The Sonnets

The full text of Shakespeare's works side-by-side with a translation into modern English.
Elizabethan English			Modern English
THE SONNETS			The sonets
by William Shakespeare			von William Shakespeare
1			1
From fairest creatures we desire increase,			From the most beautiful creatures that we want, gain,
That thereby beauty's rose might never die,			So that the Beauty's rose never dies, could never die,
But as the riper should by time decease,			But how the Reiser should, according to the body,
His tender heir might bear his memory:			His delicate legacy could bear his memory:
But thou contracted to thine own bright eyes,			But you have summarized your own bright eyes,
Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel,			Feed the flame of your light with a self -supported fuel,
Making a famine where abundance lies,			Make a famine where there is abundance,
Thy self thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel:			Your self your opponent, too cruel to your sweetness:
Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament,			You now have this art the fresh ornament in the world,
And only herald to the gaudy spring,			And only accompanied to the Gaudy spring to cancel,
Within thine own bud buriest thy content,			Within your own bud, buries your content,
And tender churl mak'st waste in niggarding:			And delicate churl mak'st waste in nigarding:
Pity the world, or else this glutton be,			Be pity with the world or this diverse,
To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.			The guilt of the world through the grave and you to eat.
2			2
When forty winters shall besiege thy brow,			When forty winter will besiege their foreheads,
And dig deep trenches in thy beauty's field,			And dig deep trenches in the field of their beauty,
Thy youth's proud livery so gazed on now,			The proud painting of her youth, which has now been seen in this way,
Will be a tattered weed of small worth held:			A tattered weed with a small value will be:
Then being asked, where all thy beauty lies,			Then ask where all your beauty lies
Where all the treasure of thy lusty days;			Where all the treasure of your lustful days;
To say within thine own deep sunken eyes,			To say in your own deeply sunken eyes
Were an all-eating shame, and thriftless praise.			Were a shame and economical praise.
How much more praise deserved thy beauty's use,			How much more praise deserves the use of their beauty,
If thou couldst answer 'This fair child of mine			If you could answer my fair child from me
Shall sum my count, and make my old excuse'			Should summarize my count and make my old apology '
Proving his beauty by succession thine.			Demonstrate its beauty through successor.
This were to be new made when thou art old,			This should be new if you are old
And see thy blood warm when thou feel'st it cold.			And see your blood warm when you feel cold.
3			3
Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest,			Look into your glass and tell the face that you see
Now is the time that face should form another,			Now is the time when the face should form a different one,
Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest,			Their fresh repair if you have not renovated now,
Thou dost beguile the world, unbless some mother.			You have seduced the world without defusing a mother.
For where is she so fair whose uneared womb			Because where is it so fair, its uncomfortable womb
Disdains the tillage of thy husbandry?			Devised the tillage of your attitude?
Or who is he so fond will be the tomb,			Or who will be so good the grave,
Of his self-love to stop posterity?			His self -love to stop positively?
Thou art thy mother's glass and she in thee			You are the glass of your mother and her in you
Calls back the lovely April of her prime,			Calls back the beautiful April of their flowering period
So thou through windows of thine age shalt see,			So you through the windows of your age you should see
Despite of wrinkles this thy golden time.			Despite the folds, this your golden time.
But if thou live remembered not to be,			But if you live that you don't remember not to be
Die single and thine image dies with thee.			Die and your picture dies with you.
4			4
Unthrifty loveliness why dost thou spend,			Incredible loveliness, why you spend,
Upon thy self thy beauty's legacy?			On your own beauty?
Nature's bequest gives nothing but doth lend,			The legacy of nature gives nothing more than loans
And being frank she lends to those are free:			And when Frank, she gives this free of charge:
Then beauteous niggard why dost thou abuse,			Then beautiful Niggard, why you abuse
The bounteous largess given thee to give?			The rich border that should be given to you?
Profitless usurer why dost thou use			Blessed usury, why you used
So great a sum of sums yet canst not live?			As great as a sum of sums, but can't live?
For having traffic with thy self alone,			For traffic with yourself alone,
Thou of thy self thy sweet self dost deceive,			Your self deceive your sweet self -dust,
Then how when nature calls thee to be gone,			Then as if nature calls you to be gone,
What acceptable audit canst thou leave?			Which acceptable audit can you leave?
Thy unused beauty must be tombed with thee,			Your unused beauty must be with you
Which used lives th' executor to be.			It used to be the executor.
5			5
Those hours that with gentle work did frame			These hours that frame with gentle work
The lovely gaze where every eye doth dwell			The beautiful view in which there is every eye
Will play the tyrants to the very same,			Will play the tyrants exactly the same
And that unfair which fairly doth excel:			And this unfair, which is quite characterized:
For never-resting time leads summer on			Summer lists for the undeniable time
To hideous winter and confounds him there,			To the hideous winter and confuse him there
Sap checked with frost and lusty leaves quite gone,			Juice checks completely away with frost and lustful leaves,
Beauty o'er-snowed and bareness every where:			Beauty that carved and dressed everywhere: everywhere there:
Then were not summer's distillation left			Then the distillation of the summer was not left
A liquid prisoner pent in walls of glass,			A liquid prisoner in glass walls,
Beauty's effect with beauty were bereft,			The effect of beauty with beauty was adjusted,
Nor it nor no remembrance what it was.			It still doesn't remember what it was.
But flowers distilled though they with winter meet,			But flowers distilled even though they meet with winter,
Leese but their show, their substance still lives sweet.			Leese, but her show, her substance still lives cute.
6			6
Then let not winter's ragged hand deface,			Then do not let the rag hand escape in winter,
In thee thy summer ere thou be distilled:			In you your summer before you are distilled:
Make sweet some vial; treasure thou some place,			Make a little bottle; Darling, you some place,
With beauty's treasure ere it be self-killed:			With the treasure of Beauty before it has changed itself:
That use is not forbidden usury,			This use is not forbidden, usury,
Which happies those that pay the willing loan;			What is the one who pays the willing loan;
That's for thy self to breed another thee,			That is so that your self breeds another
Or ten times happier be it ten for one,			Or ten times happier, be it ten for one,
Ten times thy self were happier than thou art,			Ten times your self was happier than you are
If ten of thine ten times refigured thee:			If you have recovered ten times ten times:
Then what could death do if thou shouldst depart,			What could do death if you are supposed to leave
Leaving thee living in posterity?			Let them live in posterity?
Be not self-willed for thou art much too fair,			Don't be self -hurt for you are much too fair,
To be death's conquest and make worms thine heir.			The conquest of death and make worms their heirs.
7			7
Lo in the orient when the gracious light			Lo in the Orient when the gracious light
Lifts up his burning head, each under eye			Lifts his burning head, each under the eye
Doth homage to his new-appearing sight,			Pays homage to his newly relaxing sight
Serving with looks his sacred majesty,			Serve with a view to his Holy Majesty,
And having climbed the steep-up heavenly hill,			And climbed after the steep heavenly hill,
Resembling strong youth in his middle age,			Resemble strong young people at its middle age,
Yet mortal looks adore his beauty still,			But mortal appearance is still worshiping his beauty,
Attending on his golden pilgrimage:			Take a look at his golden pilgrimage:
But when from highmost pitch with weary car,			But if you are tired of the highest pitch with a tired car
Like feeble age he reeleth from the day,			How weak age does he travel from the day,
The eyes (fore duteous) now converted are			The now converted eyes are (advanced)
From his low tract and look another way:			Look from its low wing and different:
So thou, thy self out-going in thy noon:			So you, your self -run in your noon:
Unlooked on diest unless thou get a son.			Unterned in the diester unless you get a son.
8			8
Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly?			Music to listen, why listens to music sad?
Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy:			Sweets with sweets do not war, joy in joy:
Why lov'st thou that which thou receiv'st not gladly,			Why do you love what you have not liked to receive?
Or else receiv'st with pleasure thine annoy?			Or otherwise with pleasure, your annoying trouble?
If the true concord of well-tuned sounds,			If the true agreement of well -coordinated sounds,
By unions married do offend thine ear,			His ear, the ear, the ear, the ear
They do but sweetly chide thee, who confounds			But they do you cute that are confused
In singleness the parts that thou shouldst bear:			In singleness you should be the parts you should wear:
Mark how one string sweet husband to another,			Mark like a string sweet husband to another,
Strikes each in each by mutual ordering;			Each strikes through mutual order;
Resembling sire, and child, and happy mother,			Similar to his father and child and happy mother,
Who all in one, one pleasing note do sing:			Who all sing in one, a pleasant note:
Whose speechless song being many, seeming one,			Whose speechless song is many to be one
Sings this to thee, 'Thou single wilt prove none'.			Sings you: "You Single Wilt proves none".
9			9
Is it for fear to wet a widow's eye,			Is it out of fear to wet the eye of a widow?
That thou consum'st thy self in single life?			That you consume your self in single life?
Ah, if thou issueless shalt hap to die,			Ah, if you shouldn't die, you should die
The world will wail thee like a makeless wife,			The world will complain to you like a flawless woman
The world will be thy widow and still weep,			The world will be your widow and still cry
That thou no form of thee hast left behind,			That you didn't leave any form from yourself,
When every private widow well may keep,			When every private widow holds well,
By children's eyes, her husband's shape in mind:			With the eyes of the children, the shape of their husband in mind:
Look what an unthrift in the world doth spend			See what a violation in the world spends
Shifts but his place, for still the world enjoys it;			Shifts, but his place, because the world enjoys it;
But beauty's waste hath in the world an end,			But the waste of beauty has ended in the world
And kept unused the user so destroys it:			And did not hold the user used, it destroys:
No love toward others in that bosom sits			No love for others sits in this breast
That on himself such murd'rous shame commits.			This is committed to such a murdering shame.
10			10
For shame deny that thou bear'st love to any			For shame, they deny that they love everyone
Who for thy self art so unprovident.			Who for your self -art is so unless.
Grant if thou wilt, thou art beloved of many,			Grant if you will, you are loved by many,
But that thou none lov'st is most evident:			But that you don't prefer to be: most obvious:
For thou art so possessed with murd'rous hate,			Because you are so obsessed with Murd'rous Hass,
That 'gainst thy self thou stick'st not to conspire,			You 'give your self, you don't keep to conspiracy,
Seeking that beauteous roof to ruinate			I'm looking for this beautiful roof to ruin
Which to repair should be thy chief desire:			What should be repaired should be your main request:
O change thy thought, that I may change my mind,			O change your thoughts so that I can change my opinion,
Shall hate be fairer lodged than gentle love?			Should hate be more fair than gentle love?
Be as thy presence is gracious and kind,			Like your present is gracious and friendly,
Or to thy self at least kind-hearted prove,			Or at least prove to your self,
Make thee another self for love of me,			Make yourself another self out of love for me
That beauty still may live in thine or thee.			This beauty can still live in your or you.
11			11
As fast as thou shalt wane so fast thou grow'st,			As fast as you grow as quickly, you grow,
In one of thine, from that which thou departest,			In one of you, from what you fall off,
And that fresh blood which youngly thou bestow'st,			And this fresh blood you gave you young
Thou mayst call thine, when thou from youth convertest,			You call your Mayst when you can see from the youthful canver
Herein lives wisdom, beauty, and increase,			Wisdom, beauty and increase lives here,
Without this folly, age, and cold decay,			Without this foolishness, age and cold decay,
If all were minded so, the times should cease,			If everyone was so good, the times should stop
And threescore year would make the world away:			And three years would let the world away:
Let those whom nature hath not made for store,			Let those who have not made nature for the shop,
Harsh, featureless, and rude, barrenly perish:			Hard, featureless and rude, sterile anchored:
Look whom she best endowed, she gave thee more;			Look at who she best equipped, she gave you more;
Which bounteous gift thou shouldst in bounty cherish:			Which rich gift should you appreciate in Bounty:
She carved thee for her seal, and meant thereby,			She carved you to her seal and said there
Thou shouldst print more, not let that copy die.			You should print more and do not let this copy die.
12			12
When I do count the clock that tells the time,			When I count the clock that says time
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night,			And see the brave day in terrible night, sank,
When I behold the violet past prime,			When I look at the violet past
And sable curls all silvered o'er with white:			And Sable curls all silvered with white:
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves,			When high trees see bargans of leaves,
Which erst from heat did canopy the herd			Which only made the herd of Banach from the heat
And summer's green all girded up in sheaves			And summer all appeared in slices
Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard:			Worn on the beer with white and bristle beard:
Then of thy beauty do I question make			Then I wonder about your beauty that I do
That thou among the wastes of time must go,			That you have to go under the waste of time,
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake,			Because sweets and beauties leave themselves,
And die as fast as they see others grow,			And die as quickly as others see others grow,
And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence			And nothing that can defend the Sense from Time's Scythe
Save breed to brave him, when he takes thee hence.			Rette race to defy him when he takes you.
13			13
O that you were your self, but love you are			Oh that you were yourself, but I love you
No longer yours, than you your self here live,			No more than you live here,
Against this coming end you should prepare,			Against this coming end you should prepare
And your sweet semblance to some other give.			And give your sweet appearance for another.
So should that beauty which you hold in lease			So should this beauty that you keep in the rental agreement
Find no determination, then you were			If you find no determination, then they were
Your self again after your self's decease,			Her again after the death of her self,
When your sweet issue your sweet form should bear.			If your sweet problem should wear your sweet shape.
Who lets so fair a house fall to decay,			Who drops a house so fair to decay,
Which husbandry in honour might uphold,			What attitude could maintain,
Against the stormy gusts of winter's day			Against the stormy gusts of the winter day
And barren rage of death's eternal cold?			And barren anger of the eternal cold of death?
O none but unthrifts, dear my love you know,			O not as a non -fit, dear my love, you know you know, you know
You had a father, let your son say so.			You had a father, let your son say.
14			14
Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck,			Not from the stars, I have pluck my judgment
And yet methinks I have astronomy,			And yet I am astronomy, I have astronomy,
But not to tell of good, or evil luck,			But not to tell about good or bad luck,
Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons' quality,			Of plagues, the lack or the quality of the seasons,
Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell;			I can't give away in short minutes either;
Pointing to each his thunder, rain and wind,			Point in every thunder, rain and wind,
Or say with princes if it shall go well			Or say with prince if it should go well
By oft predict that I in heaven find.			By often I predict that I find in heaven.
But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive,			But I put off from your eyes, I derive myself
And constant stars in them I read such art			And I read such art in them.
