Song of Solomon 2
Song of Solomon chapter 2 from the John Wycliffe Bible (c.1395)
1 And Y yaf myn herte, that Y schulde knowe prudence and doctryn, and errours and foli. And Y knew that in these thingis also was trauel and turment of spirit; 2 for in myche wisdom is myche indignacioun, and he that encressith kunnyng, encreessith also trauel. 4 Therfor Y seide in myn hertez, Y schal go, and Y schal flowe in delicis, and Y schal vse goodis; and Y siy also that this was vanyte. 5 And leiyyng Y arrettide errour, and Y seide to ioye, What art thou disseyued in veyn? 6 I thouyte in myn herte to withdrawe my fleisch fro wyn, that Y schulde lede ouer my soule to wisdom, and that Y schulde eschewe foli, til Y schulde se, what were profitable to the sones of men; in which dede the noumbre of daies of her lijf vndur the sunne is nedeful. 7 Y magnefiede my werkis, Y bildide housis to me, and Y plauntide vynes; Y made yerdis and orcherdis, 8 and Y settide tho with the trees of al kynde; 9 and Y made cisternes of watris, for to watre the wode of trees growynge. 10 I hadde in possessioun seruauntis and handmaidis; and Y hadde myche meynee, and droues of grete beestis, and grete flockis of scheep, ouer alle men that weren bifore me in Jerusalem. 11 Y gaderide togidere to me siluer and gold, and the castels of kingis and of prouyncis; Y made to me syngeris and syngeressis, and delicis of the sones of men, and cuppis and vessels in seruyce, to helde out wynes; 12 and Y passide in richessis alle men, that weren bifor me in Jerusalem. Also wisdom dwellide stabli with me, 13 and alle thingis whiche myn iyen desiriden, Y denyede not to hem; nether Y refreynede myn herte, that ne it vside al lust, and delitide it silf in these thingis whiche I hadde maad redi; and Y demyde this my part, if Y vside my trauel. 14 And whanne Y hadde turned me to alle werkis whiche myn hondys hadden maad, and to the trauels in whiche Y hadde swet in veyn, Y siy in alle thingis vanyte and turment of the soule, and that no thing vndir sunne dwellith stabli. 15 I passide to biholde wisdom, errours, and foli; Y seide, What is a man, that he may sue the king, his maker? 16 And Y siy, that wisdom yede so mych bifor foli, as miche as liyt is dyuerse fro derknessis. 17 The iyen of a wijs man ben in his heed, a fool goith in derknessis; and Y lernede, that o perisching was of euer either.
