The canticles or Balades of Salomon phraselyke declared in Englysh Metres, by William Baldwin |
 | I. |
| i. |
i The Churche vnto Christ.
|
| ii. |
| iii. |
| iv. |
| v. |
| vi. |
| vii. |
| viii. |
| ix. |
| x. |
| xi. |
 | II. |
| III. |
| IIII. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
 | The firste Chapter.
The canticles or Balades of Salomon |  |
i The Churche vnto Christ.
The Argument of the first song.
The Church Christes Spouse, deliuered from the corrupt kisses of fleshly pleasures and delytes, & rid frō ye vain wurkes of men in which she long time trusted, hauing tasted of the pure fountayn of gods aboundant loue and mercy, is so inflamed through fayth to loue Christe & his merites, that humbling herselfe she despiseth her former forein righteousnes: & rauished with earnest affeccion (like a very feruent louer) desyreth the loue of her beloued: singing to hym in the audience of her maydens, the congregacion of young beleuers, as foloweth.
O that my loue whome onely I desyre,
Which hath me brought from vayne to perfit blisse
To perfect fayth, from wurkes of worldly myer:
Would with his mouth witsafe his Spouse to kisse.
The Kisse o Christe, which I of thee require
Thy grace, thy peace, thy loue (my Loue it is:
Whiche while I lacke, thy fathers wrath and yre,
Condemnesh me for my first fathers misse.
The lawe (alas) the dutie of our hyer,
Skarce kept in ought, doeth styll agaynste me hisse:
Wherfore o Christe who quenched hast his fyer,
Through loue and grace, delyuer me from this.
Which hath me brought from vayne to perfit blisse
To perfect fayth, from wurkes of worldly myer:
Would with his mouth witsafe his Spouse to kisse.
The Kisse o Christe, which I of thee require
Thy grace, thy peace, thy loue (my Loue it is:
Whiche while I lacke, thy fathers wrath and yre,
Condemnesh me for my first fathers misse.
Skarce kept in ought, doeth styll agaynste me hisse:
Wherfore o Christe who quenched hast his fyer,
Through loue and grace, delyuer me from this.
Whiche styl to craue the more I me encline
Bycause thy Teates, thy consolacion swete
Muche better be than any kynde of wine:
Furth from the whiche the oyntmentes for me mete
Of truthe, of hope, of pacience diuine,
With al good gyftes of the holy goste doe flete.
Bycause thy Teates, thy consolacion swete
Muche better be than any kynde of wine:
Furth from the whiche the oyntmentes for me mete
Of truthe, of hope, of pacience diuine,
With al good gyftes of the holy goste doe flete.
My spouse the flesh hath dugges, but very drye
Of foœd or fruyte, saue what is very yll:
From them therfore to thee my Christe I flye,
Besechyng thee with thyne my lust to fyll.
Of foœd or fruyte, saue what is very yll:
From them therfore to thee my Christe I flye,
Besechyng thee with thyne my lust to fyll.
And thou my God suffisaunce hast alwaye
For al mankynde, for euery soles relyef:
For all among that God annoynted aye,
Thou wast, and art, and euer shalte be chyef.
For al mankynde, for euery soles relyef:
For all among that God annoynted aye,
Thou wast, and art, and euer shalte be chyef.
Thy name my Dear, that art aye permanent,
Ryght sonne of God that ruleth ouer all.
Moste wyse, moste iust, most good, omnipotent,
Whiche wast at fyrst and dure for euer shal,
This thy name is an oyntment poured furth,
Of power to saue al that theron doe cal.
Thou art our sauiour Christ, the kyng of wurth
That doest redeme vs from our fathers fal.
Thou, thou alone, with blud thy crosse besprent,
By mercie hast made free vs that wer thral.
Ryght sonne of God that ruleth ouer all.
Moste wyse, moste iust, most good, omnipotent,
Whiche wast at fyrst and dure for euer shal,
This thy name is an oyntment poured furth,
Of power to saue al that theron doe cal.
Thou art our sauiour Christ, the kyng of wurth
That doest redeme vs from our fathers fal.
Thou, thou alone, with blud thy crosse besprent,
By mercie hast made free vs that wer thral.
This name of thyne my Loue, hath suche a sent
Where preachers sheade it as it doeth behoue,
That Damsels young, folke young in fayth are bent
With earnest zeale thy mercy muche to loue.
That Damsels young, folke young in fayth are bent
With earnest zeale thy mercy muche to loue.
For whose encreace o God I doe thee pray
To endue me with thy grace: and so to draw
From carnal lustes, that plucke me styl away
From loue of thee and kepyng of thy law:
That in thy truth so earnest be I may,
Of lyfe so good, in charitie not raw,
That taught of me, these Younglynges may assay
To wurke thy wyl, whiche earst in me they saw.
To endue me with thy grace: and so to draw
From carnal lustes, that plucke me styl away
From loue of thee and kepyng of thy law:
That in thy truth so earnest be I may,
Of lyfe so good, in charitie not raw,
That taught of me, these Younglynges may assay
To wurke thy wyl, whiche earst in me they saw.
| The firste Chapter.
The canticles or Balades of Salomon | |