As truth and beauty shall together thrive			How truth and beauty will thrive together
If from thy self, to store thou wouldst convert:			If you keep yourself from your own, you would convert:
Or else of thee this I prognosticate,			Or from you that I predict
Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.			Your end is the doom and the date of truth and beauty.
15			fifteen
When I consider every thing that grows			When I look at everything that grows
Holds in perfection but a little moment.			Holds perfectly, but a little moment.
That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows			That this huge stage does not imagine anything, but shows
Whereon the stars in secret influence comment.			Where the stars comment in secret influence.
When I perceive that men as plants increase,			When I realize that men increase as plants
Cheered and checked even by the self-same sky:			Cheered and even cheers from self -failure: sky:
Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,			Vaunt in her youthful juice, decreases in height,
And wear their brave state out of memory.			And wear your brave state from memory.
Then the conceit of this inconstant stay,			Then the imagination of this inconsistent stay,
Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,			Sit up the richest of young people before my eyesight,
Where wasteful time debateth with decay			Where lashing time debates with decay
To change your day of youth to sullied night,			To change their youth day in the night, night,
And all in war with Time for love of you,			And everything in war over time for love for you,
As he takes from you, I engraft you new.			As he takes away from you, I drink you again.
16			16
But wherefore do not you a mightier way			But that's why they don't have a more powerful way
Make war upon this bloody tyrant Time?			Wage war against this bloody tyrant era?
And fortify your self in your decay			And fasten yourself in your decay
With means more blessed than my barren rhyme?			With medium -sized than my sterile rhyme?
Now stand you on the top of happy hours,			Now stand on the happy hour
And many maiden gardens yet unset,			And many maiden gardens and yet unfounded,
With virtuous wish would bear you living flowers,			With virtuous wish, she would endure living flowers,
Much liker than your painted counterfeit:			Much large than their painted falsifications:
So should the lines of life that life repair			This is how the life pipes should repair these life
Which this (Time's pencil) or my pupil pen			What this (time pencil) or my student pen
Neither in inward worth nor outward fair			Neither inwards nor fairer nor outwards fair
Can make you live your self in eyes of men.			Can get you to live in the eyes of people.
To give away your self, keeps your self still,			To give away yourself, keep silent
And you must live drawn by your own sweet skill.			And you have to live on your own sweet ability.
17			17
Who will believe my verse in time to come			Who will believe my verses in the coming time
If it were filled with your most high deserts?			If it were filled with their high deserts?
Though yet heaven knows it is but as a tomb			The sky knows, but as a grave it is only a grave
Which hides your life, and shows not half your parts:			This hides your life and does not show half of your parts:
If I could write the beauty of your eyes,			If I could write the beauty of your eyes
And in fresh numbers number all your graces,			And in fresh numbers all their graces,
The age to come would say this poet lies,			The coming age would say that this poet lies
Such heavenly touches ne'er touched earthly faces.			Such heavenly touch did not touch earthly faces.
So should my papers (yellowed with their age)			So my papers should (fertilizes their age)
Be scorned, like old men of less truth than tongue,			Be despised how old men less truth than the tongue,
And your true rights be termed a poet's rage,			And their true rights are called anger of a poet,
And stretched metre of an antique song.			And stretched measuring device of an antique song.
But were some child of yours alive that time,			But were a child of them alive at that time,
You should live twice in it, and in my rhyme.			You should live in it twice and in my rhyme.
18			18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?			Should I compare you with a summer day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:			You are more beautiful and moderate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,			Rough winds shake the sweet buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:			And the summer lease agreement has too short: Date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,			Sometimes the eye of the sky seems too hot
And often is his gold complexion dimmed,			And often his golden complexion is dimmed
And every fair from fair sometime declines,			And at some point every trade fair from Messe is refused
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed:			Coincidentally or the changing course of nature not cut:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,			But your eternal summer should not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,			You still lose this fair you have
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,			Death is still supposed to brag, you were in his shadow,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st,			If you are in eternal lines at the time, you will grow,
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,			As long as men can breathe or see eyes,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.			This is how long lives and that gives you life.
19			19
Devouring Time blunt thou the lion's paws,			Divine the time to prevent the lion paws,
And make the earth devour her own sweet brood,			And let the earth devour its own sweet brood,
Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger's jaws,			Pluck the sharp teeth from the pine of the violent tiger,
And burn the long-lived phoenix, in her blood,			And burn the long -lasting phoenix in her blood,
Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleet'st,			Make yourself happy and sorry seasons as a fleet,
And do whate'er thou wilt swift-footed Time			And you have the time with a quick foot
To the wide world and all her fading sweets:			Into the wide world and all their fading sweets:
But I forbid thee one most heinous crime,			But I forbid you a most hideous crime
O carve not with thy hours my love's fair brow,			O do not carve the fair forehead of my love with your hours
Nor draw no lines there with thine antique pen,			Do not draw any lines there with your ancient pen,
Him in thy course untainted do allow,			He does not allow in your course
For beauty's pattern to succeeding men.			For the pattern of beauty to subsequent men.
Yet do thy worst old Time: despite thy wrong,			But your worst old time: despite your injustice,
My love shall in my verse ever live young.			My love will ever live young in my verse.
20			20
A woman's face with nature's own hand painted,			The face of a woman with her own hand of nature, painted,
Hast thou the master mistress of my passion,			Do you have the master of my passion
A woman's gentle heart but not acquainted			The gentle heart of a woman, but not familiar
With shifting change as is false women's fashion,			With change in change like false female fashion,
An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling:			An eye lighter than hers, less wrong in rolling:
Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth,			The object gilded what it deals with, Gazeth,
A man in hue all hues in his controlling,			A man in the color of all the colors in his control,
Which steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth.			This is stealing the eyes of men and the souls of women.
And for a woman wert thou first created,			And for a woman you have created for the first time,
Till nature as she wrought thee fell a-doting,			Until nature when she worked you
And by addition me of thee defeated,			And by adding you defeated you,
By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.			By adding anything to my purpose.
But since she pricked thee out for women's pleasure,			But since they stab you for the pleasure of women,
Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure.			Mine is your love and the love of your love uses your treasure.
21			21
So is it not with me as with that muse,			So it's not with me like this muse
Stirred by a painted beauty to his verse,			Moved by a painted beauty in his verse,
Who heaven it self for ornament doth use,			Whoever uses heaven for ornament,
And every fair with his fair doth rehearse,			And every trade fair with its fair rehearsal,
Making a couplement of proud compare			Make proud comparison
With sun and moon, with earth and sea's rich gems:			With the sun and moon, with the rich gemstones of the earth and the sea:
With April's first-born flowers and all things rare,			With the firstborn flowers in April and all rare things,
That heaven's air in this huge rondure hems.			The air of this sky in these huge rondure hems.
O let me true in love but truly write,			O let me feel in love, but really write,
And then believe me, my love is as fair,			And then they believe me, my love is just as fair,
As any mother's child, though not so bright			Like the child of a mother, if not so bright
As those gold candles fixed in heaven's air:			How these golden candles are fixed in heavenly air:
Let them say more that like of hearsay well,			Let them say more how it is good, good, good,
I will not praise that purpose not to sell.			I will not praise this purpose not to sell.
22			22
My glass shall not persuade me I am old,			My glass should not persuade me, I am old, I am old
So long as youth and thou are of one date,			As long as youth and you are of a date,
But when in thee time's furrows I behold,			But when I see furrows in time, I see
Then look I death my days should expiate.			Then see that I should the death of my days.
For all that beauty that doth cover thee,			For all this beauty that covers you,
Is but the seemly raiment of my heart,			But is the apparently essential piece of clothing,
Which in thy breast doth live, as thine in me,			What lives in your chest, like yours in me,
How can I then be elder than thou art?			Then how can I be older than you art?
O therefore love be of thyself so wary,			O Be love from yours who are so careful
As I not for my self, but for thee will,			Like I am not for myself, but for you,
Bearing thy heart which I will keep so chary			I have your heart that I will keep so narrow
As tender nurse her babe from faring ill.			As a delicate care of your baby of illness.
Presume not on thy heart when mine is slain,			Do not accept your heart when my is killed
Thou gav'st me thine not to give back again.			You gavier, you, you don't return something.
23			23
As an unperfect actor on the stage,			As an unbelievable actor on stage,
Who with his fear is put beside his part,			Who is next to his fear,
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,			Or a violent thing that is filled with too much anger,
Whose strength's abundance weakens his own heart;			Their abundance of strength weakens his own heart;
So I for fear of trust, forget to say,			So I forget to say for fear of trust
The perfect ceremony of love's rite,			The perfect ceremony of the rite of love,
And in mine own love's strength seem to decay,			And in my own love seem to fall into the strength,
O'ercharged with burthen of mine own love's might:			O'er loading my own love with Burthen:
O let my looks be then the eloquence,			O let my appearance be the eloquence
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast,			And stupid stocks of my speaking chest,
Who plead for love, and look for recompense,			Who advocates love and search for reward,
More than that tongue that more hath more expressed.			More than this tongue that has expressed more.
O learn to read what silent love hath writ,			O Learn to read what silent love wrote,
To hear with eyes belongs to love's fine wit.			Hearing with your eyes is part of the fine joke of love.
24			24
Mine eye hath played the painter and hath stelled,			Mine Eye played the painter and painted it,
Thy beauty's form in table of my heart,			The shape of your beauty in the table of my heart,
My body is the frame wherein 'tis held,			My body is the frame in which it was kept
And perspective it is best painter's art.			And perspective, it is the best art of the painter.
For through the painter must you see his skill,			Because through the painter you have to see his skills
To find where your true image pictured lies,			To find out where your true picture lies, lies
Which in my bosom's shop is hanging still,			What hangs still in the store of my breast
That hath his windows glazed with thine eyes:			That glazed its windows with your eyes:
Now see what good turns eyes for eyes have done,			Now you see what good eyes did for the eyes
Mine eyes have drawn thy shape, and thine for me			My eyes have drawn your shape and yours for me
Are windows to my breast, where-through the sun			Are windows on my chest where the sun softly softens
Delights to peep, to gaze therein on thee;			Enjoys looking, looking at you;
Yet eyes this cunning want to grace their art,			But eyes, these cunning want to adorn their art,
They draw but what they see, know not the heart.			They draw, but what they see do not know their heart.
25			25
Let those who are in favour with their stars,			Leave those who go with their stars in favor of themselves,
Of public honour and proud titles boast,			The public honor and proud title boast,
Whilst I whom fortune of such triumph bars			While I am lucky with such triumphal bars
Unlooked for joy in that I honour most;			Not oriented for joy that I honor the most;
Great princes' favourites their fair leaves spread,			Favorites of the great princes who spread their fair leaves
But as the marigold at the sun's eye,			But like the marigold on the eye of the sun,
And in themselves their pride lies buried,			And in itself her pride is buried,
For at a frown they in their glory die.			Because with a frown, they die in their glory.
The painful warrior famoused for fight,			The painful warrior who is famous for the fight,
After a thousand victories once foiled,			After a thousand victories, once thwarted,
Is from the book of honour razed quite,			Is quite destroyed from the honorary book
And all the rest forgot for which he toiled:			And forget the rest for which he worked:
Then happy I that love and am beloved			Then happy I love and I am loved
Where I may not remove nor be removed.			Where I am neither removed nor removed.
26			26
Lord of my love, to whom in vassalage			Lord of my love, to whom in the vasalage
Thy merit hath my duty strongly knit;			Your earnings knitted my duty greatly;
To thee I send this written embassage			I send this written message to you
To witness duty, not to show my wit.			To observe the duty, not to show my joke.
Duty so great, which wit so poor as mine			Mandatory as great, which is as poor as mine
May make seem bare, in wanting words to show it;			Can make it appear naked if you want words to show it;
But that I hope some good conceit of thine			But that I hope good imagination from yours
In thy soul's thought (all naked) will bestow it:			In the thoughts of her soul (all naked) it will give it:
Till whatsoever star that guides my moving,			To all the star that leads my movement,
Points on me graciously with fair aspect,			Mercy points on me with a fair aspect,
And puts apparel on my tattered loving,			And put clothes on my tattered love, loving,
To show me worthy of thy sweet respect,			To show me worthy of your sweet respect
Then may I dare to boast how I do love thee,			Then I can dare to boast of how I love you
Till then, not show my head where thou mayst prove me.			Until then, they don't show my head where they prove me.
27			27
Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,			Tired with difficulty, I hurry into my bed,
The dear respose for limbs with travel tired,			The love for limbs with tired trip, tired,
But then begins a journey in my head			But then a journey begins in my head
To work my mind, when body's work's expired.			To edit my mind when the work of the body has expired.
For then my thoughts (from far where I abide)			Because then my thoughts (from far where I hold)
Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,			Intend to see a eager pilgrimage to you,
And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,			And make my limp eyelids open,
Looking on darkness which the blind do see.			Look on the darkness that the blind see.
Save that my soul's imaginary sight			Save that the imaginary sight of my soul
Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,			Present your shadow of my signals view
Which like a jewel (hung in ghastly night)			What like a jewel (hung in horror night)
Makes black night beauteous, and her old face new.			Makes black night beautiful and her old face new.
Lo thus by day my limbs, by night my mind,			Lo my limbs so during the day my mind,
For thee, and for my self, no quiet find.			No quiet find for you and for myself.
28			28
How can I then return in happy plight			Then how can I return in a happy emergency?
That am debarred the benefit of rest?			Is that the advantage of calm?
When day's oppression is not eased by night,			If the suppression of the day is not facilitated,
But day by night and night by day oppressed.			But suppressed day after night and night after day.
And each (though enemies to either's reign)			And everyone (although enemies of the reign of both)
Do in consent shake hands to torture me,			Shake your hands to torture me,
The one by toil, the other to complain			The one through effort to complain the other
How far I toil, still farther off from thee.			How far I work, still further away from you.
I tell the day to please him thou art bright,			I say that he should like it, you are bright,
And dost him grace when clouds do blot the heaven:			And grace to him when clouds make the sky:
So flatter I the swart-complexioned night,			So I flattered the night complex swarms
When sparkling stars twire not thou gild'st the even.			If you don't tire, you are the same.
But day doth daily draw my sorrows longer,			But day I draw my worries longer, draw
And night doth nightly make grief's length seem stronger			And night the length of grief appears stronger at night
29			29
When in disgrace with Fortune and men's eyes,			In shame with luck and men eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,			I am all alone on my outcast status,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,			And anger of deaf skies with my bootloses,
And look upon my self and curse my fate,			And look at my self and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,			I wish another rich rich hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,			How he, like him, how he owned with friends,
Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,			Wish the art of this man and the scope of this man,
With what I most enjoy contented least,			With what I most enjoy most,
Yet in these thoughts my self almost despising,			But in these thoughts my self is almost despised
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,			I think glowing of you and then my condition
(Like to the lark at break of day arising			(How the lark occurs during the day break
From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven's gate,			Of grumpy earth) sings hymns at the sky gate,
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings,			Because your sweet love reminded that such wealth brings, brings,
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.			This then despised to change my condition with kings.
