Wycliffe's Bible 1My friendess, thou art full fair, thou art full fair; thine eyes be (like) of culvers, without that, that is hid within; thine hairs be as the flocks of goats, that went up from the hill(s) of Gilead. (My friendess, thou art so beautiful, thou art so beautiful; thine eyes be like doves, behind thy veil; thy hair is like the flocks of goats, that went up from Mount Gilead.) 2Thy teeth be as the flocks of shorn sheep, that went up from [the] washing; all be with double lambs, and no barren is among those. (Thy teeth be like the flocks of shorn sheep, that went up from the washing; all of them have double lambs, or twins, and there is no barren among them.) 3Thy lips be as a red lace, and thy speech is sweet; as the remnant of an apple of Punic, so be thy cheeks, without that, that is hid within. (Thy lips be like a red lace, and thy voice is sweet; thy cheeks be like a piece of an apple of Punic/thy cheeks be like a piece of a pomegranate, behind thy veil.) 4Thy neck is as the tower of David, which is builded with strongholds made before for defence; a thousand shields hang on it, all [the] armour of strong men. (Thy neck is like the tower of David, which is built with strongholds, or with bulwarks, made ahead of time for defence; a thousand shields hang on it, all the armour of the strong.) 5Thy two teats be as two kids, twins of a capret, that be fed among (the) lilies, (Thy two breasts be like two kids, or like two fawns, yea, like the twins of a gazelle, that be fed among the lilies.) 6till the day spring, and [the] shadows be bowed down. I shall go to the mountain of myrrh, and to the little hill of incense. (And when the day shall spring forth, and the shadows shall be bowed down, then I shall go to the mountain of myrrh, and to the little hill of incense.) 7My love, thou art all-fair, and no wem is in thee. (My love, thou art so very beautiful, and there is no blemish on thee/and there is no fault in thee.) 8My spousess, come thou from the Lebanon; come thou from the Lebanon, come thou; beholding from the head of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the hills of leopards. (My spousess, come thou from Lebanon; come thou from Lebanon, come thou; come thou down from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir, and the top of Hermon, from the dens of the lions, and from the hills of the leopards.) 9My sister spousess, thou hast wounded mine heart; thou hast wounded mine heart, in one of thine eyes, and in one hair of thy neck. (My dear spousess, thou hast stolen my heart; yea, thou hast stolen my heart, with one look from thine eyes, and with one jewel of thy necklace.) 10My sister spousess, thy loves be full fair; thy loves be fairer than wine, and the odour of thy clothes is above all sweet smelling ointments. (My dear spousess, thy love is so beautiful; thy love is more beautiful than wine, and the aroma of thy clothes smelleth more sweet than any perfume.) 11Spousess, thy lips be (as) an honeycomb dropping; honey and milk be under thy tongue, and the odour of thy clothes is as the odour of incense. (Spousess, thy lips be like a dripping honeycomb; honey and milk be upon thy tongue, and the aroma of thy clothes is like the aroma of Lebanon.) 12My sister spousess, a garden closed together; a garden closed together, a well asealed. (My dear spousess is a garden altogether enclosed, yea, a secret garden; a garden altogether enclosed, and a sealed well.) 13Thy sendings-out be (a) paradise of (the) apples of Punic, with the fruits of apples, cypress trees, with nard; (Thy out-sendings, or thy shoots, be like a garden of the apple trees of Punic, with its fruits of apples, and cypress trees, with spikenard;/Thy cheeks be like an orchard of pomegranate trees, with its fruits, and cypress trees, with spikenard;) 14nard and saffron, an herb called fistula, and canel, with all [the] trees of the Lebanon, myrrh, and aloes, with all the best, either (the) first, ointments. (spikenard and saffron, henna, and cinnamon, with all the trees of incense, myrrh, and aloes, with all the best spices, or the choicest of perfumes.) 15A well of (the) gardens, a well of welling, either quick, waters, that flow with fierceness from the Lebanon. (The well in the garden is a fresh water well, that floweth with fierceness from Lebanon.) 16Rise thou (up), north wind, and come thou, south wind; blow thou through my garden, and the sweet smelling ointments thereof shall flow (blow thou through my garden, and its sweet smelling perfumes shall flow forth). My darling, come he into his garden, to eat the fruit of his apples. WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE Comprising of Wycliffe’s Old Testament and Wycliffe’s New Testament (Revised Edition) Translated by JOHN WYCLIFFE and JOHN PURVEY A modern-spelling edition of their 14TH century Middle English translation, the first complete English vernacular version, with an Introduction by TERENCE P. NOBLE Used by Permission Bible Hub |