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¹ Douytir of the prince, thi goyngis ben ful faire in schoon; the ioyncturis of thi heppis ben as brochis, that ben maad bi the hond of a crafti man.² Thi nawle is as a round cuppe, and wel formed, that hath neuere nede to drynkis; thi wombe is as an heep of whete, biset aboute with lilies.³ Thi twei teetis ben as twei kidis, twynnes of a capret.⁴ Thi necke is as a tour of yuer; thin iyen ben as cisternes in Esebon, that ben in the yate of the douyter of multitude; thi nose is as the tour of Liban, that biholdith ayens Damask.⁵ Thin heed is as Carmele; and the heeres of thin heed ben as the kyngis purpur, ioyned to trowyis.⁶ Dereworthe spousesse, thou art ful fair, and ful schappli in delices.⁷ Thi stature is licned to a palm tree, and thi tetis to clustris of grapis.⁸ I seide, Y schal stie in to a palm tree, and Y schal take the fruytis therof. And thi tetis schulen be as the clustris of grapis of a vyner; and the odour of thi mouth as the odour of pumgranatis;⁹ thi throte schal be as beste wyn. Worthi to my derlyng for to drynke, and to hise lippis and teeth to chewe.

¹⁰ Y schal cleue by loue to my derlyng, and his turnyng schal be to me.¹¹ Come thou, my derlyng, go we out in to the feeld; dwelle we togidere in townes.¹² Ryse we eerli to the vyner; se we, if the vyner hath flourid, if the flouris bryngen forth fruytis, if pumgranatis han flourid; there I schal yyue to thee my tetis.¹³ Mandrogoris han youe her odour in oure yatis; my derlyng, Y haue kept to thee alle applis, new and elde.