30			30
When to the sessions of sweet silent thought,			When to the meetings of the sweet silent thought,
I summon up remembrance of things past,			I call the memory of things together in the past
I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought,			I sigh the lack of many that I was looking for
And with old woes new wail my dear time's waste:			And with old suffering new times, my dear time waste:
Then can I drown an eye (unused to flow)			Then I can drown an eye (not used to flow)
For precious friends hid in death's dateless night,			For precious friends, hidden on the scenless night of death,
And weep afresh love's long since cancelled woe,			And crying Love's long canceled Wee,
And moan th' expense of many a vanished sight.			And moan the costs of many disappeared sight.
Then can I grieve at grievances foregone,			Then I can mourn about complaints that do without
And heavily from woe to woe tell o'er			And strongly to tell from a hurt to
The sad account of fore-bemoaned moan,			The sad report on the pre -made moan,
Which I new pay as if not paid before.			What I would pay again, as if I was not paid before.
But if the while I think on thee (dear friend)			But when I think I think about you (dear friend)
All losses are restored, and sorrows end.			All losses are restored and the concerns end.
31			31
Thy bosom is endeared with all hearts,			Your breast is popular with all hearts.
Which I by lacking have supposed dead,			What I am missing, have dead, dead,
And there reigns love and all love's loving parts,			And there rules love and all loving parts of love,
And all those friends which I thought buried.			And all of these friends I kept buried.
How many a holy and obsequious tear			How many saints and examined tears
Hath dear religious love stol'n from mine eye,			Has love religious love from my eye,
As interest of the dead, which now appear,			As an interest of the dead who are now appearing,
But things removed that hidden in thee lie.			But things were removed that were hidden in you.
Thou art the grave where buried love doth live,			You are the grave in which buried love live, lives,
Hung with the trophies of my lovers gone,			Hung with the trophies of my lovers who went
Who all their parts of me to thee did give,			Who gave all their parts of me to you,
That due of many, now is thine alone.			This is because of many, now yours are alone.
Their images I loved, I view in thee,			Your pictures I loved, I see in you
And thou (all they) hast all the all of me.			And you (all you) have all of me.
32			32
If thou survive my well-contented day,			If you survive my well -controlled day,
When that churl death my bones with dust shall cover			When this churl death should cover my bones with dust
And shalt by fortune once more re-survey			And switch through happiness again
These poor rude lines of thy deceased lover:			These bad rude lines of their deceased lover:
Compare them with the bett'ring of the time,			Compare them with the bed of the time
And though they be outstripped by every pen,			And although they are exceeded by each pen,
Reserve them for my love, not for their rhyme,			Reserve it for my love, not for your rhyme,
Exceeded by the height of happier men.			Exceeded by the height of the happier men.
O then vouchsafe me but this loving thought,			O then guarantee me, but this loving thought,
Had my friend's Muse grown with this growing age,			Had grown my friend's muse with this growing age,
A dearer birth than this his love had brought			A tier birth than this that had brought his love
To march in ranks of better equipage:			March in rows of better equipment:
But since he died and poets better prove,			But since he died and better prove, prove, prove,
Theirs for their style I'll read, his for his love'.			Yours for her style, I will read, be for his love '.
33			33
Full many a glorious morning have I seen,			I saw full of wonderful morning
Flatter the mountain tops with sovereign eye,			Flatter the mountain peaks with sovereign eye,
Kissing with golden face the meadows green;			Kiss the meadows green with a golden face;
Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy:			Gilded pale streams with heavenly alchemy:
Anon permit the basest clouds to ride,			Anon allows the most important clouds to drive,
With ugly rack on his celestial face,			With ugly rack on his heavenly face,
And from the forlorn world his visage hide			And from the abandoned world of his facial salvation
Stealing unseen to west with this disgrace:			With this shame invisible to the west:
Even so my sun one early morn did shine,			Nevertheless, my sun shone on an early morning
With all triumphant splendour on my brow,			With all the triumphals splendid on my forehead,
But out alack, he was but one hour mine,			But from Alack he was only an hour of mine,
The region cloud hath masked him from me now.			The Cloud region has now masked him from me.
Yet him for this, my love no whit disdaineth,			But he for it, my love is not despised of a woman,
Suns of the world may stain, when heaven's sun staineth.			The sun in the world can color when the heavenly sun stains.
34			34
Why didst thou promise such a beauteous day,			Why did you promise such a nice day?
And make me travel forth without my cloak,			And let me travel without my cloak,
To let base clouds o'ertake me in my way,			Allow the basic clouds in my way,
Hiding thy brav'ry in their rotten smoke?			Hide your brave in your lazy smoke?
Tis not enough that through the cloud thou break,			It is not enough that you break through the cloud
To dry the rain on my storm-beaten face,			Dry the rain on my stormy face,
For no man well of such a salve can speak,			Because nobody who is good for such an ointment can speak,
That heals the wound, and cures not the disgrace:			That heals the wound and does not heal the shame:
Nor can thy shame give physic to my grief,			Also, your shame cannot give my grief physics
Though thou repent, yet I have still the loss,			Although you reversed, but I still have the loss
Th' offender's sorrow lends but weak relief			The grief of the perpetrator only gives a weak relief
To him that bears the strong offence's cross.			For him who bears the cross of the strong crime.
Ah but those tears are pearl which thy love sheds,			Ah, but these tears are pearl that shed your love,
And they are rich, and ransom all ill deeds.			And they are rich and do all the sick deeds.
35			35
No more be grieved at that which thou hast done,			Are no longer sad what you did,
Roses have thorns, and silver fountains mud,			Roses have Dorns and Silverbrunnen mud,
Clouds and eclipses stain both moon and sun,			Clouds and darkness dye both moon and sun,
And loathsome canker lives in sweetest bud.			And hideous cancer lives in sweetest buds.
All men make faults, and even I in this,			All men make mistakes, and even me in this,
Authorizing thy trespass with compare,			Authorization of your transferred with comparison,
My self corrupting salving thy amiss,			My self -corrupted salvation of your understanding
Excusing thy sins more than thy sins are:			Excuse your sins more than your sins:
For to thy sensual fault I bring in sense,			Because to your sensual mistake, I bring meaning, meaning,
Thy adverse party is thy advocate,			Your unwanted party is your lawyer
And 'gainst my self a lawful plea commence:			And I collect myself a lawful complaint:
Such civil war is in my love and hate,			Such a civil war is in my love and hatred
That I an accessary needs must be,			That I have to be an access need
To that sweet thief which sourly robs from me.			To this sweet thief, which I rubbed in sour.
36			36
Let me confess that we two must be twain,			Let me confess that we have to be two Twain
Although our undivided loves are one:			Although our undivided love are one:
So shall those blots that do with me remain,			So the blots should stay with me
Without thy help, by me be borne alone.			Without your help, I will be worn alone.
In our two loves there is but one respect,			In our two loved ones there is only one respect
Though in our lives a separable spite,			Although a separator in our lives,
Which though it alter not love's sole effect,			Which although it does not change the sole effect of love,
Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love's delight.			But it steals sweet hours from the joy of love.
I may not evermore acknowledge thee,			I may not always be able to recognize you
Lest my bewailed guilt should do thee shame,			So that my guilty guilt should not be ashamed of you,
Nor thou with public kindness honour me,			Still honor me with public quality
Unless thou take that honour from thy name:			Unless you take this honor from your name:
But do not so, I love thee in such sort,			But not so, I love you in such varieties
As thou being mine, mine is thy good report.			Since you are mine, my good report is mine.
37			37
As a decrepit father takes delight,			As a dilapidated father, joy, joy,
To see his active child do deeds of youth,			To see his active child, do the actions of the youth,
So I, made lame by Fortune's dearest spite			So I made a lame through Fortunes loved ones
Take all my comfort of thy worth and truth.			Take my whole consolation of your value and truth.
For whether beauty, birth, or wealth, or wit,			For whether beauty, birth or wealth or wit,
Or any of these all, or all, or more			Or something of them all or all or more
Entitled in thy parts, do crowned sit,			Claim in your parts, Doy Crowned Sit,
I make my love engrafted to this store:			I make my love entered in this shop:
So then I am not lame, poor, nor despised,			So I'm neither lame, poor, nor despised,
Whilst that this shadow doth such substance give,			While this shadow gives such a substance,
That I in thy abundance am sufficed,			That I was sufficient in your abundance
And by a part of all thy glory live:			And live through part of all fame:
Look what is best, that best I wish in thee,			Look, what's best, the best thing I wish in you,
This wish I have, then ten times happy me.			I have this wish, then ten times happy.
38			38
How can my muse want subject to invent			How can my muse want to invent?
While thou dost breathe that pour'st into my verse,			While you breathe, pour into my verse in my verse,
Thine own sweet argument, too excellent,			Your own sweet argument, too excellent,
For every vulgar paper to rehearse?			For every vulgar paper for rehearsing?
O give thy self the thanks if aught in me,			O I thank you the thanks when something in me,
Worthy perusal stand against thy sight,			Worthy review against your seeing
For who's so dumb that cannot write to thee,			Because who is so stupid that this cannot write to you
When thou thy self dost give invention light?			When do you give your self -host for invention light?
Be thou the tenth Muse, ten times more in worth			Be the tenth muse, ten times more value of value
Than those old nine which rhymers invocate,			When these old nine, who call Rhymers,
And he that calls on thee, let him bring forth			And if you call you, let him produce
Eternal numbers to outlive long date.			Eternal numbers to survive a long date.
If my slight muse do please these curious days,			When my light muse does these strange days,
The pain be mine, but thine shall be the praise.			The pain is me, but your praise will be.
39			39
O how thy worth with manners may I sing,			O How your value can be done with manners, I can sing,
When thou art all the better part of me?			When are you all the better part of me?
What can mine own praise to mine own self bring:			What can my own praise bring for my own self:
And what is't but mine own when I praise thee?			And what is not just mine when I praise you?
Even for this, let us divided live,			Even for that we let ourselves be shared live
And our dear love lose name of single one,			And our love love loses the name of an individual,
That by this separation I may give:			I can give that through this separation:
That due to thee which thou deserv'st alone:			Because of you what you deserve alone:
O absence what a torment wouldst thou prove,			O Absence, which would prove what you would prove,
Were it not thy sour leisure gave sweet leave,			Wasn't it your acid free time, sweet vacation,
To entertain the time with thoughts of love,			Time to entertain the thoughts of love,
Which time and thoughts so sweetly doth deceive.			What time and thoughts are so cute.
And that thou teachest how to make one twain,			And that you ambushed how to do a Twain
By praising him here who doth hence remain.			By praising him here, who stays.
40			40
Take all my loves, my love, yea take them all,			Take all my love, my love, yes take them all,
What hast thou then more than thou hadst before?			Then what more do you have than before?
No love, my love, that thou mayst true love call,			No love, my love that you call true love,
All mine was thine, before thou hadst this more:			All mine were yours before you had more:
Then if for my love, thou my love receivest,			Then when for my love you excited my love,
I cannot blame thee, for my love thou usest,			I can't blame you because my love you use
But yet be blamed, if thou thy self deceivest			But accuses if you
By wilful taste of what thy self refusest.			Due to the willful taste of what your self -harm.
I do forgive thy robbery gentle thief			I give your robbery, gentle thief
Although thou steal thee all my poverty:			Although you steal all my poverty:
And yet love knows it is a greater grief			And yet love knows that it is a greater grief
To bear love's wrong, than hate's known injury.			Wearing love is wrong than the well -known violation of hate.
Lascivious grace, in whom all ill well shows,			Lascivious grace in which everyone is sick shows
Kill me with spites yet we must not be foes.			Kill me with spits, but we must not be enemies.
41			41
Those pretty wrongs that liberty commits,			This pretty injustice that Liberty obliges,
When I am sometime absent from thy heart,			If at some point I am absent in your heart,
Thy beauty, and thy years full well befits,			Your beauty and your years full of well sensible,
For still temptation follows where thou art.			Because there is still temptation where you are.
Gentle thou art, and therefore to be won,			Gentle you are and therefore to be won
Beauteous thou art, therefore to be assailed.			So you're beautiful, so to be counted.
And when a woman woos, what woman's son,			And when a woman Woos, which son of a woman,
Will sourly leave her till he have prevailed?			Will you leave it angry until it has prevailed?
Ay me, but yet thou mightst my seat forbear,			Ay me, but but you chop my seat downwards,
And chide thy beauty, and thy straying youth,			And chide your beauty and your stray youth,
Who lead thee in their riot even there			Who also lead you there in their uprising
Where thou art forced to break a twofold truth:			Where you are forced to break a double truth:
Hers by thy beauty tempting her to thee,			Yours from your beauty, which she seduces it to you,
Thine by thy beauty being false to me.			Yours of your beauty that is wrong for me.
42			42
That thou hast her it is not all my grief,			That you have it is not all my grief
And yet it may be said I loved her dearly,			And yet it can be said that I loved her very much
That she hath thee is of my wailing chief,			That she has you from my plaintive boss
A loss in love that touches me more nearly.			A loss in love that almost touches me.
Loving offenders thus I will excuse ye,			Dear criminals so I will excuse you
Thou dost love her, because thou know'st I love her,			You love her because you know, I love her,
And for my sake even so doth she abuse me,			And about myet system, still so, she abuses me,
Suff'ring my friend for my sake to approve her.			I suspended my girlfriend to approve her.
If I lose thee, my loss is my love's gain,			When I lose you, my loss of gain of my love is
And losing her, my friend hath found that loss,			And lost her, my girlfriend found this loss
Both find each other, and I lose both twain,			Both find each other and I lose both Twain,
And both for my sake lay on me this cross,			And both for my sake this cross was on me
But here's the joy, my friend and I are one,			But here is the joy, my friend and I are one
Sweet flattery, then she loves but me alone.			Sweet flattery, then she only loves me alone.
43			43
When most I wink then do mine eyes best see,			If most winks, then my eyes make it best
For all the day they view things unrespected,			For the whole day they don't see things respected
But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee,			But when I sleep, look at you in dreams
And darkly bright, are bright in dark directed.			And dark light, are brightly directed in dark.
