The Passionate Pilgrim

 

The full text of Shakespeare's works side-by-side with a translation into modern English.
Elizabethan English			Modern English
Did not the heavenly rhetoric of thine eye,			Didn't do the heavenly rhetoric of your eye,
Gainst whom the world could not hold argument,			Winning who the world could not argue,
Persuade my heart to this false perjury?			Do you convince my heart about this wrong meinereid?
Vows for thee broke deserve not punishment.			Leventment around you do not deserve punishment.
A woman I forswore; but I will prove,			A woman I left; But I will prove
Thou being a goddess, I forswore not thee:			You are a goddess, I have not accused you:
My vow was earthly, thou a heavenly love;			My vow was earthly, you a heavenly love;
Thy grace being gain'd cures all disgrace in me.			Your grace is won, all shame heals in me.
My vow was breath, and breath a vapour is;			My vow was breath and breath a steam;
Then, thou fair sun, that on this earth doth shine,			Then, you fair sun that shines on this earth,
Exhale this vapour vow; in thee it is:			Attach this vow of steam; In you it is:
If broken, then it is no fault of mine.			If broken, it is not a fault of me.
If by me broke, what fool is not so wise			When I broke which fool is not so wise
To break an oath, to win a paradise?			Breaking an oath, winning a paradise?
II.			II.
Sweet Cytherea, sitting by a brook			Sweet cytherea, sits at a stream
With young Adonis, lovely, fresh, and green,			With young Adonis, beautiful, fresh and green,
Did court the lad with many a lovely look,			Has erected the boy with many beautiful looks,
Such looks as none could look but beauty's queen.			Such looks like nobody could look, but the Queen of Beauty.
She told him stories to delight his ear;			She told him stories to delight his ear;
She show'd him favours to allure his eye;			She showed him that he followed his eye;
To win his heart, she touch'd him here and there:			To win his heart, she touched him here and there:
Touches so soft still conquer chastity.			Touched so soft, still chastity.
But whether unripe years did want conceit,			But whether immature years wanted to
Or he refus'd to take her figur'd proffer,			Or he refused to take her figure
The tender nibbler would not touch the bait,			The tender nibbler would not touch the bait,
But smile and jest at every gentle offer:			But smile and jokes at every gentle offer:
Then fell she on her back, fair queen, and toward;			Then she fell on her back, fair queen and open;
He rose and ran away; ah, fool too froward!			He got up and ran away; Ah, fool too Froward!
III.			III.
If love make me forsworn, how shall I swear to love?			If love makes me silence, how should I love to love?
O never faith could hold, if not to beauty vow'd:			O Faith could never last if the beauty is not sworn:
Though to myself forsworn, to thee I'll constant prove;			Although for myself, I will always prove you;
Those thoughts, to me like oaks, to thee like osiers bow'd.			These thoughts, for me like oaks, for you like Osiers leaned.
Study his bias leaves, and makes his book thine eyes,			Stud his prejudices and make his book your eyes.
Where all those pleasures live that art can comprehend.			Where all these joys live that can understand art.
If knowledge be the mark, to know thee shall suffice;			If knowledge is the brand, you have to know that it should be enough;
Well learned is that tongue that well can thee commend;			This tongue is well learned, which you can recommend;
All ignorant that soul that sees thee without wonder;			All ignorant about this soul that sees you without astonishment;
Which is to me some praise, that I thy parts admire:			For me this is a praise that I admire your parts:
Thy eye Jove's lightning seems, thy voice his dreadful thunder,			Your eye Joves flash seems to your voice his terrible thunder,
Which (not to anger bent) is music and sweet fire.			Which is (not too anger curved) music and sweet fire.
Celestial as thou art, O do not love that wrong,			Heavenly as you are, don't love that wrong,
To sing heavens' praise with such an earthly tongue.			Sing heaven with such earthly tongue.
