2For thi tetis ben betere than wyn, and yyuen odour with beste oynementis. Thi name is oile sched out; therfor yonge damesels loueden thee.
3Drawe 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.
4Ye douytris of Jerusalem, Y am blak, but fair, as the tabernaclis of Cedar, as the skynnes of Salomon.
5Nyle 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.
6Thou 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.
7A! 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.
8Mi frendesse, Y licnede thee to myn oost of knyytis in the charis of Farao.
9Thi chekis ben feire, as of a turtle; thi necke is as brochis.
10We schulen make to thee goldun ournementis, departid and maad dyuerse with silver.
11Whanne the kyng was in his restyng place, my narde yaf his odour.
12My derlyng is a bundel of myrre to me; he schal dwelle bitwixe my tetis.
13My derlyng is to me a cluster of cipre tre, among the vyneres of Engaddi.
14Lo! my frendesse, thou art fair; lo! thou art fair, thin iyen ben the iyen of culueris.
15Lo, my derling, thou art fair, and schapli; oure bed is fair as flouris.
16The trees of oure housis ben of cedre; oure couplis ben of cipresse.