THE SONG OF SOLOMON Rendered into ENGLISH VERSE, By R. S.  NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESS●T  blazon or coat of arms 
EDINBURGH, Prined in the Year, MDCC.   

SOLOMON's SONG,  

Chap. I.  

Verse 1.  
THe Song of Songs  
Which is King Solomon's.   

2  
Let him with Kisses of his mouth me Kiss,  
For that thy love than Wine far better is.   

3  
Because the Savour and the fragrant Smell  
Of thy good Ointments others that excel,  
Thy name is as an Ointment forth that's poured,  
Therefore the Virgin's Love to thee afford.   

4  
Draw me we will run after thee; the King,  
Hath brought me to his Chambers; we will sing  
Be glad, and joy in Thee: They Love we will  
Mind more than Wine: The Upright love Thee still.   

5  
Tho' I am black, yet I most comely am,  
(O ye the Daughters of Jerusalem)  
Like to the Tents that Kedar Fields are on,  
Or like the Curtains of King Solomon.   

6  
Look not upon the Blackness of my Hue,  
Because the Sun doth very oft me view,  
My Mother's Children angry were and hot,  
To keep the Vineyards made it be my Lot,  
Yet my own Vineyard I have keeped not.   

7  
Tell me, O thou, whom my Soul loves alone,  
Where thou dost Feed, where thy Flocks rest at noon;  
For why should I thus turned be aside,  
By th' flocks of thy companions to abide?   

8  
If thou knowst not, O thou the fairest Dame  
Among thy Sex, turn thou thy way amain,  
By th' Footsteps of the Flocks, and so abide,  
Feeding thy Kids, the shepherd's Tents beside.   

9  
O thou my Love, I have compared thee,  
To Horses that in Pharaoh's Chariots be.   

10  
Thy comely Cheeks like Jewels in a row,  
With Chains of Gold thy Neck's adorned too.   

11  
To thee we'll Borders make of beaten Gold  
With studs of Silver of the finest Mould.   

12  
While that the King is sitting at his Board  
My Spikenard doth a pleasant Smell afford.   

13  
A bundle of Myrrh my well belov'd's to me.  
He all the Night betwixt my Breasts shall be.   

14  
And my Beloved is as a Cluster fair  
Of Camphire in Engedi's Vineyards rare.   

15  
Behold thou'rt fair, behold thou'rt fair my Love,  
Thy eyes appear like to those of a Dove.   

16  
Behold thou'rt fair and comely to be seen:  
O thou my Love: our Bed is also green.   

17  
Our House its Beams are of the Cedar-Tree,  
Our Rafters of the Fir composed be.    

CHAP. II.  

Verse 1.  
I am the Rose of Sharon, and I am  
The Lily of the Valleys; I'm the same.   

2  
Even as the Lily is among the Thorn,  
So is my Love 'mong Daughters that are born.   

3  
As th' Appletree among Trees of the Wood  
So 'mong the Sons appeareth my Beloved;  
I under's shade with great delight did rest.  
His Fruit it was then pleasant to my Taste.   

4  
Unto the banquet house he did me move,  
And over me he spread his banner love.   

5  
With flagons stay, with Apples comfort me;  
For I am sick of Love exceedingly.   

6  
Under my Head his left Hand he doth place,  
And his right Hand doth often me embrace.   

7  
I charge you Daughters of Jerusalem,  
By th' Roes and Hinds o'th' field, I say by them▪  
That for to stir, or ' wake my love, you cease,  
Until the time my well-beloved please.   

8  
The Voice of my belov'd! lo! He comes leaping  
Upon the Mountains, on the Hills comes skipping.   

9  
My Love is like a young Hart or a Roe:  
And he behind our Wall is standing: lo,  
Out at the Windows he looks forth to view,  
And through the Lattess He himself doth show.   