Then thou whose shadow shadows doth make bright			Then you are, whose shadow shadow make bright
How would thy shadow's form, form happy show,			How would the shape of your shadow, a happy show, form,
To the clear day with thy much clearer light,			Until the clear day with your much clearer light,
When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so!			When to see how you have eyes, your shadow seems like that!
How would (I say) mine eyes be blessed made,			How would my eyes be blessed (I say)
By looking on thee in the living day,			By looking at you on the living day,
When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade,			In the dead night your fair imperfect shadow,
Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay!			Stay on the eyes by difficult sleep!
All days are nights to see till I see thee,			Nights can be seen every day until I see you
And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.			And nights bright days when dreams show you.
44			44
If the dull substance of my flesh were thought,			When the blunt substance of my meat was thought of,
Injurious distance should not stop my way,			Injured distance should not stop me
For then despite of space I would be brought,			Because then I would be brought despite the room, I would be brought
From limits far remote, where thou dost stay,			From borders far from where you are,
No matter then although my foot did stand			No matter then, even though my foot stood
Upon the farthest earth removed from thee,			On the most distant earth away from you,
For nimble thought can jump both sea and land,			Because nimble thinking can jump both sea and land,
As soon as think the place where he would be.			As soon as he thinks the place he would be.
But ah, thought kills me that I am not thought			But Ah, thought I thought that I wouldn't be thought
To leap large lengths of miles when thou art gone,			To jump big lengths of kilometers when you left
But that so much of earth and water wrought,			But that so much of earth and water that was forced,
I must attend, time's leisure with my moan.			I have to take part in my free time with my moan.
Receiving nought by elements so slow,			Receive Naust of elements that slowly,
But heavy tears, badges of either's woe.			But heavy tears, badges of both suffer.
45			45
The other two, slight air, and purging fire,			The other two, light air and extinguishing fire.
Are both with thee, wherever I abide,			Are both with you wherever I hold
The first my thought, the other my desire,			The first my thought, the other my wish,
These present-absent with swift motion slide.			These existing ones with Swift movement slides.
For when these quicker elements are gone			Because if these faster elements are gone
In tender embassy of love to thee,			In a tender message of love for you,
My life being made of four, with two alone,			My life is made of four, with two alone,
Sinks down to death, oppressed with melancholy.			Sinks to death, suppressed with melancholy.
Until life's composition be recured,			Until the composition of life is received,
By those swift messengers returned from thee,			From these quick messengers return from you,
Who even but now come back again assured,			But whoever comes back now, assured,
Of thy fair health, recounting it to me.			Of your fair health that tell me.
This told, I joy, but then no longer glad,			That said, I joy, but then no longer happy
I send them back again and straight grow sad.			I send them back and grow sadly.
46			46
Mine eye and heart are at a mortal war,			My eye and heart are in a mortal war,
How to divide the conquest of thy sight,			How to share the conquest of your sight,
Mine eye, my heart thy picture's sight would bar,			My eye, my heart your picture would be the look, would make cash,
My heart, mine eye the freedom of that right,			My heart, my eye the freedom of this right,
My heart doth plead that thou in him dost lie,			My heart advocates that you are lying in him
(A closet never pierced with crystal eyes)			(A closet that was never pierced with crystal eyes)
But the defendant doth that plea deny,			But the accused denies that this denies
And says in him thy fair appearance lies.			And says in him that your fair appearance lies.
To side this title is impanelled			On the other hand, this title is intact
A quest of thoughts, all tenants to the heart,			A search for thoughts, all tenants of the heart,
And by their verdict is determined			And their judgment is determined
The clear eye's moiety, and the dear heart's part.			The unity of the clear eye and the part of the dear heart.
As thus, mine eye's due is thy outward part,			How so is my eye from your outer part
And my heart's right, thy inward love of heart.			And my heart is right, your inner love for the heart.
47			47
Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is took,			A league is taken between Mine Eye and Heart,
And each doth good turns now unto the other,			And everyone is good, now turns to the other
When that mine eye is famished for a look,			If this mine eye is enlarged for a look,
Or heart in love with sighs himself doth smother;			Or the heart that is in love with the sigh itself suffocates;
With my love's picture then my eye doth feast,			With the picture of my love, my eye is the festival
And to the painted banquet bids my heart:			And my heart offered the painted banquet:
Another time mine eye is my heart's guest,			Another time my eye is the guest of my heart,
And in his thoughts of love doth share a part.			And in his thoughts of love share part.
So either by thy picture or my love,			So either through your picture or my love,
Thy self away, art present still with me,			Your self, art is still present with me,
For thou not farther than my thoughts canst move,			Because you can no longer move as my thoughts
And I am still with them, and they with thee.			And I'm still with you and you with you.
Or if they sleep, thy picture in my sight			Or when you sleep, your picture in my eyes
Awakes my heart, to heart's and eye's delight.			Awakens my heart, to heart and the joy of the eye.
48			48
How careful was I when I took my way,			How careful I was when I made my way
Each trifle under truest bars to thrust,			Every little thing under true rod rods to push,
That to my use it might unused stay			That could not remain used to my use
From hands of falsehood, in sure wards of trust!			From the hands of falsehood, in safe stations of trust!
But thou, to whom my jewels trifles are,			But you, to whom my jewels are little things
Most worthy comfort, now my greatest grief,			The most valuable comfort, now my greatest grief,
Thou best of dearest, and mine only care,			The best thing to do is to take care of it,
Art left the prey of every vulgar thief.			The art left the prey of every vulgar thief.
Thee have I not locked up in any chest,			I didn't lock them up in any chest
Save where thou art not, though I feel thou art,			Save where you are not, even though I feel that you are,
Within the gentle closure of my breast,			Within the gentle closure of my chest,
From whence at pleasure thou mayst come and part,			From where if you have pleasure you come from and partly, partly,
And even thence thou wilt be stol'n I fear,			And from then on, I will be quiet, I'm afraid
For truth proves thievish for a prize so dear.			Because the truth turns out to be so expensive.
49			49
Against that time (if ever that time come)			Against this time (if ever comes at that time)
When I shall see thee frown on my defects,			If I will p and my shortcomings,
When as thy love hath cast his utmost sum,			When how your love has occupied its extreme sum,
Called to that audit by advised respects,			Called for this test by recommended respect,
Against that time when thou shalt strangely pass,			Against this time when you should strangely happen,
And scarcely greet me with that sun thine eye,			And hardly greet me your eye with this sun,
When love converted from the thing it was			When the love of what it was
Shall reasons find of settled gravity;			Will find reasons that find a defined gravity;
Against that time do I ensconce me here			I am here against this time
Within the knowledge of mine own desert,			Knowing about my own desert
And this my hand, against my self uprear,			And that my hand, against myself.
To guard the lawful reasons on thy part,			To protect the legal reasons on your part,
To leave poor me, thou hast the strength of laws,			To leave your arms, you have the strength of the laws,
Since why to love, I can allege no cause.			Since I can love, I cannot say a reason.
50			50
How heavy do I journey on the way,			How difficult I travel on the way
When what I seek (my weary travel's end)			If what I am looking for (my tired traveler end)
Doth teach that case and that repose to say			Teach this case and this idle state to say
Thus far the miles are measured from thy friend.'			So far, the miles are measured by your friend. '
The beast that bears me, tired with my woe,			The animal that wears me tired with my suffering,
Plods dully on, to bear that weight in me,			Drives up to carry this weight in me,
As if by some instinct the wretch did know			As through an instinct, the miserable knew
His rider loved not speed being made from thee:			His driver loved not making any speed out of you:
The bloody spur cannot provoke him on,			The bloody spur cannot provoke it.
That sometimes anger thrusts into his hide,			This anger comes into its hiding place,
Which heavily he answers with a groan,			What he answers with a moan,
More sharp to me than spurring to his side,			Sharpness for me as to be donated to his side,
For that same groan doth put this in my mind,			Because the same moaning put this in my head,
My grief lies onward and my joy behind.			My grief continues and my joy behind it.
51			51
Thus can my love excuse the slow offence,			So my love can excuse the slow crime,
Of my dull bearer, when from thee I speed,			From my blunt wearer when I get speed, speed, speed,
From where thou art, why should I haste me thence?			Where should I hurry from there?
Till I return of posting is no need.			Until I have to return is not a necessity.
O what excuse will my poor beast then find,			O What apology will my poor animal find
When swift extremity can seem but slow?			If swift extremity can only appear slow?
Then should I spur though mounted on the wind,			Then I should assemble on the wind, even though I am assembled
In winged speed no motion shall I know,			I don't need to know any movement in winged speed
Then can no horse with my desire keep pace,			Then no horse can keep up with my wish, step,
Therefore desire (of perfect'st love being made)			Therefore demand (the perfect love that is made)
Shall neigh (no dull flesh) in his fiery race,			Should neighbor (no blunt meat) in its fiery breed,
But love, for love, thus shall excuse my jade,			But love, for love, that's how I will excuse my jade,
Since from thee going, he went wilful-slow,			Since you have been spinning,
Towards thee I'll run, and give him leave to go.			I run against you and give him a vacation to go.
52			52
So am I as the rich whose blessed key,			So I am the rich, their blessed key,
Can bring him to his sweet up-locked treasure,			Can bring him to his sweet, dissolved treasure,
The which he will not every hour survey,			What he will not ask every hour,
For blunting the fine point of seldom pleasure.			To blow out the beautiful point of rare pleasure.
Therefore are feasts so solemn and so rare,			That is why festivals are so solemn and rare,
Since seldom coming in that long year set,			Since then rarely this long year,
Like stones of worth they thinly placed are,			How stones of value are thinly placed, are,
Or captain jewels in the carcanet.			Or CAPTAINE JEWELS IM CARCANET.
So is the time that keeps you as my chest			So is the time she thinks as my chest
Or as the wardrobe which the robe doth hide,			Or as the wardrobe that hides the robe,
To make some special instant special-blest,			To make some special immediate special, best
By new unfolding his imprisoned pride.			Through new pride.
Blessed are you whose worthiness gives scope,			They are blessed, the worthy of which is extensive
Being had to triumph, being lacked to hope.			The triumph had to lack it.
53			53
What is your substance, whereof are you made,			What is your substance that you are made for
That millions of strange shadows on you tend?			That millions of strange shadows tend to you?
Since every one, hath every one, one shade,			Since everyone has a shadow
And you but one, can every shadow lend:			And you can borrow one shadow:
Describe Adonis and the counterfeit,			Describe Adonis and the forgery,
Is poorly imitated after you,			Is poorly imitated after you
On Helen's cheek all art of beauty set,			On Helens Wange all art of beauty set,
And you in Grecian tires are painted new:			And they are repainted in Greek tires:
Speak of the spring, and foison of the year,			Talk about spring and foison of the year,
The one doth shadow of your beauty show,			The only shadow of her beauty show,
The other as your bounty doth appear,			The other like your bounty,
And you in every blessed shape we know.			And you in every blessed form we know.
In all external grace you have some part,			In all external grace they have part, part,
But you like none, none you for constant heart.			But you don't like any, none for a constant heart.
54			54
O how much more doth beauty beauteous seem,			O how much beauty seems to seem
By that sweet ornament which truth doth give!			Due to this sweet ornament that gives truth!
The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem			The rose looks fair, but we think it is fair
For that sweet odour, which doth in it live:			For this sweet smell that lives in it:
The canker blooms have full as deep a dye,			The cancer flowers have as deep as a dye.
As the perfumed tincture of the roses,			As the perfumed tincture of the roses,
Hang on such thorns, and play as wantonly,			Hold such thorns and play as willful,
When summer's breath their masked buds discloses:			When the breath of summer reveals their masked buds:
But for their virtue only is their show,			But only for your virtue is your show,
They live unwooed, and unrespected fade,			They live unusual and are not revised, faded.
Die to themselves. Sweet roses do not so,			Die for yourself. Sweet roses not like that,
Of their sweet deaths, are sweetest odours made:			Sweetest smells are made of their sweet deaths:
And so of you, beauteous and lovely youth,			And so from you, beautiful and pretty teenager,
When that shall vade, by verse distills your truth.			If the Vade, distilled by verse her truth.
55			55
Not marble, nor the gilded monuments			Neither marble nor the gilded monuments
Of princes shall outlive this powerful rhyme,			Prince will survive this mighty rhyme,
But you shall shine more bright in these contents			But you should shine in these content.
Than unswept stone, besmeared with sluttish time.			As an unbound stone, with a sloppy time.
When wasteful war shall statues overturn,			If the wasteful war is supposed to tip off statues,
And broils root out the work of masonry,			And fry the work of the masonry,
Nor Mars his sword, nor war's quick fire shall burn:			Still Mars his sword, the quick fire of the war will burn:
The living record of your memory.			The lively recording of her memory.
Gainst death, and all-oblivious enmity			Win death and general hostility
Shall you pace forth, your praise shall still find room,			Should they continue, their praise will still find space
Even in the eyes of all posterity			Also in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.			This is carried to the end to the end.
So till the judgment that your self arise,			So until the judgment that your self arises,
You live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes.			They live in it and live in the eyes of the lovers.
56			56
Sweet love renew thy force, be it not said			Sweet love renew your strength or not said
Thy edge should blunter be than appetite,			Your edge should blunt as an appetite,
Which but to-day by feeding is allayed,			But what is broken down by feeding today,
To-morrow sharpened in his former might.			Tomorrow he fell in his previous power.
So love be thou, although to-day thou fill			So you are love, even though you fill today
Thy hungry eyes, even till they wink with fulness,			Your hungry eyes, even until they wink with abundance,
To-morrow see again, and do not kill			See again tomorrow and not kill
The spirit of love, with a perpetual dulness:			The spirit of love, with an eternal bulge:
Let this sad interim like the ocean be			Let this sad meantime be like the ocean
Which parts the shore, where two contracted new,			Which parts of the bank, where two new contracts have,
Come daily to the banks, that when they see:			Come to the banks every day, when you see:
Return of love, more blest may be the view.			Return of love, the view can be more inappropriate.
Or call it winter, which being full of care,			Or call it winter, which is full of care
Makes summer's welcome, thrice more wished, more rare.			Welcome the summer, three times desired, less often.
57			57
Being your slave what should I do but tend,			Be your slave, what should I do, but tend
Upon the hours, and times of your desire?			In the hours and times of their desire?
I have no precious time at all to spend;			I have no precious time at all;
Nor services to do till you require.			To do services until you need.
Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour,			I still dare the world with the hour
Whilst I (my sovereign) watch the clock for you,			While I (my sovereign) watch the watch for you
Nor think the bitterness of absence sour,			I also don't think about the bitterness of the absence, sour,
When you have bid your servant once adieu.			Once you have offered your servant in goodbye.
Nor dare I question with my jealous thought,			I still dare to ask my jealous thoughts
Where you may be, or your affairs suppose,			Where you can be or accept your affairs,
But like a sad slave stay and think of nought			But like a sad slave stay and think of Naught
Save where you are, how happy you make those.			Save where you are, how happy you make them.
So true a fool is love, that in your will,			So true is a fool of love that in your will,
(Though you do any thing) he thinks no ill.			(Although you do something) He doesn't think sick.
58			58
That god forbid, that made me first your slave,			This god preserves, that made me first of all, which made me your slave,
I should in thought control your times of pleasure,			I should be in the way of thinking, your times of pleasure,
Or at your hand th' account of hours to crave,			Or on your hand to long for hours to long,
Being your vassal bound to stay your leisure.			Your vassal is obliged to keep your free time.
O let me suffer (being at your beck)			Oh, let me suffer (to be on your Beck)
Th' imprisoned absence of your liberty,			The imprisoned absence of their freedom,
And patience tame to sufferance bide each check,			And patience tame to suffer every check.
Without accusing you of injury.			Without accusing them of the injury.
Be where you list, your charter is so strong,			Be where you list, your charter is so strong.
That you your self may privilage your time			That you can prize your time yourself
To what you will, to you it doth belong,			To what they want, to them, it belongs to.
Your self to pardon of self-doing crime.			Your yourself to forgive yourself.
I am to wait, though waiting so be hell,			I should wait even though I wait hell
Not blame your pleasure be it ill or well.			Not the fault of your pleasure, be it sick or good.
59			59
If there be nothing new, but that which is,			If there is nothing new, but what is
Hath been before, how are our brains beguiled,			I was before, how are our brain seduced
Which labouring for invention bear amis			Which work for invention wears Americans
The second burthen of a former child!			The second burst of a former child!
O that record could with a backward look,			O This recording could be with a backward look,
Even of five hundred courses of the sun,			Even five hundred sun races, sun,
Show me your image in some antique book,			Show me your picture in an ancient book
Since mind at first in character was done.			Since the mind, the character has initially been completed.
That I might see what the old world could say,			So that I could see what the old world could say
To this composed wonder of your frame,			To this composed miracle of their framework,
Whether we are mended, or whether better they,			Whether we are repaired or whether they are better
Or whether revolution be the same.			Or whether the revolution is the same.
O sure I am the wits of former days,			O I am sure the mind of earlier days
To subjects worse have given admiring praise.			There have been poorly admiring praise for the subjects.
60			60
Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore,			How the waves make a pebble banks,
So do our minutes hasten to their end,			So our minutes hurry to their end,
Each changing place with that which goes before,			Every changing place with what goes before
In sequent toil all forwards do contend.			All strikers are fighting in sequent Moit.
Nativity once in the main of light,			Crib once in the main light,
Crawls to maturity, wherewith being crowned,			Crawls to maturity, with crowning
Crooked eclipses 'gainst his glory fight,			Crumed Eclipses' win of his fame struggle,
And Time that gave, doth now his gift confound.			And the time there was now confused his gift.
Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth,			Time exceeds the blooming set of youth,
And delves the parallels in beauty's brow,			And deceives the parallels in Beauty's Brow,
Feeds on the rarities of nature's truth,			Feeds on the rarities of the truth of nature,
And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow.			And there is nothing to mow his scythe.
And yet to times in hope, my verse shall stand			And yet in the hope my verse will be
Praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.			Despite his cruel hand, your value attracts.
61			61
Is it thy will, thy image should keep open			Is it your will, your picture should remain open
My heavy eyelids to the weary night?			My heavy eyelids into the tired night?
Dost thou desire my slumbers should be broken,			Dost you wish my slumber should be broken,
While shadows like to thee do mock my sight?			While shadows like to mock over my eyesight?
Is it thy spirit that thou send'st from thee			Is it your spirit that you send from yourself?
So far from home into my deeds to pry,			So far away from home to my actions to drive,
To find out shames and idle hours in me,			To find out shame and idle hours in me,
The scope and tenure of thy jealousy?			The scope and term of your jealousy?
O no, thy love though much, is not so great,			Oh no, however, your love is not that big, is not that big,
It is my love that keeps mine eye awake,			It is my love that keeps my eye awake
Mine own true love that doth my rest defeat,			My own love that has my calm defeat
To play the watchman ever for thy sake.			Ever to play the watchman to play your sake.
For thee watch I, whilst thou dost wake elsewhere,			I watch for you while you woke up somewhere else,
From me far off, with others all too near.			From me far away, too close with others.
62			62
Sin of self-love possesseth all mine eye,			Sin of self -love has all my eye,
And all my soul, and all my every part;			And all my soul and all part of every part;
And for this sin there is no remedy,			And there is no means for this sin,
It is so grounded inward in my heart.			It is so grounded in my heart.
Methinks no face so gracious is as mine,			I think no face is as gracious as mine,
No shape so true, no truth of such account,			No such true form, no truth of such a report,
And for my self mine own worth do define,			And for myself define my own value,
As I all other in all worths surmount.			How I overcome everyone else in all valuable ones.
But when my glass shows me my self indeed			But if my glass indeed shows me myself
beated and chopt with tanned antiquity,			struck and chopped with brown antiquity,
Mine own self-love quite contrary I read:			My own self -love pretty opposite, I read:
Self, so self-loving were iniquity.			Even so -loving were injustice.
Tis thee (my self) that for my self I praise,			It is to you (myself) that I praise myself
Painting my age with beauty of thy days.			Paint my age with beauty of your days.
63			63
Against my love shall be as I am now			Against my love should be as I am now
With Time's injurious hand crushed and o'erworn,			Chopped with the harmful hand and from O'eraborn,
When hours have drained his blood and filled his brow			When hours drained his blood and fulfilled his forehead
With lines and wrinkles, when his youthful morn			With lines and wrinkles as his teenager morning
Hath travelled on to age's steepy night,			I drove from Age into the steep night,
And all those beauties whereof now he's king			And all these beauties that he is now king
Are vanishing, or vanished out of sight,			Disappear or disappear from visibility,
Stealing away the treasure of his spring:			Steal the treasure of his spring:
For such a time do I now fortify			For such a time I am now attaching
Against confounding age's cruel knife,			Against the cruel knife of confusing age,
That he shall never cut from memory			That he will never cut out of memory
My sweet love's beauty, though my lover's life.			The beauty of my sweet love, although my lover's life.
His beauty shall in these black lines be seen,			His beauty will be seen in these black lines
And they shall live, and he in them still green.			And they will live and still green in them.
64			64
When I have seen by Time's fell hand defaced			When I sawed out hand from Time's Fell
The rich-proud cost of outworn buried age,			The extensive costs for the worn buried age,
When sometime lofty towers I see down-rased,			If at some point high towers I got down,
And brass eternal slave to mortal rage.			And brass eternal slave to mortal anger.
When I have seen the hungry ocean gain			When I saw how the hungry ocean achieved
Advantage on the kingdom of the shore,			Advantage in the realm of the coast,
And the firm soil win of the watery main,			And the firm ground profit of the aqueous main level,
Increasing store with loss, and loss with store.			Increased business with loss and loss with business.
When I have seen such interchange of State,			When I saw such an exchange of the state,
Or state it self confounded, to decay,			Or give yourself confused to fall,
Ruin hath taught me thus to ruminate			Ruin taught me like this to be repeated
That Time will come and take my love away.			This time will come and take away my love.
This thought is as a death which cannot choose			This thought is a death that cannot vote
But weep to have, that which it fears to lose.			But they cry, what fears to lose.
65			65
Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,			Since brass, Norstein, Nor Earth, still limitless sea,
But sad mortality o'ersways their power,			But sad mortality passes through her power,
How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,			As with this anger, beauty should keep a plea,
Whose action is no stronger than a flower?			Whose action is not stronger than a flower?
O how shall summer's honey breath hold out,			O How should the honey of the summer endure,
Against the wrackful siege of batt'ring days,			Against the fracking siege of the Battage Days,
When rocks impregnable are not so stout,			If rocks are impregnable, are not that strong
Nor gates of steel so strong but time decays?			Still steel goals that are so strong, but time disintegrates?
O fearful meditation, where alack,			O anxious meditation, where Alack,
Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid?			Should the best jewels from Time from Time's Chest be hidden?
Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back,			Or which strong hand can hold his fast foot back,
Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?			Or who can forbid his beauty?
O none, unless this miracle have might,			O none unless this miracle could
That in black ink my love may still shine bright.			That in black ink may still shine brightly.
66			66
Tired with all these for restful death I cry,			Tired with all of this for the restful death, I cry, I cry,
As to behold desert a beggar born,			A born born, born, in relation to the desert
And needy nothing trimmed in jollity,			And the needy nothing cropped into jollity,
And purest faith unhappily forsworn,			And in the pure belief, unfortunately, thrown back,
And gilded honour shamefully misplaced,			And gilded honor displaced,
And maiden virtue rudely strumpeted,			And Maiden virtue roughly strayed,
And right perfection wrongfully disgraced,			And incorrectly ashamed of legal perfection,
And strength by limping sway disabled			And hinder strength by limping fluctuations
And art made tongue-tied by authority,			And art bound by authority,
And folly (doctor-like) controlling skill,			And due (medical) control, skills,
And simple truth miscalled simplicity,			And simple truth was missing simplicity,
And captive good attending captain ill.			Und Captive Good Goaling Captain Ill.
Tired with all these, from these would I be gone,			Tired with all this, I would be gone from them
Save that to die, I leave my love alone.			Save that to die, I leave my love alone.
67			67
Ah wherefore with infection should he live,			Ah, why with infection should he live
And with his presence grace impiety,			And with his presence grace,
That sin by him advantage should achieve,	Poor Milliscent		This sin should be fulfilled by him,
And lace it self with his society?	Must pray and repent:		And do you stir up with his society?
Why should false painting imitate his cheek,			Why should false paintings imitate his cheek?
And steal dead seeming of his living hue?			And steal the dead from his lively color?
Why should poor beauty indirectly seek,			Why should the poor beauty indirectly look for
Roses of shadow, since his rose is true?			Roses of the shadow because its rose is true?
Why should he live, now nature bankrupt is,			Why should he live, now nature is bankrupt,
Beggared of blood to blush through lively veins,			Blood beg to blush through lively veins,
For she hath no exchequer now but his,			Because now she has no state treasury except of his, his,
And proud of many, lives upon his gains?			And proud of many, lives after his profits?
O him she stores, to show what wealth she had,			O He saves them to show what wealth she had,
In days long since, before these last so bad.			Long before they are so bad.
68			68
Thus is his cheek the map of days outworn,			So is his cheek, the map of the days that are worn out,
When beauty lived and died as flowers do now,			When the beauty lived and died, as flowers did now,
Before these bastard signs of fair were born,			Before these bastard signs were born by fair,
Or durst inhabit on a living brow:			Or inhabit in a lively forehead:
Before the golden tresses of the dead,			Before the golden rays of the dead,
The right of sepulchres, were shorn away,			The right of the graviters were cropped away,
To live a second life on second head,			Live a second life on the second head,
Ere beauty's dead fleece made another gay:			Ere Beauty's Dead Fleece made another gay:
In him those holy antique hours are seen,			In it these holy ancient hours are seen
Without all ornament, it self and true,			Without all ornaments themselves and true, true,
Making no summer of another's green,			Do not make summer of one other,
Robbing no old to dress his beauty new,			Do not rob old to dress up his beauty,
And him as for a map doth Nature store,			And he as for a map of natural business,
To show false Art what beauty was of yore.			To show false art what beauty was.
69			69
Those parts of thee that the world's eye doth view,			See these parts of you who see the eye of the world
Want nothing that the thought of hearts can mend:			I don't want the thought to be repaired by the heart:
All tongues (the voice of souls) give thee that due,			All tongues (the voice of the souls) give you this due,
Uttering bare truth, even so as foes commend.			Pronounce cash truth, although enemies are blazing.
Thy outward thus with outward praise is crowned,			Your outwards, so praise with the outside, is crowned,
But those same tongues that give thee so thine own,			But the same tongues that give you your own
In other accents do this praise confound			In other accents, this praise is confused
By seeing farther than the eye hath shown.			By seeing further when the eye is shown.
They look into the beauty of thy mind,			You examine the beauty of your mind
And that in guess they measure by thy deeds,			And they measure that in guesswork on your deeds,
Then churls their thoughts (although their eyes were kind)			Then they whine their thoughts (although their eyes were friendly)
To thy fair flower add the rank smell of weeds:			To your fair flower, add the ranked smell of weeds:
But why thy odour matcheth not thy show,			But why doesn't your smell fit your show,
The soil is this, that thou dost common grow.			The soil is that they grow together.
70			70
That thou art blamed shall not be thy defect,			That you shouldn't be your defect,
For slander's mark was ever yet the fair,			Because Slanders Mark was still the fair
The ornament of beauty is suspect,			The ornament of beauty is suspicious
A crow that flies in heaven's sweetest air.			A crow that flies in the sweetest air in the sky.
So thou be good, slander doth but approve,			So you are good, defamation, but good, but
Thy worth the greater being wooed of time,			Your value of the time that is overturned by time,
For canker vice the sweetest buds doth love,	Jesus daughter, Mary's child,		For cancer vice, love the sweetest buds, love,
And thou present'st a pure unstained prime.	Holy matron, woman mild,		And you present a pure, not defined Prime.
Thou hast passed by the ambush of young days,	For thee a mass shall still be said,		You have passed the ambush of young days,
Either not assailed, or victor being charged,	Every sister drop a bead;		Either not attacked or Victor is charged,
Yet this thy praise cannot be so thy praise,	And those again succeeding them		But this praise cannot be so praise
To tie up envy, evermore enlarged,	For you shall sing a Requiem.		Bind envy, to be enlarged,
If some suspect of ill masked not thy show,			If some suspicious diseases have not masked your show,
Then thou alone kingdoms of hearts shouldst owe.			Then you should owe the kingdoms of the heart alone.
71			71
No longer mourn for me when I am dead,			Don't worry about me anymore when I'm dead
Than you shall hear the surly sullen bell			When you will hear the grumpy bell
Give warning to the world that I am fled			Warning to the world that I fled
From this vile world with vilest worms to dwell:			From this hideous world with lively worms for living:
Nay if you read this line, remember not,			No, if you read this line, don't think about it
The hand that writ it, for I love you so,			The hand it wrote because I love you like that
That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot,			That I would forget in your sweet thoughts
If thinking on me then should make you woe.			If you think of me, you should get suffering.