IV.			Iv.
Scarce had the sun dried up the dewy morn,			The sun narrowly dries out the damp morning,
And scarce the herd gone to the hedge for shade,			And narrowly the herd went to the hedge for shadows,
When Cytherea, all in love forlorn,			If cytherea, everything is in love, leaves,
A longing tarriance for Adonis made,			Made a longing tariff for Adonis,
Under an osier growing by a brook,			Under one of a stream awakened Osier,
A brook where Adon used to cool his spleen.			A stream in which Adon cooled his spleen.
Hot was the day; she hotter that did look			The day was hot; You are hotter, that looked
For his approach, that often there had been.			Because his approach had often existed.
Anon he comes, and throws his mantle by,			Anon he comes and throws his coat past
And stood stark naked on the brook's green brim;			And stood naked naked on the green edge of the Brook;
The sun look'd on the world with glorious eye,			The sun looked into the world with a wonderful eye,
Yet not so wistly as this queen on him:			But not as wistful as this queen on him:
He, spying her, bounc'd in, whereas he stood;			He spied on her, busted while he was standing;
O Jove, quoth she, why was not I a flood?			O jove, quoth you, why wasn't I a flood?
V.			IN.
Fair is my love, but not so fair as fickle;			Fair is my love, but not as fair and moody;
Mild as a dove, but neither true nor trusty;			Mild like a pigeon, but neither true nor trustworthy;
Brighter than glass, and yet, as glass is, brittle;			Lighter than glass and yet like glass, brittle;
Softer than wax, and yet, as iron, rusty:			Soft as wax and yet as iron Rosty:
A lily pale, with damask die to grace her,			A lily pale, die with Damasc.
None fairer, nor none falser to deface her.			No fairer, yet no fals to empty them.
Her lips to mine how often hath she join'd,			Her lips to mean how often she has joined
Between each kiss her oaths of true love swearing!			To swear their oath of true love between every kiss!
How many tales to please me hath she coin'd,			How many stories to please me gave it together,
Dreading my love, the loss thereof still fearing!			Fear from my love, the loss of it is still afraid!
Yet in the midst of all her pure protestings,			But in the midst of all their pure protests,
Her faith, her oaths, her tears, and all were jestings.			Her belief, her oath, your tears and everyone were jokes.
She burn'd with love, as straw with fire flameth;			She burned with love when straw with fire flameth;
She burn'd out love, as soon as straw outburneth;			It burned love as soon as straw burns;
She fram'd the love, and yet she foil'd the framing;			She framed love, and yet she thwarted the framing;
She bade love last, and yet she fell a turning.			She last asked love and yet it fell around.
Was this a lover, or a lecher whether?			Was that a lover or a Lecher if?
Bad in the best, though excellent in neither.			Bad in the best, albeit excellent in none.
VI.			WE.
If music and sweet poetry agree,			When music and sweet poetry agree,
As they must needs, the sister and the brother,			As you need to need, the sister and the brother,
Then must the love be great 'twixt thee and me,			Then love has to be great 'Twixt Ty Thee and I,
Because thou lovest the one, and I the other.			Because you love one and the other.
Dowland to thee is dear, whose heavenly touch			Dowland to you is nice, whose heavenly touch
Upon the lute doth ravish human sense;			On the loud people rave of human sense;
Spenser to me, whose deep conceit is such			Spenter for me, whose deep imagination is so
As, passing all conceit, needs no defence.			Like all imagination, no defense needs.
Thou lov'st to hear the sweet melodious sound			You love to hear the sweet melodic sound
That Phoebus' lute, the queen of music, makes;			This Phoebus' sounds, the queen of music, makes;
And I in deep delight am chiefly drown'd			And I was mainly drowned with joy
Whenas himself to singing he betakes.			When he sings himself what he pretended.
One god is god of both, as poets feign;			A god is God of both, as poet specify;
One knight loves both, and both in thee remain.			A knight loves both, and both stay in you.