10  
My well-beloved spoke to me; did say,  
Rise up my love, my fair one, come away.   

11  
For lo the Winter's past, the Rain is over,  
And gone away; beloved, do not hover.   

12  
The Flowers upon the Earth appearing stand,  
The singing of the Birds is now at hand,  
The Turtle's Voice is heard within our land.   

13  
From the figtree her green figs sprout & swell '  
The Vine with tender Grapes gives a good Smell.  
Arise, make haste, my love, and come away,  
O my fair one, arise, and make no stay.   

14  
My Dove! that in the in Clefts o'th'Rocks abid'ft;  
In secret places of the Stairs resid'st,  
O let me see thy Face, and thy Voice hear,  
Thy Voice is sweet, thy Countenance is fair.   

15  
Our Vines have tender Grapes: now therefore, go,  
Take us the Foxes, little Foxes too,  
That hurt the fruitful Vines, and spoil them so.   

16  
My well beloved is mine, and I am his;  
Among the Lilies fair his feeding is.   

17  
Until the day do break and shadows fly;  
O my beloved turn to me, and be  
Like to a young Hart, or like to a Roe  
Skipping on Bether's mountains to and fro.    

CHAP. III.  

Verse 1.  
BY Night, on Bed, whom my Soul loves I sought  
I sought Him, but alas! I found Him not.   

2  
I will rise now, and round the city go;  
And in the streets, and broad ways to and fro',  
Whom my Soul loves I'll seek with my whole mind.  
I sought him but no ways I could him find   

3  
The Watchmen that did walk the City round,  
Although I found him not, yet me they found;  
To whom I said; Ho watchmen! did you see  
Him whom my very Soul loves fervently?   

4  
'Twas but a little I from them was gone,  
When I found him my Soul was set upon;  
I held him, but I would not let him go,  
Till that I had conducted him into  
My Mother's House, and to the very Room  
Of her that first conceived me in her Womb.   

5  
I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem,  
By th' Roes, and by the Hinds, I say by them,  
That for to stir, or ' wake my Love you cease,  
Until the time my well-beloved please.   

6  
Who's this that from the wilderness doth stir  
Like smoky Pillars, all perfumed with Myrrh  
And Frankincense, with all the Powders rare  
That brought unto us by the Merchants are?   

7  
Behold! three score of israels Valiant Ones  
Do guard the Bed which is King solomon's.   

8  
They all hold Swords, in war expert; for why?  
Each man a Sword hath girt upon his Thigh,  
Lest dangers of the night should terrify.   

9  
A Bed, or Chariot; King Solomon  
Made to Himself, o'th'Wood of Lebanon.   

10  
Whereof the Pillars were of silver mould,  
The Bottom also it was made of Gold;  
The Cover Purple; the midst paved with Love  
For th'Daughters of Jerusalem's Behoove.   

11  
Go, Zions' Daughters, See King Solomon  
With's Crown, that Crown his Mother put upon  
His Head, that day he his Espousals had;  
And in the day wherein his heart was Glad.    

CHAP. IU.  

Verse 1.  
BEhold, thou'rt fair, behold,  fair, my love,  
Within thy locks thou hast eyes of a Dove;  
And as a Flock of Goats that do appear  
From the Mount Gilead: So doth thy Hair.   

2  
Thy Teeth are like unto a Flock of Sheep  
Even shorn, and coming from the waters deep,  
Each one whereof bears twins, and there is none  
Among them barren; not so much as one.   

3  
Thy Lips like to a Scarlet thread appear,  
Thy Speech is comely; pleasant to mine Ear.  
Within thy Locks, thy Temples they are set  
Even like unto a piece of Pomegranate.   

4  
Thy Neck is like King David's Tower, which He  
Built for an Armoury, whereon there be  
A Thousand Bucklers hanging, fit for War;  
All shields of men that strong and mighty are.   

5  
Thy Breasts like two Young twin Roes do appear,  
Both which among the Lilies feeding are.   

6  
Till the day break & shadows flee; from hence  
I'll get me to the mounts of Myrrh, and thence,  
Will also go to th'Hill of Frankincense.   

