Song of Solomon 1 | » |
1 The Ballet of Ballettes of Solomon, called in Latin, Canticum Canticorum. [Song of Solomon]
2 (1:1) O that he would kisse me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy loue is more pleasaunt then wine,
3 (1:1) and that because of the good and pleasaunt sauour of thy most precious baulmes. (1:2) Thy name is a sweet smelling oyntment when it is shed foorth, therfore do the maydens loue thee.
4 (1:3) Drawe thou me [vnto thee] we wyll runne after thee. The kyng hath brought me into his priuie chaumbers: We wylbe glad and reioyce in thee, we thinke more of thy loue then of wine: they that be righteous loue thee.
5 (1:4) I am blacke (O ye daughters of Hierusalem) but yet fayre and well fauoured, like as the tentes of the Cedarenes, and as the hanginges of Solomon.
6 (1:5) Marueyle not at me that I am so blacke, for why? the sunne hath shined vpon me: my mothers chyldren haue euyll wyll at me, they made me the keper of the vineyardes, but mine owne vineyarde haue I not kept.
7 (1:6) Tell me O thou whom my soule loueth, where thou feedest the sheepe, where thou makest them rest at the noone day: for why shall I be like hym that goeth wrong about the flockes of thy companions?
8 (1:7) If thou knowe not thy selfe (O thou fayrest among women) then go thy way foorth after the footesteppes of the sheepe, and feede thy goates besyde the shepheardes tentes.
9 (1:8) Unto the hoast of Pharaos charets haue I compared thee, O my loue.
10 (1:9) Thy cheekes and thy necke is beautifull as the turtles, and hanged with spanges and goodly iewels,
11 (1:9) a neckband of golde wyll we make thee, with siluer buttons.
12 (1:10) When the king sitteth at the table, he shall smell my Nardus:
13 (1:10) a bundell of myrre is my loue vnto me, he wyll lye betwixt my brestes:
14 (1:10) a cluster of Camphire in the vineyardes of Engaddi is my loue vnto me.
15 (1:11) Oh howe fayre art thou my loue, Oh howe fayre art thou? thou hast doues eyes.
16 (1:11) O howe fayre art thou my beloued, howe well fauoured art thou? (1:12) Our bed is dect with flowres,
17 (1:12) the seelinges of our house are of Cedar tree, and our crosse ioyntes of Cipresse.
The Bishop’s Bible (BB)
The Bishop’s Bible (BB) is a significant English translation of the Bible that was first published in 1568 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It was commissioned by the Church of England as a revision of the Great Bible and as a response to the Geneva Bible, which was popular among the Puritans but contained marginal notes that were considered politically and theologically contentious by the Anglican establishment. The primary goal of the Bishop’ s Bible was to create a translation that would be more acceptable to the ecclesiastical authorities and suitable for use in Anglican churches.
One of the distinguishing features of the Bishop’s Bible is its effort to maintain a high level of accuracy and scholarly integrity while also ensuring that the language used was dignified and appropriate for public reading. The translation was undertaken by a team of bishops and other scholars, hence its name. The translators aimed to preserve the poetic and literary qualities of the original texts, drawing on previous translations such as the Tyndale Bible, the Coverdale Bible, and the Great Bible, while also incorporating their scholarly insights and linguistic refinements.
The Bishop’s Bible was notable for its large, folio format, which was designed to be read from the pulpit. It included extensive marginal notes, though these were more restrained and less controversial than those found in the Geneva Bible. The translation also featured elaborate illustrations and maps, as well as a comprehensive introduction and various prefaces that provided context and guidance for readers. Despite its grandeur and scholarly merit, the Bishop’s Bible did not achieve the widespread popularity of the Geneva Bible among the general populace.
Although the Bishop’s Bible played an essential role in the religious and cultural life of Elizabethan England, it was eventually overshadowed by the King James Version (KJV), which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611. The KJV drew heavily on the Bishop’ s Bible, as well as other earlier translations, but ultimately surpassed it in both scholarly rigor and literary quality. Nonetheless, the Bishop’s Bible remains an important milestone in the history of English Bible translations, reflecting the theological and political currents of its time and contributing to the development of subsequent translations.