O if (I say) you look upon this verse,			O If (I say), look at this verse,
When I (perhaps) compounded am with clay,			If I have (maybe) collected with clay,
Do not so much as my poor name rehearse;			Not as much as my bad name rehearse;
But let your love even with my life decay.			But let your love fall into my life too.
Lest the wise world should look into your moan,	May your happy soul be blithe,		So that the wise world should not look into their moan
And mock you with me after I am gone.	That so truly pay your tithe:		And mock yourself with me after I'm gone.
	He who many children gave,
	Tis fit that he one child should have.
72	Then, fair virgin, hear my spell,		72
O lest the world should task you to recite,	For I must your duty tell.		I shouldn't recite the world
What merit lived in me that you should love			What merit lived in me that you should love
After my death (dear love) forget me quite,			After my death (love love) forget me entirely,
For you in me can nothing worthy prove.			Nothing can be worthy for you in me.
Unless you would devise some virtuous lie,			Unless they would develop a virtuous lie,
To do more for me than mine own desert,			To do more for me than my own desert,
And hang more praise upon deceased I,	First, a mornings take your book,		And hang more praise on the deceased, me,
Than niggard truth would willingly impart:	The glass wherein your self must look;		As a Niggard truth, wouldingly convey:
O lest your true love may seem false in this,			I may seem wrong in this case.
That you for love speak well of me untrue,			That you speak of me well for love, untrue,
My name be buried where my body is,			My name is buried where my body is
And live no more to shame nor me, nor you.			And live neither ashamed nor me, nor you.
For I am shamed by that which I bring forth,			Because I am ashamed of what I produce
And so should you, to love things nothing worth.			And you should also love things that are worth nothing.
73			73
That time of year thou mayst in me behold,			This season, you may in me, see,
When yellow leaves, or none, or few do hang			When yellow leaves or no or only a few hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,			On those branches that tremble against the cold,
Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.			Care destroyed choirs, where the sweet birds sang late.
In me thou seest the twilight of such day,			In me you see the dusk of such a day,
As after sunset fadeth in the west,			As after Sunset Fadth in the West,
Which by and by black night doth take away,	You shall ring the sacring bell,		The thoroughly black night take away
Death's second self that seals up all in rest.	Keep your hours, and tell your knell,		The second self of death, which seals everything in peace.
In me thou seest the glowing of such fire,	Rise at midnight at your matins,		In me you see the glow of such a fire,
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,	Read your Psalter, sing your latins,		Lying on the ashes of his youth,
As the death-bed, whereon it must expire,	And when your blood shall kindle pleasure,		When the death of the death, whereupon it is
Consumed with that which it was nourished by.	Scourge your self in plenteous measure.		Consumed with the one who was nourished.
This thou perceiv'st, which makes thy love more strong,			That you perceive what makes your love stronger
To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.			To love the good thing you have had to leave for a long time.
74			74
But be contented when that fell arrest,			But be satisfied if this arrest fell,
Without all bail shall carry me away,			Without all the deposit, I will carry me away
My life hath in this line some interest,			My life has a certain interest in this line,
Which for memorial still with thee shall stay.			What kind of monument should stay with you.
When thou reviewest this, thou dost review,			If you review this, you have a review,
The very part was consecrate to thee,			The part was consecrated to you
The earth can have but earth, which is his due,			The earth can only have the earth, which is due,
My spirit is thine the better part of me,			My mind is most of me
So then thou hast but lost the dregs of life,			So you have lost the Dregs of life,
The prey of worms, my body being dead,			The prey of the worms, my body is dead,
The coward conquest of a wretch's knife,			The cowardly conquest of a misery knife,
Too base of thee to be remembered,			Too basic from you to remember,
The worth of that, is that which it contains,			The value of what it contains is
And that is this, and this with thee remains.			And that's that, and that stays with you.
	You must read the mornings mass,
	You must creep unto the Cross,
75	Put cold ashes on your head,		75
So are you to my thoughts as food to life,	Have a hair cloth for your bed.		So you are for my thoughts as food to live
Or as sweet-seasoned showers are to the ground;			Or as a sweet scene shower are on the ground;
And for the peace of you I hold such strife			And I have such a dispute for the peace of you
As 'twixt a miser and his wealth is found.			Acut and his wealth is found as' Twixt.
Now proud as an enjoyer, and anon			Now proud as more precisely and anon
Doubting the filching age will steal his treasure,			Doubts about the Filching age will steal his treasure,
Now counting best to be with you alone,	Bid your beads, and tell your needs,		Now it is best to count to be alone with you,
Then bettered that the world may see my pleasure,	Your holy Avies, and you Creeds;		Then better so that the world sees my pleasure
Sometime all full with feasting on your sight,	Holy maid, this must be done,		At some point everyone fed up with hitting
And by and by clean starved for a look,	If you mean to live a Nun.		And little by little to death to starve at a glance,
Possessing or pursuing no delight			Without having joy or persecuted
Save what is had, or must from you be took.			Save what has or must be taken from you.
Thus do I pine and surfeit day by day,			So I pine and overentae myself every day,
Or gluttoning on all, or all away.			Or away about everyone or everything.
76			76
Why is my verse so barren of new pride?			Why is my verse so sterile of new pride?
So far from variation or quick change?			So far from variation or quick change?
Why with the time do I not glance aside			Why don't I look aside over time
To new-found methods, and to compounds strange?			To newly found methods and to connections strange?
Why write I still all one, ever the same,			Why do I still write everyone, always the same,
And keep invention in a noted weed,			And keep the invention in a well -known weed,
That every word doth almost tell my name,			That every word almost tells my name
Showing their birth, and where they did proceed?			Show your birth and where did you go?
O know sweet love I always write of you,			O white, sweet love, I always write from you,
And you and love are still my argument:			And you and love are still my argument:
So all my best is dressing old words new,			Everything that my best is is to dress old words again,
Spending again what is already spent:			Spect out again, which is already being issued:
For as the sun is daily new and old,			Because when the sun is new and old every day,
So is my love still telling what is told.			So my love still says what is said.
77			77
Thy glass will show thee how thy beauties wear,			Your glass shows you how your beauties wear
Thy dial how thy precious minutes waste,			Your dial, how to waste your precious minutes,
These vacant leaves thy mind's imprint will bear,			These free leaves of the impression of their mind will endure
And of this book, this learning mayst thou taste.			And this learning may tastes of this book.
The wrinkles which thy glass will truly show,			The wrinkles that your glass will really show
Of mouthed graves will give thee memory,			Of mouth graves give you the memory
Thou by thy dial's shady stealth mayst know,			You are through the dodgy stealth assets of your dial, Mayst, Knowledge,
Time's thievish progress to eternity.			The permanent time of time progress in eternity.
Look what thy memory cannot contain,			See what your memory cannot contain,
Commit to these waste blanks, and thou shalt find			Commit to these waste blades and you should find
Those children nursed, delivered from thy brain,			These children are cared for, delivered from your brain,
To take a new acquaintance of thy mind.			Take a new acquaintance of your mind.
These offices, so oft as thou wilt look,			These offices as often as they look
Shall profit thee, and much enrich thy book.			Should benefit and enrich your book a lot.
78			78
So oft have I invoked thee for my muse,			So I often called you for my muse
And found such fair assistance in my verse,			And found such fair support in my verse,
As every alien pen hath got my use,			Like every extraterrestrial pencil, my use was used,
And under thee their poesy disperse.			And under you your poesy disperse.
Thine eyes, that taught the dumb on high to sing,			Your eyes that taught the stupid in full swing to sing,
And heavy ignorance aloft to fly,			And to fly serious ignorance in the air,
Have added feathers to the learned's wing,			I added the wing of the knowledge of feathers,
And given grace a double majesty.			And grace a double majagy.
Yet be most proud of that which I compile,			But be the proud of what I put together
Whose influence is thine, and born of thee,			Whose influence your and you were born,
In others' works thou dost but mend the style,			In the works of others, you dostest the style, but repair the style,
And arts with thy sweet graces graced be.			And graze with your sweet graces.
But thou art all my art, and dost advance			But you are all my art and my Dost progress
As high as learning, my rude ignorance.			And learn how high, my rude ignorance.
79			79
Whilst I alone did call upon thy aid,			While I called your help alone
My verse alone had all thy gentle grace,			My verse alone had all your gentle grace
But now my gracious numbers are decayed,			But now my amiable numbers have fallen into
And my sick muse doth give an other place.			And my sick muse gives a different place.
I grant (sweet love) thy lovely argument			I grant (sweet love) your beautiful argument
Deserves the travail of a worthier pen,			Deserves the difficulties of a worthy abbey,
Yet what of thee thy poet doth invent,			But what is your poet invented by you?
He robs thee of, and pays it thee again,			He robs you and pays you again
He lends thee virtue, and he stole that word,			He lends you virtue and he stole this word,
From thy behaviour, beauty doth he give			He gives the beauty from your behavior, he gives
And found it in thy cheek: he can afford			And found it in your cheek: he can afford it
No praise to thee, but what in thee doth live.			No praise to you, but what lives in you.
Then thank him not for that which he doth say,			Then do not thank him for what he can't say
Since what he owes thee, thou thy self dost pay.			Since what he owes you, you pay your self -socket.
80			80
O how I faint when I of you do write,			Oh how I passed out when I write from you
Knowing a better spirit doth use your name,			If you know a better spirit, use your name.
And in the praise thereof spends all his might,			And in praise all of his power spends
To make me tongue-tied speaking of your fame.			To make me default, speak of your fame.
But since your worth (wide as the ocean is)			But since your value (wide as the ocean is)
The humble as the proudest sail doth bear,			The modest like the proudest sailing bear,
My saucy bark (inferior far to his)			My cheeky bark (inferior to him)
On your broad main doth wilfully appear.			It appears intentionally on her wide main strip.
Your shallowest help will hold me up afloat,			Your shallow help will keep me afloat
Whilst he upon your soundless deep doth ride,			While he rode on her roundless deep journey,
Or (being wrecked) I am a worthless boat,			Or (destroyed) I'm a worthless boat,
He of tall building, and of goodly pride.			He from a high building and good proud.
Then if he thrive and I be cast away,			Then when he thrives and I am thrown away,
The worst was this, my love was my decay.			The worst thing was that, my love was my decay.
81			81
Or I shall live your epitaph to make,			Or I will live your epitaph to make
Or you survive when I in earth am rotten,			Or you survive when I'm lazy in the ground
From hence your memory death cannot take,			Therefore, your memory cannot endure death
Although in me each part will be forgotten.			Although every part is forgotten in me.
Your name from hence immortal life shall have,			Their name from immortal life should have,
Though I (once gone) to all the world must die,			Although I (once left) all over the world, I have to die
The earth can yield me but a common grave,			But the earth can give me a common grave,
When you entombed in men's eyes shall lie,			If you are locked up in the eyes of the men, you will lie,
Your monument shall be my gentle verse,			Your monument should be my gentle verse
Which eyes not yet created shall o'er-read,			Which eyes have not yet created are overlooked
And tongues to be, your being shall rehearse,			And be tongues, your being should rehearse,
When all the breathers of this world are dead,			When all the breaths of this world are dead,
You still shall live (such virtue hath my pen)			You will still live (such virtue has my pen)
Where breath most breathes, even in the mouths of men.			Where breath breathes the most, even in the men's mouths.
82			82
I grant thou wert not married to my muse,			I grant that you are not married to my muse,
And therefore mayst without attaint o'erlook			And therefore Mayst without adequate O'erlook
The dedicated words which writers use			The committed words that use writers
Of their fair subject, blessing every book.			Every book blessed from her fair topic.
Thou art as fair in knowledge as in hue,			You are as fair in knowledge as in the color,
Finding thy worth a limit past my praise,			Find your praise that my praise is worth,
And therefore art enforced to seek anew,			And therefore enforced to search again,
Some fresher stamp of the time-bettering days.			Some freshery stamps on the time of time.
And do so love, yet when they have devised,			And love that, but when you have developed
What strained touches rhetoric can lend,	Peace and charity within,		What tense touches can give rhetoric,
Thou truly fair, wert truly sympathized,	Never touch't with deadly sin;		You really fair, really sympathize,
In true plain words, by thy true-telling friend.	I cast my holy water pure		In real simple words from your true friend.
And their gross painting might be better used,	On this wall and on this door,		And their gross painting could be better used
Where cheeks need blood, in thee it is abused.	That from evil shall defend,		Where cheeks need blood, it is misused in you.
	And keep you from the ugly fiend:
83	Shall approach or come this way;		83
I never saw that you did painting need,			I never saw that you have made painting need
And therefore to your fair no painting set,			And therefore not a meal,
I found (or thought I found) you did exceed,			I found (or thought I found) that you surpassed
That barren tender of a poet's debt:			This barren tender for the debts of a poet:
And therefore have I slept in your report,			And that's why I slept in your report
That you your self being extant well might show,			That you are good for yourself could be to show maybe
How far a modern quill doth come too short,			How far a modern feather is neglected,
Speaking of worth, what worth in you doth grow.			Speaking of what is worth for you, it grows.
This silence for my sin you did impute,			This silence for my sin that you have subordinated,
Which shall be most my glory being dumb,			That should be my fame to be stupid
For I impair not beauty being mute,			Because I don't affect beauty to be silent
When others would give life, and bring a tomb.			If others give life and bring a grave.
There lives more life in one of your fair eyes,			There lives more life in one of your fair eyes,
Than both your poets can in praise devise.			Then your two poets can create praise.
84			84
Who is it that says most, which can say more,			Who is it, that says the most, what more can say
Than this rich praise, that you alone, are you?			When this rich praise that you are alone, right?
In whose confine immured is the store,			The shop is in the restriction of the shop,
Which should example where your equal grew.			Which should, for example, where they grow.
Lean penury within that pen doth dwell,			Likes lifter in this pen,
That to his subject lends not some small glory,			That for his topic does not give a little fame,
But he that writes of you, if he can tell,			But who writes about you when he can say it
That you are you, so dignifies his story.			That you are, so worthy of his story.
Let him but copy what in you is writ,			But let him copy what is written in you is written,
Not making worse what nature made so clear,			Don't make what nature made so clear
And such a counterpart shall fame his wit,			And such a counterpart becomes famous for his joke,
Making his style admired every where.			Admired his style everywhere.
You to your beauteous blessings add a curse,			They add a curse to their beautiful blessings,
Being fond on praise, which makes your praises worse.			Love praise what your praise worsens.
85			85
My tongue-tied muse in manners holds her still,			My tongue -bound muse in manners keeps them silent
While comments of your praise richly compiled,			During comments in their praise richly compiled,
Reserve their character with golden quill,			Reserve your character with golden feather,
And precious phrase by all the Muses filed.			And precious sentence of all submitted muses.
I think good thoughts, whilst other write good words,			I think good thoughts while other good words write
And like unlettered clerk still cry Amen,			And like the employee that has not been triggered, still cry,
To every hymn that able spirit affords,			For every hymn that the capable spirit offers,
In polished form of well refined pen.			In a polished form of the well -refined abbey.
Hearing you praised, I say 'tis so, 'tis true,			I heard that you praised, I say it is true, it is true
And to the most of praise add something more,			And for the most part of the praise add a little more,
But that is in my thought, whose love to you			But that's in my thought, whose love for you
(Though words come hindmost) holds his rank before,			(Although the words have the back) holds its rank beforehand
Then others, for the breath of words respect,			Then others, respect for the breath of words,
Me for my dumb thoughts, speaking in effect.			I for my stupid thoughts that speak.
86			86
Was it the proud full sail of his great verse,			Was it the proud full sail of his great verse?
Bound for the prize of (all too precious) you,			For the price of (only too precious) you,
That did my ripe thoughts in my brain inhearse,			That helped my mature thoughts in my brain, helped
Making their tomb the womb wherein they grew?			Make your grave a womb where you grew?
Was it his spirit, by spirits taught to write,			Was it his spirit, through spirits who were taught to write
Above a mortal pitch, that struck me dead?			That killed me over a mortal pitch?
No, neither he, nor his compeers by night			No, neither he nor his compils at night
Giving him aid, my verse astonished.			When I gave help, my verse was amazed.
He nor that affable familiar ghost			He still well -known spirit
Which nightly gulls him with intelligence,			What night around him with intelligence, intelligence,
As victors of my silence cannot boast,			How the winners of my silence cannot boast,
I was not sick of any fear from thence.			I wasn't afraid of there.
But when your countenance filled up his line,			But when her face filled his line
Then lacked I matter, that enfeebled mine.			Then I was missing that I started mine.
87			87
Farewell! thou art too dear for my possessing,			Taking leave! You are too expensive for my possession
And like enough thou know'st thy estimate,			And like enough, you know your estimate,
The charter of thy worth gives thee releasing:			The charter of your Worth is published:
My bonds in thee are all determinate.			My bonds in you are all determined.
For how do I hold thee but by thy granting,			Because how do I hold you, but through your granting,
And for that riches where is my deserving?			And for this wealth, where is I deserved?
The cause of this fair gift in me is wanting,			The cause of this fair gift in me is to want
And so my patent back again is swerving.			And so my patent swings again.
Thy self thou gav'st, thy own worth then not knowing,			Your self gav'st, your own value, then not to know,
Or me to whom thou gav'st it, else mistaking,			Or I, who you gave it, otherwise confuses,
So thy great gift upon misprision growing,			So your great gift in growth in misdirections,
Comes home again, on better judgement making.			Comes back home, through better judgment.
Thus have I had thee as a dream doth flatter,			So I had flattered you as a dream
In sleep a king, but waking no such matter.			A king in her sleep, but no such thing.
88			88
When thou shalt be disposed to set me light,			If you are ready to set me light
And place my merit in the eye of scorn,			And put my merit in the eye of contempt,
Upon thy side, against my self I'll fight,			On your side, I will fight against myself
And prove thee virtuous, though thou art forsworn:			And prove virtuously, even though you have been sent:
With mine own weakness being best acquainted,			Best be familiar with my own weakness,
Upon thy part I can set down a story			I can put down a story on your part
Of faults concealed, wherein I am attainted:			Hidden from errors, where I am reached:
That thou in losing me, shalt win much glory:			The fact that you lose me should gain a lot of fame:
And I by this will be a gainer too,			And I will also be a win
For bending all my loving thoughts on thee,			For bending all my loving thoughts about you,
The injuries that to my self I do,			The injuries for myself, I do,
Doing thee vantage, double-vantage me.			I do the vantage for you, double myself.
Such is my love, to thee I so belong,			So is my love for you, I belong that way
That for thy right, my self will bear all wrong.			For your right, my self will wear everything wrong.
89			89
Say that thou didst forsake me for some fault,			Say that you left me because of a mistake
And I will comment upon that offence,			And I will comment on this crime
Speak of my lameness, and I straight will halt:			Talk of my lameness and I will stop directly:
Against thy reasons making no defence.			Against your reasons that do not make a defense.
Thou canst not (love) disgrace me half so ill,			You can't make me half as sick, not (love).
To set a form upon desired change,			Set a form to the desired change,
As I'll my self disgrace, knowing thy will,			As I know my self -shame, the will,
I will acquaintance strangle and look strange:			I will be acquainted with acquaintance and look strange:
Be absent from thy walks and in my tongue,			Be absent from your walks and in my tongue,
Thy sweet beloved name no more shall dwell,			Your sweetly beloved name should no longer live,
Lest I (too much profane) should do it wrong:			So that I shouldn't go wrong (too much profane):
And haply of our old acquaintance tell.			And brilliantly from our old acquaintance.
For thee, against my self I'll vow debate,			For you, against myself, I will relieve debate,
For I must ne'er love him whom thou dost hate.			Because I don't have to love him that you hate.
90			90
Then hate me when thou wilt, if ever, now,			Then hate me if you now, if at all, now, now,
Now while the world is bent my deeds to cross,			Well, while the world is bent my deeds to cross,
join with the spite of fortune, make me bow,			Connect happiness, make me bow,
And do not drop in for an after-loss:			And don't give over after an afterless:
Ah do not, when my heart hath 'scaped this sorrow,			Ah not when my heart has praised this grief,
Come in the rearward of a conquered woe,			Come in the backward of a conquered woe,
Give not a windy night a rainy morrow,			Do not give a rainy morning at a windy night,
To linger out a purposed overthrow.			Have a succumbed fall.
If thou wilt leave me, do not leave me last,			If you leave me, not least let me
When other petty griefs have done their spite,			When other little mourning have done them,
But in the onset come, so shall I taste			But at the beginning I come like that, I also like it
At first the very worst of fortune's might.			First the worst force of Fortune.
And other strains of woe, which now seem woe,			And other suffering tribes that now seem to hurt,
Compared with loss of thee, will not seem so.			In comparison to the loss of you it won't appear that way.
91			91
Some glory in their birth, some in their skill,			Some fame in their birth, others in their skill,
Some in their wealth, some in their body's force,			Some in their wealth, some in the power of their body,
Some in their garments though new-fangled ill:			Some in their clothes, even though newly caught sick:
Some in their hawks and hounds, some in their horse.			Some in their Hawks and dogs, others in their horse.
And every humour hath his adjunct pleasure,			And every humor has its additional pleasure
Wherein it finds a joy above the rest,			Whereby it finds a joy over the rest
But these particulars are not my measure,			But these details are not my measure
All these I better in one general best.			I am better in a general best.
Thy love is better than high birth to me,			Your love is better than a high birth for me
Richer than wealth, prouder than garments' costs,			Richer than prosperity, proud than the costs of clothing,
Of more delight than hawks and horses be:			Of more joy than falcons and horses:
And having thee, of all men's pride I boast.			And with you, from all men, I boast.
Wretched in this alone, that thou mayst take,			Only in this misery that you take Mayst,
All this away, and me most wretchcd make.			All of this path and I do the most.
92			92
But do thy worst to steal thy self away,			But your worst, steal your own,
For term of life thou art assured mine,			For the lifespan you have assured me
And life no longer than thy love will stay,			And life no longer stays than your love,
For it depends upon that love of thine.			Because it depends on this love for yours.
Then need I not to fear the worst of wrongs,			Then I don't have to fear the worst of injustice,
When in the least of them my life hath end,			When in the least of them my life ends, ends,
I see, a better state to me belongs			I see a better condition for me heard
Than that, which on thy humour doth depend.			As what depends on your humor.
Thou canst not vex me with inconstant mind,			You can't annoy me with inconsistent minds
Since that my life on thy revolt doth lie,			Since my life lies on your revolt, lie,
O what a happy title do I find,			O What a happy title I think
Happy to have thy love, happy to die!			Happy to have your love, to die happy!
But what's so blessed-fair that fears no blot?			But what is so blessed that she doesn't fear blot?
Thou mayst be false, and yet I know it not.			You are wrong, and yet I don't know.
93			93
So shall I live, supposing thou art true,			So I should live, assume that you are true, true,
Like a deceived husband, so love's face,			Like a deceived husband, so love is the face,
May still seem love to me, though altered new:			I still like love, even though has been changed:
Thy looks with me, thy heart in other place.			Your appearance with me, your heart in another place.
For there can live no hatred in thine eye,			Because it cannot live hatred in your eye
Therefore in that I cannot know thy change,			So I can't know your change
In many's looks, the false heart's history			In many appearance of the history of the wrong heart
Is writ in moods and frowns and wrinkles strange.			Is written in moods and frowns and strange.
But heaven in thy creation did decree,			But the sky in your creation has emerged
That in thy face sweet love should ever dwell,			That should ever live sweet love in your face,
Whate'er thy thoughts, or thy heart's workings be,			What your thoughts or work of your heart will be
Thy looks should nothing thence, but sweetness tell.			Your appearance shouldn't tell anything about there, but tell sweetness.
How like Eve's apple doth thy beauty grow,			How like Eva's apple does your beauty grow?
If thy sweet virtue answer not thy show.			If your sweet virtue respond, not your show.
94			94
They that have power to hurt, and will do none,			Those who have power to hurt and will not do any
That do not do the thing, they most do show,			That doesn't do the thing, they show the most
Who moving others, are themselves as stone,			Whoever moves others are themselves as stone,
Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow:			Unmitted, cold and temptation slowly:
They rightly do inherit heaven's graces,			They rightly inherit the graces of heaven,
And husband nature's riches from expense,			And husband nature wealth according to costs,
Tibey are the lords and owners of their faces,			Tibey are the gentlemen and owners of their faces,
Others, but stewards of their excellence:			Others, but administrator of their excellence:
The summer's flower is to the summer sweet,			The summer flower is cute for summer
Though to it self, it only live and die,			Although it lives and dies for itself, it only
But if that flower with base infection meet,			But when this flower meet with basic infection,
The basest weed outbraves his dignity:			The most fundamental weed exaggerates his dignity:
For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds,			For sweet things, through their deeds, the suckers
Lilies that fester, smell far worse than weeds.			Lilies, the caps, smell much worse than weeds.
95			95
How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame,			How cute and beautiful, you do the shame
Which like a canker in the fragrant rose,			What like a cancer in the fragrant rose,
Doth spot the beauty of thy budding name!			Recognize the beauty of your aspiring name!
O in what sweets dost thou thy sins enclose!			O in what sweets you enclose your sins!
That tongue that tells the story of thy days,			This tongue that tells the story of your days
(Making lascivious comments on thy sport)			(Make lascivious comments about your sport)
Cannot dispraise, but in a kind of praise,			Can't refute, but in a kind of praise,
Naming thy name, blesses an ill report.			If you give your name, she blesses a bad report.
O what a mansion have those vices got,			O What kind of villa did these trucks get
Which for their habitation chose out thee,			What has chosen you for your settlement,
Where beauty's veil doth cover every blot,			Where the beauty of the veil covers every spot,
And all things turns to fair, that eyes can see!			And everything will be fair, these eyes can see!
Take heed (dear heart) of this large privilege,			Note (dear heart) of this great privilege,
The hardest knife ill-used doth lose his edge.			The toughest knife that is poorly used loses its edge.
96			96
Some say thy fault is youth, some wantonness,			Some say that your guilt is youth, a different want,
Some say thy grace is youth and gentle sport,			Some say your grace is youth and gentle sport,
Both grace and faults are loved of more and less:			Both mercy and mistakes are less and less loved:
Thou mak'st faults graces, that to thee resort:			You make mistakes that you have resorted Resort:
As on the finger of a throned queen,			Like on the finger of a queen of enthusiast,
The basest jewel will be well esteemed:			The most basic jewel is well estimated:
So are those errors that in thee are seen,			So these mistakes are seen in you
To truths translated, and for true things deemed.			Translated into truths and for true things.
How many lambs might the stern wolf betray,			How many lambs could reveal the rear Wolf,
If like a lamb he could his looks translate!			If he could translate his appearance like a lamb!
How many gazers mightst thou lead away,			How many dentists could lead away
if thou wouldst use the strength of all thy state!			If you would use the strength of your state!
But do not so, I love thee in such sort,			But not so, I love you in such varieties
As thou being mine, mine is thy good report.			Since you are mine, my good report is mine.
97			97
How like a winter hath my absence been			How like a winter was my absence
From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year!			From you, the pleasure of the fleeting year!
What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen!			What freezes did I feel what dark days saw!
What old December's bareness everywhere!			What an old baldness of December everywhere!
And yet this time removed was summer's time,			And yet this time the time of summer was removed
The teeming autumn big with rich increase,			The teeming autumn with an extensive increase,
Bearing the wanton burden of the prime,			With the willful strain on the prime, with
Like widowed wombs after their lords' decease:			Like widowed uterus after the death of her gentlemen:
Yet this abundant issue seemed to me			But this plenty of problem seemed to me
But hope of orphans, and unfathered fruit,			But hope for orphans and unrestricted fruits,
For summer and his pleasures wait on thee,			For summer and his joys are waiting for you
And thou away, the very birds are mute.			And you away, the birds are silent.
Or if they sing, 'tis with so dull a cheer,			Or when they sing, it is with such boring cheers,
That leaves look pale, dreading the winter's near.			The leaves looks pale and fears winter nearby.
98			98
From you have I been absent in the spring,			I was absent from you in the spring
When proud-pied April (dressed in all his trim)			As pride in April (dressed in all of his cladding)
Hath put a spirit of youth in every thing:			Has put a spirit of youth in everything:
That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him.			This heavy Saturn laughed and jumped with him.
Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell			But still the laypersons of birds, still the sweet smell
Of different flowers in odour and in hue,			From different flowers in the smell and in the color,
Could make me any summer's story tell:			Could tell me about every summer story:
Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew:			Or from their proud lap that they grew, where they grew:
Nor did I wonder at the lily's white,			I also didn't ask myself about the white the Lily,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose,			They still praise the deep vermilion in the rose,
They were but sweet, but figures of delight:			They were just cute, but figures of joy:
Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.			Drawn after you, you pattern of all this.