7  
My love thou'rt fair and comely for to see,  
No Spot or Blemish is at all in thee.   

8  
With me from Lebanon, my Spouse came up,  
With me from Lebanon; look from the Top  
Of Shenir, Hermon; Amana also,  
The Lion's Denns, and Le'pards Mountains too.   

9  
Thou'st ravished my Heart within my Breast  
My Sister, Spouse; my heart thou ravished haste  
With one glance of thine eye, & with one chain  
Encompassing thy Neck, thou didst it gain.   

10  
O thou my Sister, Spouse: How fair's thy love!  
I do esteem and value it above  
The choicest Wine; Yea and the fragrant Smell  
Thy Ointments Yield, all Spices do excel.   

11  
As th'honeycomb, O Spouse, drops to the ground  
So are thy Lips. Honey▪ and Milk are found  
Beneath thy tongue; thy Garments give a Smell  
Which doth even that of Lebanon excel.   

12  
Unto a Garden, fenced about and barred,  
My Sister, spouse, may fitly be compared.  
Like to a spring of Waters closely shut;  
A Fountain whereupon a Seal is put.   

13  
Thy Plants, an Orchard of Pomegranates are,  
With pleasant Fruits, Camphire, with Spikenard rare.   

14  
Spikenard and Saffron, Calamus also  
And cinnamon, with all the Trees that grow  
Of Frankincense, of Myrrh and Aloes  
With all the Spices, and of them the choice.   

15  
A well of Waters that do ever run:  
A Fount of Gardens; streams from Lebanon.   

16  
Awake O North Wind; South Wind come and blow  
Upon my Garden, make the Spices flow.  
Let my beloved to his Garden haste,  
And eat his Fruits most pleasant to his Taste.    

CHAP. V.  

Verse 1.  
MY Sister, Spouse, I'm in my garden fair,  
My Myrrh, my Spice by me now gathered are.  
My Honey with my Honeycomb, also  
I've eaten; My Wine, with Milk I've drunken too;  
Eat, O Beloved! Drink, and satisfy  
Yourselves, O Friends, Yea, drink abundantly.   

2  
I sleep, but yet my heart's awake. It is  
The voice of my Beloved that knocks; 'tis his,  
Thus saying: Open unto me, my Love,  
My undefi'ld, My Sister, and my Dove,  
For with the dew my Head's already filled  
And my Locks with the drops, by night distilled.   

3  
I have put of my Coat, how shall I then  
(Yea how shall I now) put it on again?  
And having washed my Feet most carefully,  
How shall I now defile them? How shall I?   

4  
By the hole of the Door, his hands, my Love  
Put in; my Bowels then for him did move.   

5  
To my Beloved I risen, the Door to open ',  
And then with Myrrh my very Hands did drop,  
My Fingers too sweet smelling Myrrh distilled,  
Which all the handles of the Lock had filled.   

6  
I opened to my Love, but h'had withdraw'n  
Himself away; and He away was gone.  
My Soul failed when He did upon me call;  
I sought Him, but I found Him not at all.  
When I Him sought, He did no Notice take,  
And when I called, He did no Answer make.   

7  
The Watchmen that about the City go,  
Found me, as I was wand'ring to and fro'  
They smote & wounded me, they that did watch  
And keep the walls, my vail did from me snatch.   

8  
O Daughters of Jerusalem, I do,  
Adjure You all, yea every one of You,  
To tell my Love, when You him find, that I  
Am sick, yea sick of Love exceedingly.   

9  
What's thy Beloved more than others are?  
O thou the fairest of all Women fair,  
What's thy beloved more than they? that thus  
Concerning him, thou giv'st this Charge to us.   

10  
My well-beloved's white and ruddy, He  
The Chief among tenthousands is to me.   

11  
His Head is as the pure and finest Gold,  
His Locks are bushy, and in Curls do fold,  
And black as any Raven to behold.   

