou fro Libane my spouse, cumm fro Liban; cum thou schalt ben crowned fro the heued of Amana; fro the frount of Sannir, and of Ermon: fro the couchis
9. liouns, and the hill of Paradise. Thou hast woundid myn herte myn suster, my spouse, thou hast woundide myn herte in oon of thin eegen: and in oon here of thi neck.
10. Hou fair ben thi tetis my suster, my spouse, fairer ben thi tetis than wyne: and the smell of thin oynmentis, over alle spices.
11. A dropping honycomb thy lippis, spouse: honey and mylc undir thi tunge; and the smell of thi clothing is, as the smell of
12. cens. A closid garden my suster, spouse; a
13. closid gardyn, a welle selid. Thin out sendingis is paradis of paumgarnetis: with thi
14. fruytis of applis. Of cypre tree with narde; and narde with safrun, and fystula and canel, with alle the trees of Liban, mirre and aloes, with alle the first oynmentis.
15. The welle of gardynes, the pit of lyvyng wateris that flowen with burre fro Liban, Riis North, and cum South, blow thurg my gardyn, and thei schul flowen swote spyces of it.
CAP. V
The Chirche seith of Crist.
1. Cum my leef into his gardyn; and ete he the fruyt of his applis. Crist seith to the Chirche.
Cum into my gardyn, my sister, my spouse; I have gadered my mirre with my swote spices; I ette myn hony comb with myn hony. I dranke my wyne with my mylc.
Crist to the Apostolis seith.
Etith gee freendis and drinkith: and gee most derworth beth inwardli maad
2. drunken. I sleep and myn herte wakith.
The voice of the Chirche, of Crist.
The voice of my Lemman knockyng, open thou to me my sustir, my leef, my culver, my unwemmynd, for my heud is ful of dewe, and my temple heris of the droopis
3. of nigtis. I spoylide me my coote; hou schal I be clothid it? I waschide my feet,
4. hou schal I befoulen hem? my lemman putte his hond bi the hool; my wombe inwardly trembled at the touching of him.
5. I rose that I scholde opennen to my lemman. My hondis droppiden mirre; and my
6. fingris ful of best proved mirre. The lacche of my dore, I opened to my lemman; and he hadde bowid asyde and passide. My soule is moltyn as my lemman spac. I sogte and founde not him. I clepid and he
7. answered not to me. There founden me keperis that gon about the cytee. Thei smyten me, and woundiden me; takin my
8. mantill the keperis of the wallis. I adjure gou ye dogtris of Jerusalem, gif gee schul fynden my lemman, that gee telle to him, for I languisch for love. The voice of freendis seith to the Chirche.
9. Whiche is thy lemman of the loved, O thou most fair of wymmen? Whiche is thy lemman of the loved? Forsoth thou hast adjured us. The voice of the Chirche of Crist to the freendis.
10. My lemman whiit and roodi chosen of
11. thousandis. His heued best gold; his her as bunchis of palmys, thick leved blac as a
12. crowe. His eegen as culveris upon litil ryvers. Of wateris that ben waschid with mylk; and sitte by the most full flowing of
13. wateris. The cheekis of litil flouris of
14. swote spices plaunted of pimentaries. His lippis dropping the first myrre; the hondis of him able to turnen about, golden and full of jacynctis. His wombe is yvren
15. depertid by saphiris. His lippis marbil pileeris, that ben foundid upon golden feet. His fairness as of Lyban, and chosen as of
16. cedre. The throot of him most swote; and he al desirable. Siche is my loved, and this is my lemman, gee dogtris of Jerusalem. CAP. VI
The voice of holi soulis of the Chirche.
1. Whider grede awei thi lemman? O thou most fair of wymmen? Whither bowiden doun thi leef, and we schul sechen him with thee? The voice of the Chirche, of Crist.
2. My leef went doun into his gardyne to the floore of swote spices: that there he fed in
3. the gardynes, and lilies he gadired. I to my leef, and my self, and my leef to me, that is fed among lilies.
The voice of Crist to the Chirche.
4. Fair thou art my leef; swote and fair as Jerusalem; ferful as the scheltrun of tentis
5. ordeyned. Turne awei thin eegen fro me; for thei maden me to fleen awei. Thin heris as the flockis of sche got, that
6. apeereden fro Galaad. Thi teeth as a floc of scheep that steigeden up fro the wasching place; al with double fruyt of wombe
7. and bareyn there is not in hem. As the rynde of powmgarnet; so thi cheekis without
8. thin hid thingis. Sixty ben queenes, and eigty ben secundane wiives; and of yunge waxe wymmen there is no noumbre.
9. Oon is my culver, my perfite: oon is to hir modir, chosen of hir modir, chosen of hir that gat hir. There seegen hir the dogtris of Syon, and most blisful preisiden hir: the queenes and secundarie wiives preisiden
10. hir. What is sche this that goth forth as the morewtide, riising fair as the mone, chosen as the sunne; ferful as of tentis scheltrun ordeyned. The voice of the Chirche, of the Synagoge.