VII.			Vii.
Fair was the morn when the fair queen of love,			The morning was fair when the beautiful queen of love,
* * * * * *			* * * * * * * *
Paler for sorrow than her milk-white dove,			Pale for grief than her milk -white pigeon,
For Adon's sake, a youngster proud and wild;			For the sake of Adon, a young pride and game;
Her stand she takes upon a steep-up hill:			Her booth picks up a steep hill:
Anon Adonis comes with horn and hounds;			Anon Adonis comes with horn and dogs;
She, silly queen, with more than love's good will,			You, stupid queen, with more than the good will of love,
Forbade the boy he should not pass those grounds;			Prohibited the boy that he should not survive these reasons;
Once, quoth she, did I see a fair sweet youth			Once, Quoth you, have I seen a nice sweet youth?
Here in these brakes deep-wounded with a boar,			Here in these brakes that are deeply wounded with a boar,
Deep in the thigh, a spectacle of ruth!			Deep in the thigh, a spectacle from Ruth!
See, in my thigh, quoth she, here was the sore.			See in my thigh, quoth you, here was the pain.
She showed hers: he saw more wounds than one,			She showed her: he saw more wounds than one
And blushing fled, and left her all alone.			And blushing fled and left it all by himself.
VIII.			Viii.
Sweet rose, fair flower, untimely pluck'd, soon vaded,			Sweet rose, beautiful flower, out of date, soon Vaded,
Pluck'd in the bud, and vaded in the spring!			Plucked in the bud and Vaded in spring!
Bright orient pearl, alack! too timely shaded!			Bright Orient Pearl, Alack! Too contemporary shaded!
Fair creature, kill'd too soon by death's sharp sting!			Fair creature, killed too early by Death's Sharp Sting!
Like a green plum that hangs upon a tree,			Like a green plum that hangs on a tree,
And falls, through wind, before the fall should be.			And falls through the wind before the fall should be.
I weep for thee, and yet no cause I have;			I cry for you and yet I have no reason;
For why? thou left'st me nothing in thy will:			Why? You didn't give me anything in your will:
And yet thou left'st me more than I did crave;			And yet you left me more than I asked;
For why? I craved nothing of thee still:			Why? I still longed for you:
O yes, dear friend, I pardon crave of thee,			Oh yes, dear friend, I forgive myself to ask you
Thy discontent thou didst bequeath to me.			You left your dissatisfaction with me.
IX.			Ix.
Venus, with young Adonis sitting by her,			Venus, with young adonis with her, sits,
Under a myrtle shade, began to woo him:			Under a myrtle color, he began to rewrite:
She told the youngling how god Mars did try her,			She told The Youngling how God tried her,
And as he fell to her, so fell she to him.			And when he fell to her, she fell to him.
Even thus, quoth she, the warlike god embrac'd me,			Even so, quoth her, the warlike god hugged me
And then she clipp'd Adonis in her arms;			And then she clipped Adonis in her arms;
Even thus, quoth she, the warlike god unlaced me;			Even so, quoth her, the warlike god exposed me;
As if the boy should use like loving charms;			As if the boy should use and loving stimuli;
Even thus, quoth she, he seized on my lips,			Even as she did, he took on my lips,
And with her lips on his did act the seizure;			And with her lips on his confiscation;
And as she fetched breath, away he skips,			And when she took a breath, he skipped, skipped,
And would not take her meaning nor her pleasure.			And would neither take their importance or pleasure.
Ah! that I had my lady at this bay,			Ah! that I had my wife in this bay
To kiss and clip me till I run away!			To kiss and clamp me until I ran away!
X.			X.
Crabbed age and youth			Crab age and youth
Cannot live together			Can't live together
Youth is full of pleasance,			Youth is full of joy
Age is full of care;			Age is full of care;
Youth like summer morn,			Young people like summer morning,
Age like winter weather;			Age like winter weather;
Youth like summer brave,			Young people like summer more graceful,
Age like winter bare;			Old and winter just;
Youth is full of sport,			Youth is full of sports,
Age's breath is short;			The breath of age is short;
Youth is nimble, age is lame;			Youth is nimble, age is lame;
Youth is hot and bold,			Youth is hot and brave, brave,
Age is weak and cold;			Age is weak and cold;
Youth is wild, and age is tame.			Youth is wild and age is tame.