12  
His Eyes, like Doves which by the Rivers sit,  
Are washed with Milk, and also set most fit.   

13  
His Cheeks like to a Bed of Spices are,  
And as sweet fragrant Flowers they do appear.  
His Lips like to the Lilies fair, that drop  
Sweet smelling Myrrh from off their very Top.   

14  
As Gold Rings that with Beryls garnsht are,  
So do his Hands unto my sight appear.  
His Belly's as bright Ivory, arrayed  
With Saphires, and with them all overlayed.   

15  
His Legs, as Marble pillars I behold,  
Set upon Sockets of the finest Gold;  
His Countenance is like to Lebanon,  
And stately Cedars growing thereupon.   

16  
His Mouth it is most sweet. Moreover, He  
Is altogether Lovely unto me.  
O Daughters of Jerusalem! This, This  
My Friend; yea and my well Beloved is.    

CHAP. VI  

Verse 1.  
Where's thy beloved gone? O thou most fair  
Among all Women that the fairest are?  
O whither is He turned aside? that we  
May go along and seek thy Love with thee.   

2  
My well beloved's to his Garden gone,  
To feed i'th' Gardens; and to rest upon  
The Beds of Spices; and to pluck the fair  
And pleasant Lilies that are growing there.   

3  
My well beloved's mine, and I am his  
Among the Lilies fair he feeding is.   

4  
O thou my Love thou art exceeding fair;  
For beauty, I'll to Tirzah thee compare,  
Jorus'lem like, with comeliness arrayed  
And terrible as Banners when displayed.   

5  
Thine Eyes from me O do thou tuan away,  
Me vanquished and overcome have they;  
And as a Flock of Goats that doth appear  
●rom the Mount Gilead; so doth thy Hair.   

6  
Thy Teeth are like unto a Flock of Sheep,  
Come up from washing in the waters deep,  
Each one where of bears twins; and there is none  
Among them barren; not so much as one.   

7  
Within thy Locks, thy Temples thy are set;  
Even like unto a piece of Pomegranate.   

8  
There's threescore Queens, and Concubines fourscore,  
Of Virgins an innumerable Store.   

9  
My Dove, my Undefil'd's but one; her Mother,  
That brought her forth, besides her, had no other;  
The choice one too of her that did her bear;  
The Virgins saw her, and they blessed her,  
Yea and the Queens her maginfied and Praised  
The Concubines her Glory also raised.   

10  
Who's she that looketh forth like to the Morn,  
Fair as the Moon that doth the night adorn,  
Even as the Sun when it is shining clear,  
And terrible as banners doth appear?   

11  
I went to the Nut Garden, there to view  
The fruits that in the pleasant valley grew;  
To see if that the Vine had flourished;  
Or Pomegranates their Buds abroad had shed.   

12  
E'er that I was ware, my Soul made me  
lnth ' Chariot's of Amminadib, to be,   

13  
Return, return, O Shulamite, come back,  
Return, that we may notice of thee take.  
What is it in the Shulamite, Ye'll see?  
As 'twere, of Armies two, the Company.    

CHAP. VII.  

Verse 1.  
Thy Feet with shoes, how beautiful they are  
O Princes Daughter! Yea and I'll compare  
The Joints, that motion to thy Thighs impart  
To Jewels, wrought by cunning Workman's Art.   

2  
Thy Navel's like a Goblet that is round,  
And with much Precious Liquor doth abound:  
Thy Belly is like to an Heap of Wheat  
That's round about with fairest Liliesset.   

3  
And thy two Breasts may be compared unto  
Two Young Roes of the Field, and Twins also.   

4  
Thy Neck is as a tower of Ivory.  
Thine Eyes like Fish-Pools that in Hesbonly,  
Hard by Bathrabbim gate. Thy Nose alone  
May be compared to th'tower of Lebanon,  
Damascus-ward, as looking thereupon.   

