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Christ. LOE, 1 howe that thou art fayre, | |
| Loe, faire thou art, my loue; | |
| Thine eyes before thy lockes are like | |
| To the eyes of a doue. | |
| |
| As of a flock of goates, | 5 |
| Such also is thy heare; | |
| Of those same goates which doe vpon | |
| The mount of Gilhad sheare. | |
| |
| Thy teeth like equall flocke, | |
| Which come vpp from washing, | 10 |
| Which all doe bring foorth twinnes, whereof | |
| None wanteth his offspringe. | |
| |
| Thy lipps like scarlet threede, | |
| So comelie is thy speach; | |
| As a pomgranate peece beyonde | 15 |
| Thy locks thy temples reach. | |
| |
| Thy necke, like Dauid’s towre, | |
| Buylt for an armourie, | |
| In which a thousand targets hang, | |
| All shields of men mightie. | 20 |
| |
| Resemble doe thy papps | |
| Two young kidds which goates breed, | |
| Such as are twinnes, and such as doe | |
| Among the lilies feede. | |
| |
| Till that day shall appeare, | 25 |
| And these shades shall flee hence; | |
| I will go to this mount of mirrh | |
| And hill of frankomcense. | |
| |
| Thou art all fayr, my loue, | |
| And no spotte found in thee: | 30 |
| From Libanon returne, my loue, | |
| From Libanon with me. | |
| |
| From Amanah toppe thou | |
| Shalt looke; from Schenir see; | |
| From Hermon, and from lions’ dennes, | 35 |
| And mountes where leopards bee. | |
| |
| Sister, my spouse, my heart | |
| Thou hast stole with one eye; | |
| Myne heart thou hast stole with one chayne | |
| Which on thy necke doeth lye. | 40 |
| |
| How fayr are those thy loues, | |
| My sister and spouse myne! | |
| Of what goodnes are those thy loues, | |
| More excellent then wine! | |
| |
| Better thine oyntments smell | 45 |
| Then all the spices will; | |
| The honycombe both of thy lips, | |
| O Spouse, they doe distill. | |
| |
| Vnder thy tounge honye | |
| And milke are; and as well | 50 |
| The sauour of thy garments is | |
| As the Libanon smell. | |
| |
| Sister, my spouse, as the | |
| Garden inclos’de thou art; | |
| As a spring of water enclos’d, | 55 |
| And a well sealed apart. | |
| |
| Thy gryfts they are, as of | |
| A pomgranat orchard; | |
| With the fruite of things precious, | |
| As cypres with spiknard. | 60 |
| |
| Spiknard, saffron, sweet canes, | |
| Cinomon, with the rest | |
| Of incense-trees, mirrh, and santall, | |
| With all spice which is best. | |
| |
Church. O thou the fountayne of | 65 |
| The gardens and the well | |
| Of liuing waters, which flowing | |
| Doest Libanous excell; | |
| |
| Wake, north, and come, O south, | |
| And on my garden blowe, | 70 |
| And all the spices thereof lett | |
| The waters ouerflowe. | |
| |
| Let com to his garden | |
| Him who is lou’d of me; | |
| That he may eate the fruite of his | 75 |
| Things delicate which be. | |
| |
Christ. Sister, my Spouse, into | |
| My garden come am I; | |
| I gather my myrrhe with my spice, | |
| Also with my hony. | 80 |
| |
| I eate my honycombe; | |
| With my milk drinck my wine:— | |
| Eate, O my freendes, drinck, and be fill’d, | |
| Ye well-beloued myne. | |
