She reacheth therefore from end to end mightily, and ordereth all things sweetly.

Attingit ergo a fine usque ad finem fortiter, et disponit omnia suaviter.

Bold is her sweep from world’s end to world’s end, and everywhere her gracious ordering manifests itself.

Her have I loved, and have sought her out from my youth, and have desired to take her for my spouse, and I became a lover of her beauty.

Hanc amavi, et exquisivi a juventute mea, et quæsivi sponsam mihi eam assumere, et amator factus sum formæ illius.

She, from my youth up has been my heart’s true love, my heart’s true quest; she was the bride I longed for, enamoured of her beauty.

She glorifieth her nobility by being conversant with God: yea and the Lord of all things hath loved her.

Generositatem illius glorificat, contubernium habens Dei; sed et omnium Dominus dilexit illam.

Was I moved by noble birth? No better claim than hers, who dwells in God’s palace, marked out by the Ruler of the world as his favourite;

For it is she that teacheth the knowledge of God, and is the chooser of his works.

Doctrix enim est disciplinæ Dei, et electrix operum illius.

the mistress of his craftsmanship, the arbiter of his plans.

And if riches be desired in life, what is richer than wisdom, which maketh all things?

Et si divitiæ appetuntur in vita, quid sapientia locupletius quæ operatur omnia?

Or should life’s dearest aim be wealth? Why then, who has more wealth at her disposal than wisdom, that turns all to account?

And if sense do work: who is a more artful worker than she of those things that are?

Si autem sensus operatur, quis horum quæ sunt magis quam illa est artifex?

Or if sound judgement is man’s business, who else on earth goes to work so skilfully as she?

And if a man love justice: her labours have great virtues; for she teacheth temperance, and prudence, and justice, and fortitude, which are such things as men can have nothing more profitable in life.

Et si justitiam quis diligit, labores hujus magnas habent virtutes: sobrietatem enim et prudentiam docet, et justitiam, et virtutem, quibus utilius nihil est in vita hominibus.

If thy desire be for honest living, man’s excellences are the fruit she labours to produce; temperance and prudence she teaches, justice and fortitude, and what in life avails man more?

And if a man desire much knowledge: she knoweth things past, and judgeth of things to come: she knoweth the subtilties of speeches, and the solutions of arguments: she knoweth signs and wonders before they be done, and the events of times and ages.

Et si multitudinem scientiæ desiderat quis, scit præterita, et de futuris æstimat; scit versutias sermonum, et dissolutiones argumentorum; signa et monstra scit antequam fiant, et eventus temporum et sæculorum.

Or if wide knowledge be thy ambition, she can inform thee of what is past, make conjecture of the future; she is versed in the subtleties of debate, in the reading of all riddles; marvels and portents she can foretell, and what events time or season will bring.

I purposed therefore to take her to me to live with me: knowing that she will communicate to me of her good things, and will be a comfort in my cares and grief.

Proposui ergo hanc adducere mihi ad convivendum, sciens quoniam mecum communicabit de bonis, et erit allocutio cogitationis et tædii mei.

Her, then, I would take to myself, to share my home; to be my counsellor in prosperity, my solace in anxiety and grief.

For her sake I shall have glory among the multitude, and honour with the ancients, though I be young:

Habebo propter hanc claritatem ad turbas, et honorem apud seniores juvenis;

Through her (said I) I shall win fame in the assembly, find honour, though so young, amidst the elders.

And I shall be found of a quick conceit in judgment, and shall be admired in the sight of the mighty, and the faces of princes shall wonder at me.

et acutus inveniar in judicio, et in conspectu potentium admirabilis ero, et facies principum mirabuntur me:

If I sit in judgement, quick wit shall be mine, that shall strike awe into the princes when I appear before them, the admiration of the great.

They shall wait for me when I hold my peace, and they shall look upon me when I speak, and if I talk much they shall lay their hands on their mouths.

tacentem me sustinebunt, et loquentem me respicient, et sermocinante me plura, manus ori suo imponent.

Am I silent? They wait my leisure; speak I, they take heed; flows my speech on, they listen, hand on lip.

Moreover by the means of her I shall have immortality: and shall leave behind me an everlasting memory to them that come after me.

Præterea habebo per hanc immortalitatem, et memoriam æternam his qui post me futuri sunt relinquam.

She, too, will bring me immortality; imperishable the name I shall leave to after ages.

I shall set the people in order: and nations shall be subject to me.

Disponam populos, et nationes mihi erunt subditæ:

Mine to rule peoples, and have nations at my call;

Terrible kings hearing shall be afraid of me: among the multitude I shall be found good, and valiant in war.

timebunt me audientes reges horrendi. In multitudine videbor bonus, et in bello fortis.

dread tyrants to daunt by the very name of me, the name of a king so loved by his people, so brave in battle.

When I go into my house, I shall repose myself with her: for her conversation hath no bitterness, nor her company any tediousness, but joy and gladness.

Intrans in domum meam, conquiescam cum illa: non enim habet amaritudinem conversatio illius, nec tædium convictus illius, sed lætitiam et gaudium.

Then home again, to rest upon her bosom; no shrewish mate, no tedious housewife, joy and contentment all of her.

Thinking these things with myself, and pondering them in my heart, that to be allied to wisdom is immortality,

Hæc cogitans apud me et commemorans in corde meo, quoniam immortalitas est in cognatione sapientiæ,

So ran my thoughts, and well in my heart I pondered them. Wisdom, that brought such kinship with immortality,

And that there is great delight in her friendship, and inexhaustible riches in the works of her hands, and in the exercise of conference with her, wisdom, and glory in the communication of her words: I went about seeking, that I might take her to myself.

et in amicitia illius delectatio bona, et in operibus manuum illius honestas sine defectione, et in certamine loquelæ illius sapientia, et præclaritas in communicatione sermonum ipsius: circuibam quærens, ut mihi illam assumerem.

whose friendship was such dear delight, whose exercise brought me credit unfailing, her daily comradeship a training in sound judgement, the eloquence she inspired an earnest of renown; win her for myself I must, and went about to attain my purpose.

And I was a witty child and had received a good soul.

Puer autem eram ingeniosus, et sortitus sum animam bonam.

I was, indeed, a boy of good parts, and nobility of nature had fallen to my lot;

And whereas I was more good, I came to a body undefiled.

Et cum essem magis bonus, veni ad corpus incoinquinatum.

gentle birth above the common had endowed me with a body free from blemish.

And as I knew that I could not otherwise be continent, except God gave it, and this also was a point of wisdom, to know whose gift it was: I went to the Lord, and besought him, and said with my whole heart:

Et ut scivi quoniam aliter non possem esse continens, nisi Deus det; et hoc ipsum erat sapientiæ, scire cujus esset hoc donum: adii Dominum, et deprecatus sum illum, et dixi ex totis præcordiis meis:

But to be master of myself was a thing I could not hope to come by, except of God’s bounty; I was wise enough already to know whence the gift came. So to the Lord I turned, and made my request of him, praying with all my heart in these words following: