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[1] Kisse he me with the cos of his mouth.
[2] For thi tetis ben betere than wyn, and yyuen odour with beste oynementis. Thi name is oile sched out; therfor yonge damesels loueden thee.
[3] Drawe thou me after thee; we schulen renne in to the odour of thin oynementis. The kyng ledde me in to hise celeris; we myndeful of thi teetis aboue wyn, schulen make ful out ioye, and schulen be glad in thee; riytful men louen thee.
[4] Ye douytris of Jerusalem, Y am blak, but fair, as the tabernaclis of Cedar, as the skynnes of Salomon.
[5] Nyle ye biholde me, that Y am blak, for the sunne hath discolourid me; the sones of my modir fouyten ayens me, thei settiden me a kepere in vyners; Y kepte not my vyner.
[6] Thou spouse, whom my soule loueth, schewe to me, where thou lesewist, where thou restist in myddai; lest Y bigynne to wandre, aftir the flockis of thi felowis.
[7] A! thou fairest among wymmen, if thou knowist not thi silf, go thou out, and go forth aftir the steppis of thi flockis; and feede thi kidis, bisidis the tabernaclis of scheepherdis.
[8] Mi frendesse, Y licnede thee to myn oost of knyytis in the charis of Farao.
[9] Thi chekis ben feire, as of a turtle; thi necke is as brochis.
[10] We schulen make to thee goldun ournementis, departid and maad dyuerse with silver.
[11] Whanne the kyng was in his restyng place, my narde yaf his odour.
[12] My derlyng is a bundel of myrre to me; he schal dwelle bitwixe my tetis.
[13] My derlyng is to me a cluster of cipre tre, among the vyneres of Engaddi.
[14] Lo! my frendesse, thou art fair; lo! thou art fair, thin iyen ben the iyen of culueris.
[15] Lo, my derling, thou art fair, and schapli; oure bed is fair as flouris.
[16] The trees of oure housis ben of cedre; oure couplis ben of cipresse.
[17] [No verse.]
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