Age, I do abhor thee;			Age, I loathe you;
Youth, I do adore thee;			Youth, I adore you;
O, my love, my love is young!			Oh, my love, my love is young!
Age, I do defy thee;			Age, I defy you;
O, sweet shepherd, hie thee,			O, sweet shepherd, hie thee,
For methinks thou stay'st too long.			Because I stay too long.
XI.			Xi.
Beauty is but a vain and doubtful good,			Beauty is just a unsuccessful and doubtful asset,
A shining gloss that vadeth suddenly;			A shiny shine that Vadth suddenly;
A flower that dies when first it 'gins to bud;			A flower that dies when it comes to buds first;
A brittle glass, that's broken presently:			A brittle glass that is currently broken:
A doubtful good, a gloss, a glass, a flower,			A doubtful asset, a shine, a glass, a flower,
Lost, vaded, broken, dead within an hour.			Lost, vaded, broken, dead within an hour.
And as goods lost are seld or never found,			And as lost goods are field or never found
As vaded gloss no rubbing will refresh,			As a Vaded Gloss, no grating is refreshed,
As flowers dead lie wither'd on the ground,			Endorize dead on the floor as flowers,
As broken glass no cement can redress,			No cement of glass defects can be remedied,
So beauty blemish'd once, for ever's lost,			So once made beauty, because it is always lost
In spite of physic, painting, pain and cost.			Despite physics, painting, pain and costs.
XII.			Xii.
Good night, good rest. Ah! neither be my share:			Good night, good break. Ah! Neither be my share:
She bade good night that kept my rest away;			She asked a good night that kept my calm away;
And daff'd me to a cabin hang'd with care,			And I hung up in a cabin with care
To descant on the doubts of my decay.			To get off the doubts of my expiry.
Farewell, quoth she, and come again tomorrow:			Farewell, quoth her, and come back tomorrow:
Fare well I could not, for I supp'd with sorrow;			I couldn't do well, because I looked after grief;
Yet at my parting sweetly did she smile,			But during my breakage of separation she smiled, smiled,
In scorn or friendship, nill I construe whether:			In contempt or friendship, Nill, I exhibit whether:
T may be, she joy'd to jest at my exile,			It may be that she would be happy to joke my exile,
T may be, again to make me wander thither:			It may be that I let it hike there:
Wander,' a word for shadows like myself,			Wander, a word for shadows like me,
As take the pain, but cannot pluck the pelf.			How to take the pain, but don't pluck the gravel.
XIII.			Xiii.
Lord, how mine eyes throw gazes to the east!			Lord how my eyes look east!
My heart doth charge the watch; the morning rise			My heart demands the clock; The morning promotion
Doth cite each moving sense from idle rest.			Quote every movable meaning from the idle calm.
Not daring trust the office of mine eyes,			I don't trust the office of my eyes not to trust
While Philomela sits and sings, I sit and mark,			While Philomela sits and sings, I am sitting and branding,
And wish her lays were tuned like the lark;			And wished their lies were coordinated like the lark;
For she doth welcome daylight with her ditty,			Because she is the daylight with her ditty, welcome,
And drives away dark dismal-dreaming night:			And drives away the dark dark night:
The night so pack'd, I post unto my pretty;			The night grabs like that, I post to my pretty;
Heart hath his hope, and eyes their wished sight;			The heart has his hope and looks at her desired sight;
Sorrow chang'd to solace, solace mix'd with sorrow;			Grief to comfort, comforted himself with grief;
For why, she sigh'd and bade me come tomorrow.			Because why did she sigh and asked me tomorrow.
Were I with her, the night would post too soon;			If I were with her, the night would post too early;
But now are minutes added to the hours;			But now minutes have added to the hours;
To spite me now, each minute seems a moon;			To influence me now, every minute seems to be a moon;
Yet not for me, shine sun to succour flowers!			But not for me, lamp sun to flowers!
Pack night, peep day; good day, of night now borrow:			Pack night, a look at the day; Good afternoon of the night now:
Short, night, to-night, and length thyself to-morrow.			Short, night, tonight and yet in the morning.