11. I wente doun into my gardyne that I schulde seen the applis of valeys; and beholden gif the vynes hadden flouride, and
12. the poumgarnetis hadden burriouned, I wiste not, my soule distourbid me, for the foure horsid cartis of Amynadab.
The voice of the Chirche to the faith of the Natyvyte.
13. Turne agein, turne agein Sunamytis; turne agein, turne agein that we beholden thee.
The voice of Crist to the Chirche, of the Synagoge.
What schalt thou seen in the Sunamyte, but queeris of tentis? CAP. VII
The voice of Crist to the Chirche.
1. Hou fair ben thi goingis in schoon, thou dogtir of the prince? the jointures of thin hippis as broochis that ben forgid with
2. hond of the craftisman. Thin navel a turned cuppe, never needing drinkis. Thi wombe as an hepe of whete, of whete sett abouten
3. with lilies. Thy two tetis as two yunge
4. capretis, gemelwis of the sche capret. Thi necke as an yvren tour; thin eegen as the cysternys in Esebon; that ben in the gate of the dogtir of the multitude. Thi noose as the tour of Liban that beholdith ageins
5. damask. Thyn heued as Carmele, thin heris of thin heued as the purpure of the
6. kyng joined to watir pipis. Hou faire thou art, and hou seemli thou most derworthe
7. in delicis? Thi stature is lickened to a palme tree; and thi tetis to clusteris.
Crist, of the holi crosse seith.
8. I seide I schal steigen into a palme tree; and I schal taken the fruytis of it.
The voice of Crist to the Chirche.
And thi tetis schul ben as the clusteris of a vyne, and the smel of thi mouth as the smel of applis; and thi throot as best wyne.
The Chirche seith of Crist.
9. Worthi to my leef to drinken: to the lippis,
10. and to the teeth of him to chewen. I to my leef and to me the turnynge of him.
The voice of the Chirche to Crist.
11. Cum my leef, go we out into the feeld,
12. dwelle we togydir in townes: erli riise we to the vyne: see we gif the vyne flouride;
gif the floures, fruytis bringen forth; gif
13. the poumgarnetis flouren? The mandraggis yeven their smel in oure yeatis. Alle appls newe and olde my leef, I kepte to thee. CAP. VIII
The voice of Patriarkis, of Crist.
1. Who to me gevith thee my brother, souking the tetis of my modir, that I fynde thee aloon without forth and kysse thee, and
2. now, me, no man dispises. I schal taken thee and leiden into the hous of my modir, and into the bed place of hir that gat me. There thou shalt tecken me, and I schal geven to thee drinken of spycid wyne, and
3. of the must of my poumgarnetis. The left hond of him undir my heued, and the rigt hond of him schal clippen me.
The voice of Crist, of the Chirche.
4. I adjure you, gee dogtris of Jerusalem, ne rere gee, ne makith to wake my leef, to the tyme that sche will.
The voice of the Synagoge, of the Chirche.
5. What is sche this that steigith up fro desert, flowing delices, fast clevyng upon hir leef?
The voice of Crist to the Synagoge, of the holi Crosse. Undir an apple tree I rered thee; there schent is thi modir: there defoulid is sche
6. that gat thee. Putte me as a brooche upon thi herte; putte me as a brooche upon thin arme; for strong as deth, love: hard as helle, gelousnesse: the lampis of it, the
7. lampis of fiir: and of flammes. Many wateris schal not mown quenchen oute charitee: ne floodis schal not throwen it doun. Gif a man gif al the substaunce of his hous for love, as nogt he dispisith it. The voice of Crist to the lynage of holi Chirche.
8. Our sustir a litil child, and tetis sche hath not. What schal we done to oure sustir, in the day whann sche is to be spoken to?
9. Gif a wal she is bilden we upon it sylveren pynnaclis. Gif a dore sche is, joyn we it with cedre tables.
The voice of the Chirche, answeeringe.
10. I, a wal; and my tetis as a tour; sythen I am maad be fore thee as pese receyvynge.
The Synagoge, of the Chirche seith.
11. Vyne sche was to pesyble, in hir that hath peplis; sche toke it to the keperis: a man takith awei for the fruyte of it, a thousand sylveren platis. Crist to the Chirche seith.
12. My vyne before me is; a thousand thi pesiblis; and two hundrith to hem that
13. kepen the fruytis of it. The whiche dwellest in gardynes freendis herkenen thee: make me to heeren thi voice.
The voice of the Chirche to Crist.
14. Flee thou my leef, be thou lickened to a capret, and to an hert, calf of hertis, upon the mounteynes of swote spices.
Explicit Canticum
The above is taken, literatim, from an ancient MS. once the property of Thomas a Woodstock, youngest son of Edward III., and brother to Edward the Black Prince.
Millbrook, Feb. 1, 1823.