5  
Thy Head is like unto Mount-Carmel fair.  
And like the fairest Purple is thy Hair.  
The King is held in's Galleri'es, walking there.   

6  
How fair! how pleasant! and how far above  
All others, for Delights! art thou my Love!   

7  
Thy Stature, to a Palm trees like, for shape;  
Thy Breasts are like to Clusters of the grape.   

8  
I will, said I, up to the Palm tree go,  
And of its Boughs I will take hold also:  
Thy Breasts shall be as Clusters of the Vine;  
And the Smell of thy Nose, like Apples fine.   

9  
Thy Palat's like choice Vine, which for the sake  
Of my Beloved, a sweet descent doth make,  
Causing the Lips of those that steep, to speak.   

10  
I am my well Beloved's; and I see  
That his Desire is always towards me.   

11  
Come my Beloved, to the Fields let's go,  
And to the Villages; Let's lodge there too.   

12  
Come, let us early to the Vineyeards get,  
Let's see if that the Vine have flourished yet,  
Wither the tender Grape doth yet appear,  
Or if the Pomegranates yet budded are.   

13  
The Mandrakes do a pleasant Smell afford;  
And at our Gates all Pleasant fruits are stored,  
Both New and old, which I've laid up for thee  
O thou who art Beloved unto me.    

CHAP. VIII.  

Verse 1.  
O that thou wert unto me, as my Brother  
That sucked the very breast of my dear Mother  
I finding thee without, would kiss thee too  
Nor should I be despised so to do;   

2  
Unto my Mother's House I'd thee conduct  
And bring thee thither: she would me Instruct  
I'd cause thee for to drink of spiced Wine,  
And of the Juice of Pomegranates most fine.   

3  
Under my Head, his left Hand he should place  
And with his Right Hand he should me embrace.   

4  
O Daughters of Jerusalem I do  
Adjure You all, and every one of you  
That for to stir, or'wake my Love you cease  
Until the time my well beloved please.   

5  
Who's this that cometh from the Wilderness,  
And leaning on her well beloved is?  
There I thee raised under th'Apple Tree  
Ther'twas thy Mother brought thee forth Yea she  
That did the bear; 'twas there I raised thee.   

6  
Set me, like as a Seal upon thy Heart,  
And as a Seal upon thine Arm, insert.  
For Love is strong as Death; and Jealousy,  
Is like into the Grave for Cruelty,  
It's Coals are Coals of Fire and from the same  
Proceeds a mighty and most Veh'ment flame.   

7  
Love cannot be by many waters quenched,  
Neither can it by any floods be drenched  
Yea as for Love should any man bestow  
The Substance of his House, it were too low  
A value to be put upon it so.   

8  
We have a little Sister; but, alace!  
She hath no breasts; when ere it comes to pass  
That she be spoken for, what shall we do  
For her that day, she being stated so.   

9  
If that she be a wall, then on the same  
We will a Palace of pure Silver frame.  
And if she prove to be a door, than we  
Will her enclose with Board's of Cedar Tree.   

10  
I am a wall, for building on most fit,  
Yea and my Breasts are like the towers of it.  
Then was I even as one that he did prize,  
Or one that had found favour in his Eyes,   

11  
At Baal-hamon, Solomon he had  
A Vine-Yard which with fruitful Vines was clad  
This Vine Yard he to Keepers did out let  
Each one of them were for the Fruit of it,  
Bound and obliged also for to bring  
A thousand Silver pieces to the King,   

12  
My Vine-Yard which is mine, before me is;  
And thou (O Solomon) must have for this  
A thousand pieces, Yea and these that do  
Attend its fruit, must have two hundred too.   

13  
O thou that dwellest in the Gardens fair  
Lo, the Companions attending are  
Unto thy Voice; Cause me the same to hear,   

14  
Make haste, beloved and be like unto  
A Young Hart, or be like unto a Roe  
On th'Mounts of Spices skipping, to and fro.    
FINIS.