The spouse condescending to God's will is well content to suffer persecution: Christ again showeth his good liking in his spouse's patience, and willeth the glorious Saints to congratulate with the patient. 2. The spouse desireth to rest in meditation, but is called upon to help others, and urged by Christ's own example working for all mankind. 5. And so she employeth herself also in active life, still conserving a desire to return unto contemplation. 9. The devout confer together, describing the excellencies of Christ, 17. and resolve to seek him wheresoever he be.The spouse condescending to Gods wil is wel content to suffer persecution: Christ againe sheweth his good liking in his spouses patience, and willeth the glorious Sainctes to congratulate with the patient. 2. The spouse desireth to rest in meditation, but is called vpon to helpe others, and vrged by Christs owne example working for al mankind. 5. And so she imployeth herself also in actiue life, stil conseruing a desire to returne vnto contemplation. 9. The deuout confer together, describing the excellencies of Christ, 17. and resolue to seke him wheresoeuer he be.✦
Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat the fruit of his apple trees. I am come into my garden O my sister spouse, I have reaped my myrrh, with mine aromatical spices: I have eaten the honeycomb with mine honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat O friends, and drink, and be inebriated my dearest.LET a my beloued come into his garden, and eate the fruite of his appletrees. b I am come into my garden ô my sister spouse, I haue reaped my myrrhe, with myne aromatical spices: I haue eaten the honiecombe with mine honie, I haue drunke my wine with my milke: c eate ô frendes, and drinke, and be inebriated my dearest.Veniat dilectus meus in hortum suum, et comedat fructum pomorum suorum. <Sponsus>Veni in hortum meum, soror mea, sponsa ; messui myrrham meam cum aromatibus meis ; comedi favum cum melle meo ; bibi vinum meum cum lacte meo ; comedite, amici, et bibite, et inebriamini, carissimi.
2I sleep, and my heart watcheth: the voice of my beloved knocking: Open to me my sister, my love, my dove, mine immaculate: because my head is full of dew, and my locks of the drops of the nights.d I sleepe, and my hart watcheth: e the voice of my beloued knocking: Open to me my sister, my loue, my doue, mine immaculate: f because my head is ful of dew, and my lockes of the droppes of the nightes.<Sponsa>Ego dormio, et cor meum vigilat. Vox dilecti mei pulsantis : <Sponsus>Aperi mihi, soror mea, amica mea, columba mea, immaculata mea, quia caput meum plenum est rore, et cincinni mei guttis noctium.
3I have expoliavi: ruined or gone bad; stripped off, divested myself of my robe, how shall I be clothed with it? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?I haue spoyled myselfe of my robe, how shal I be clothed with it? I haue washed my feete, how shal I defile them?<Sponsa>Expoliavi me tunica mea : quomodo induar illa ? lavi pedes meos : quomodo inquinabo illos ?
4My beloved put his hand through the hole, and my belly trembled at his touch.My beloued put his hand through the hôle, and my bellie trembled at his touch.Dilectus meus misit manum suam per foramen, et venter meus intremuit ad tactum ejus.
5I arose, that I might open to my beloved: my hands have distilled myrrh, and my fingers are full of most approved myrrh.g I arose, that I might open to my beloued: my handes haue distilled myrrhe, and my fingers are ful of most approued myrrhe.Surrexi ut aperirem dilecto meo ; manus meæ stillaverunt myrrham, et digiti mei pleni myrrha probatissima.
6I opened the bolt of my door to my beloved: but he had turned aside, and was passed. My soul melted, as he spake: I sought, and found him not: I called, and he did not answer me.I opened the bolt of my dore to my beloued: but he had turned aside, and was passed. My soule melted, as he spake: I sought, and found him not: I called, and he did not answer me.Pessulum ostii mei aperui dilecto meo, at ille declinaverat, atque transierat. Anima mea liquefacta est, ut locutus est ; quæsivi, et non inveni illum ; vocavi, et non respondit mihi.
7The keepers that go about the city found me: they percusserunt: a gentle caress; struck, beat: past tense of strike me, and wounded me: the keepers of the walls took away my cloak.The keepers that goe about the citie found me: they stroke me, and wounded me: the keepers of the walles tooke away my cloke.Invenerunt me custodes qui circumeunt civitatem ; percusserunt me, et vulneraverunt me. Tulerunt pallium meum mihi custodes murorum.
8I adjure you O daughters of Jerusalem, if you shall find my beloved, that you tell him, that I languish with love.h I adiure you ô daughters of Hierusalem, if you shal finde my beloued, that you tel him, that I languishe with loue.Adjuro vos, filiæ Jerusalem, si inveneritis dilectum meum, ut nuntietis ei quia amore langueo.
9What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, O most beautiful of women? What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, that thou hast so adjured us?i What maner of one is thy beloued of the beloued, ô most beautiful of wemen? What maner of one is thy beloued of the beloued, that thou hast so adiured vs?<Chorus>Qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, o pulcherrima mulierum ? qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, quia sic adjurasti nos ?
10My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen of thousands.My beloued is white and ruddie, chosen of thousands.<Sponsa>Dilectus meus candidus et rubicundus ; electus ex millibus.
11His head is as the best gold: his hairs as the branches of palm trees, black as a raven.His head is as the best gold: his heares as the branches of palmetrees, blacke as à rauen.Caput ejus aurum optimum ; comæ ejus sicut elatæ palmarum, nigræ quasi corvus.
12His eyes as doves upon the little rivers of waters, which are washed with milk, and sit beside the most full streams.His eies as doues vpon the litle riuers of waters, which are washed with milke, and sitte beside the most ful streames.Oculi ejus sicut columbæ super rivulos aquarum, quæ lacte sunt lotæ, et resident juxta fluenta plenissima.
13His cheeks are as little beds of aromatical spices set of the pigmentariis: perfumers, makers of ointments and spiced compounds. His lips are as lilies distilling principal myrrh.His cheekes are as litle beddes of aromatical spices set of the pigmentaries. His lippes are as lilies distilling principal myrrhe.Genæ illius sicut areolæ aromatum, consitæ a pigmentariis. Labia ejus lilia, distillantia myrrham primam.
14His hands wrought round of gold, full of hyacinths. His belly of ivory, distinguished with sapphires.His handes wrought round of gold, ful of hyacinthes. His bellie of iuorie, distinguished with sapphires.Manus illius tornatiles, aureæ, plenæ hyacinthis. Venter ejus eburneus, distinctus sapphiris.
15His thighs as pillars of marble, that are upon feet of gold. His form as of Libanus, elect as the cedars.His thighes as pillers of marble, that are vpon feete of gold. His forme as of Libanus, elect as the cedars.Crura illius columnæ marmoreæ quæ fundatæ sunt super bases aureas. Species ejus ut Libani, electus ut cedri.
16His throat most sweet, and he whole to be desired: such an one is my beloved, and he is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.His throte most sweete, and he whole to be desired: such an one is my beloued, and he is my frend, ô daughters of Hierusalem.Guttur illius suavissimum, et totus desiderabilis. Talis est dilectus meus, et ipse est amicus meus, filiæ Jerusalem.
17Whither is thy beloved gone O most beautiful of women? whither is thy beloved turned aside, and we will seek him with thee?k Whither is thy beloued gone ô most beautiful of wemen? whither is thy beloued turned aside, and we wil seeke him with thee?<Chorus>Quo abiit dilectus tuus, o pulcherrima mulierum ? quo declinavit dilectus tuus ? et quæremus eum tecum.
The reading text follows the 1582 first edition.