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. | ||