1 WYC In my litle bed Y souyte hym bi niytis, whom my soule loueth; Y souyte hym, and Y foond not. BSB BSB: On my bed at night I sought the one I love; I sought him, but did not find him.
2 WYC I shal rise, and Y schal cumpasse the citee, bi litle stretis and large stretis; Y schal seke hym, whom my soule loueth; I souyte hym, and Y foond not. BSB BSB: I will arise now and go about the city, through the streets and squares. I will seek the one I love. So I sought him but did not find him.
3 WYC Wakeris, that kepen the citee, founden me. Whether ye sien hym, whom my soule loueth? BSB BSB: I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city: “Have you seen the one I love?”
4 WYC A litil whanne Y hadde passid hem, Y foond hym, whom my soule loueth; Y helde hym, and Y schal not leeue hym, til Y brynge him in to the hous of my modir, and in to the closet of my modir. BSB BSB: I had just passed them when I found the one I love. I held him and would not let go until I had brought him to my mother’s house, to the chamber of the one who conceived me.
5 WYC Ye douytris of Jerusalem, Y charge you greetli, bi the capretis, and hertis of feeldis, that ye reise not, nether make to awake the dereworthe spousesse, til sche wole. BSB BSB: O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
6 WYC Who is this womman, that stieth bi the deseert, as a yerde of smoke of swete smellynge spices, of mirre, and of encence, and of al poudur of an oynement makere? BSB BSB: Who is this coming up from the wilderness like a column of smoke, scented with myrrh and frankincense from all the spices of the merchant?
7 WYC Lo! sixti stronge men of the strongeste men of Israel cumpassen the bed of Salomon; and alle thei holden swerdis, BSB BSB: Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage, escorted by sixty of the mightiest men of Israel.
8 WYC and ben moost witti to batels; the swerd of ech man is on his hipe, for the drede of nyytis. BSB BSB: All are skilled with the sword, experienced in warfare. Each has his sword at his side prepared for the terror of the night.
9 WYC Kyng Salomon made to hym a seete, of the trees of Liban; BSB BSB: King Solomon has made his carriage out of the timber of Lebanon.
10 WYC he made the pilers therof of siluer; he made a goldun restyng place, a stiyng of purpur; and he arayede the myddil thingis with charite, for the douytris of Jerusalem. BSB BSB: He has made its posts of silver, its base of gold, its seat of purple fabric. Its interior is inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 WYC Ye douytris of Sion, go out, and se kyng Salomon in the diademe, bi which his modir crownede hym, in the dai of his spousyng, and in the dai of the gladnesse of his herte. BSB BSB: Come out, O daughters of Zion, and gaze at King Solomon, wearing the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding—the day of his heart’s rejoicing.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.