Yet seemed it winter still, and you away,			But it still seemed in winter and you gone
As with your shadow I with these did play.			As with your shadow, I played with them.
99			99
The forward violet thus did I chide,			The striker violet so I met
Sweet thief, whence didst thou steal thy sweet that smells,			Sweet thief, where did you stolen your sweetness, which smells,
If not from my love's breath? The purple pride			If not from the breath of my love? The purple proud
Which on thy soft check for complexion dwells,			Who lives on complexion on your soft check,
In my love's veins thou hast too grossly dyed.			You have colored too roughly in the veins of my love.
The lily I condemned for thy hand,			The lily that I condemned for your hand,
And buds of marjoram had stol'n thy hair,			And buds of Marjoram had bumped into your hair,
The roses fearfully on thorns did stand,			The roses stood anxiously on thorns,
One blushing shame, another white despair:			A blushing shame, another white despair:
A third nor red, nor white, had stol'n of both,			A third neither red or white had bumped from both,
And to his robbery had annexed thy breath,			And to his robbery, your breath had annexed
But for his theft in pride of all his growth			But proud of his growth for his theft
A vengeful canker eat him up to death.			A vengeful cancer eats him to death.
More flowers I noted, yet I none could see,			More flowers I noticed, but I couldn't see anyone,
But sweet, or colour it had stol'n from thee.			But sweet or colored it from you.
100			100
Where art thou Muse that thou forget'st so long,			Where are you that you forget for so long
To speak of that which gives thee all thy might?			To speak of what all your power gives you?
Spend'st thou thy fury on some worthless song,			Spend your anger for a worthless song,
Darkening thy power to lend base subjects light?			Do you darken your strength to give base compartments light?
Return forgetful Muse, and straight redeem,			Return for forgetful muse and just redeem,
In gentle numbers time so idly spent,			Spent time so idle in a gentle figure,
Sing to the ear that doth thy lays esteem,			Sing to the ear that appreciates your laying
And gives thy pen both skill and argument.			And gives your pen both skills and argument.
Rise resty Muse, my love's sweet face survey,			Rise Resty Muse, the sweet facial survey of my love,
If time have any wrinkle graven there,			If the time has a fold there, they fold there
If any, be a satire to decay,			If at all, a satire for decay,
And make time's spoils despised everywhere.			And make the prey of the time everywhere.
Give my love fame faster than Time wastes life,			Give my love faster than time wastes life
So thou prevent'st his scythe, and crooked knife.			So prevent his scythe and crooked knife.
101			101
O truant Muse what shall be thy amends,			O Truant Muse what your changes should be,
For thy neglect of truth in beauty dyed?			Colored for your neglect of truth in beauty?
Both truth and beauty on my love depends:			Both truth and beauty of my love depend on it:
So dost thou too, and therein dignified:			So you also and worthy in it:
Make answer Muse, wilt thou not haply say,			Make an answer muse, you don't say brilliantly:
Truth needs no colour with his colour fixed,			The truth does not need color with a solid color,
Beauty no pencil, beauty's truth to lay:			Beauty no pencil, beauty of truth:
But best is best, if never intermixed'?			But the best thing is when it is never mixed.
Because he needs no praise, wilt thou be dumb?			Because he doesn't need praise, will you be stupid?
Excuse not silence so, for't lies in thee,			Sorry not to be silent because it is not within you
To make him much outlive a gilded tomb:			So that he survives a lot of gilded grave:
And to be praised of ages yet to be.			And to be praised by age.
Then do thy office Muse, I teach thee how,			Then make your office, I teach you how, how,
To make him seem long hence, as he shows now.			So that it makes him appear for a long time, as he now shows.
102			102
My love is strengthened though more weak in seeming,			My love is strengthened, albeit weak in apparent,
I love not less, though less the show appear,			I don't love less, even though the show appears less,
That love is merchandized, whose rich esteeming,			This love is acquired, the realm of which
The owner's tongue doth publish every where.			The owner's tongue publish everywhere.
Our love was new, and then but in the spring,			Our love was new and then in spring,
When I was wont to greet it with my lays,			When I didn't want to greet it with my lies,
As Philomel in summer's front doth sing,			When Philomel sings in the summer front,
And stops her pipe in growth of riper days:			And stops your pipe in the growth of travel days:
Not that the summer is less pleasant now			Not that summer is now less pleasant
Than when her mournful hymns did hush the night,			When their sad hymns became quiet at night,
But that wild music burthens every bough,			But this wild music bundles every victory, every victory,
And sweets grown common lose their dear delight.			And sweets that have grown lose their love.
Therefore like her, I sometime hold my tongue:			So I keep my tongue at some point:
Because I would not dull you with my song.			Because I won't be bored with my song.
103			103
Alack what poverty my muse brings forth,			Alack What poverty my muse brings out
That having such a scope to show her pride,			This has such a scope to show their pride
The argument all bare is of more worth			The argument is only worth more
Than when it hath my added praise beside.			As if it has my additional praise.
O blame me not if I no more can write!			O Don't blame me if I can no longer write!
Look in your glass and there appears a face,			Look into your glass and it seems to be a face
That over-goes my blunt invention quite,			This exaggerates my blunt invention entirely, entirely,
Dulling my lines, and doing me disgrace.			My lines dull and shame.
Were it not sinful then striving to mend,			Wouldn't it be sinful to strive at the time, to measure yourself,
To mar the subject that before was well?			The topic that was good before was good?
For to no other pass my verses tend,			Because my verses don't tend to any other passport
Than of your graces and your gifts to tell.			To tell about their graces and their gifts.
And more, much more than in my verse can sit,			And more, much more than in my verse,
Your own glass shows you, when you look in it.			It shows you your own glass when you look in it.
104			104
To me fair friend you never can be old,			For me fair friend, you can never be old
For as you were when first your eye I eyed,			Because as you were when you first eyed your eye, I eyed,
Such seems your beauty still: three winters cold,			Such your beauty still seems to be: three winter cold
Have from the forests shook three summers' pride,			Have shaked three Summers' pride of the forests,
Three beauteous springs to yellow autumn turned,			Three beautiful feathers for yellow autumn turned
In process of the seasons have I seen,			In the trial of the seasons, I saw
Three April perfumes in three hot Junes burned,			Three perfumes burned in three hot Junes in April,
Since first I saw you fresh which yet are green.			Since I saw you fresh for the first time, which is still green.
Ah yet doth beauty like a dial hand,			Ah still the beauty like a dial hand,
Steal from his figure, and no pace perceived,			Steal stealing from his figure and not perceived at a pace,
So your sweet hue, which methinks still doth stand			So your sweet color, which is still standing
Hath motion, and mine eye may be deceived.			The movement and my eye can be deceived.
For fear of which, hear this thou age unbred,			For fear of this, you hear that you are uninjured,
Ere you were born was beauty's summer dead.			Before they were born, summer was dead from Beauty.
105			105
Let not my love be called idolatry,			Don't let my love be called idolatry,
Nor my beloved as an idol show,			Still my lover as an idol show,
Since all alike my songs and praises be			Since everyone will be my songs and praise right away
To one, of one, still such, and ever so.			To one, still so and always.
Kind is my love to-day, to-morrow kind,			Art is my love today, tomorrow, type, art,
Still constant in a wondrous excellence,			Still constant in wonderful excellence,
Therefore my verse to constancy confined,			Therefore my verse was locked up on consistency,
One thing expressing, leaves out difference.			One thing that expresses leaves a difference.
Fair, kind, and true, is all my argument,			Fair, friendly and true, is my whole argument,
Fair, kind, and true, varying to other words,			Fair, friendly and true, varies to other words,
And in this change is my invention spent,			And in this change my invention is issued
Three themes in one, which wondrous scope affords.			Three topics in one that offers a miraculous scope.
Fair, kind, and true, have often lived alone.			Fair, friendly and true, often lived alone.
Which three till now, never kept seat in one.			The three have never kept in one.
106			106
When in the chronicle of wasted time,			If in the chronicle of the wasted time,
I see descriptions of the fairest wights,			I see descriptions of the most beautiful ways,
And beauty making beautiful old rhyme,			And beauty that makes a nice old rhyme,
In praise of ladies dead, and lovely knights,			To praise women dead and beautiful knights,
Then in the blazon of sweet beauty's best,			Then in the blazon of Sweet Beauty's Best,
Of hand, of foot, of lip, of eye, of brow,			By hand, from foot, the lip, the eye, forehead, forehead,
I see their antique pen would have expressed,			I see that your ancient pen would have expressed,
Even such a beauty as you master now.			Even a beauty like you now master.
So all their praises are but prophecies			So all their praise are only prophecies
Of this our time, all you prefiguring,			From this time you have everything you present
And for they looked but with divining eyes,			And because they looked with divine eyes,
They had not skill enough your worth to sing:			They didn't have enough skill that they are worth singing:
For we which now behold these present days,			Because we, what these days see now,
Have eyes to wonder, but lack tongues to praise.			Do you have eyes to be surprised, but there are no tongues for praise.
107			107
Not mine own fears, nor the prophetic soul,			Neither my own fears nor the prophetic soul,
Of the wide world, dreaming on things to come,			The wide world, dream of the upcoming things,
Can yet the lease of my true love control,			Can still the lease of my true love control,
Supposed as forfeit to a confined doom.			Suspects as a decay on a limited fate.
The mortal moon hath her eclipse endured,			The mortal moon has endured its solar eclipse,
And the sad augurs mock their own presage,			And the sad Augurs mock over her own presage,
Incertainties now crown themselves assured,			Tipped now crowns insured
And peace proclaims olives of endless age.			And peace announces olives of endless age.
Now with the drops of this most balmy time,			Now with the drops of this most millilous time,
My love looks fresh, and death to me subscribes,			My love looks fresh and death for me is emerging.
Since spite of him I'll live in this poor rhyme,			Since I have been living in this bad rhyme,
While he insults o'er dull and speechless tribes.			While he insults boring and speechless tribes.
And thou in this shalt find thy monument,			And you should find your monument in this
When tyrants' crests and tombs of brass are spent.			When tyranna bunnies and brass graves are output.
108			108
What's in the brain that ink may character,			What is in the brain can have this ink character,
Which hath not figured to thee my true spirit,			What did not think my true spirit,
What's new to speak, what now to register,			What is new to speak, what to register now?
That may express my love, or thy dear merit?			This can express my love or your love earnings?
Nothing sweet boy, but yet like prayers divine,			Nothing cute boy, but like prayers divine,
I must each day say o'er the very same,			I have to say the same thing every day
Counting no old thing old, thou mine, I thine,			Do not count old thing old, you mean, me yours, me
Even as when first I hallowed thy fair name.			Even when I healed your fair name for the first time.
So that eternal love in love's fresh case,			So this eternal love in the fresh case of love,
Weighs not the dust and injury of age,			Do not weigh the dust and the violation of age,
Nor gives to necessary wrinkles place,			There is still the necessary folding place,
But makes antiquity for aye his page,			Makes ancient times for Aye on his side, but does it
Finding the first conceit of love there bred,			Find the first imagination of love bred there,
Where time and outward form would show it dead.			Where time and external shape would show you dead.
109			109
O never say that I was false of heart,			O never say that I was wrong out of my heart,
Though absence seemed my flame to qualify,			Although absence my flame seemed to qualify,
As easy might I from my self depart,			I could do that easy from my self -department,
As from my soul which in thy breast doth lie:			Like from my soul that lies in your chest:
That is my home of love, if I have ranged,			This is my home of love when I'm away from the far area,
Like him that travels I return again,			Like him that travels, I return
Just to the time, not with the time exchanged,			Only at the moment, not with the exchanged time,
So that my self bring water for my stain,			So that my self brings water for my place
Never believe though in my nature reigned,			Believe never in my nature,
All frailties that besiege all kinds of blood,			All weaknesses that besiege all types of blood,
That it could so preposterously be stained,			That it could be colored so absurd,
To leave for nothing all thy sum of good:			For nothing to work, your sum of the good:
For nothing this wide universe I call,			For nothing of this broad universe that I call,
Save thou my rose, in it thou art my all.			Save my rose, in that you are my everything.
110			110
Alas 'tis true, I have gone here and there,			Unfortunately I went here and there
And made my self a motley to the view,			And made myself a colorful look at the view
Gored mine own thoughts, sold cheap what is most dear,			In demand my own thoughts, cheap sold, what is preferable, preferably,
Made old offences of affections new.			Old crimes made up for affection.
Most true it is, that I have looked on truth			The truest is that I have seen the truth
Askance and strangely: but by all above,			Crooked and strange: but from everyone above ,,
These blenches gave my heart another youth,			These gradations gave my heart another youth,
And worse essays proved thee my best of love.			And worse essays showed you my best out of love.
Now all is done, have what shall have no end,			Now everything is done, have what should not end,
Mine appetite I never more will grind			My appetite I will never grind again
On newer proof, to try an older friend,			On more recent evidence to try an older friend,
A god in love, to whom I am confined.			One in love I am locked up.
Then give me welcome, next my heaven the best,			Then welcome me, my sky next
Even to thy pure and most most loving breast.			Even to your pure and loving breast.
111			111
O for my sake do you with Fortune chide,			O For me you make with lucky jide,
The guilty goddess of my harmful deeds,			The guilty goddess of my harmful deeds,
That did not better for my life provide,			It didn't get that better for my life
Than public means which public manners breeds.			As public, public manners.
Thence comes it that my name receives a brand,			From there it happens that my name receives a brand,
And almost thence my nature is subdued			And almost from there my nature is steamed
To what it works in, like the dyer's hand:			To what it works, like the hand of the dyer:
Pity me then, and wish I were renewed,			Pity with me and wished I had been renewed
Whilst like a willing patient I will drink,			Although I will drink like a willing patient,
Potions of eisel 'gainst my strong infection,			Drinks from Eisel receive my strong infection,
No bitterness that I will bitter think,			No bitterness that I will think bitterly
Nor double penance to correct correction.			Double penance to correct the correction.
Pity me then dear friend, and I assure ye,			Pity with me would rather friend, and I assure you
Even that your pity is enough to cure me.			Even that your pity is enough to heal me.
112			112
Your love and pity doth th' impression fill,			Your love and pity have the impression that fills,
Which vulgar scandal stamped upon my brow,			Which vulgar scandal stamped on my forehead,
For what care I who calls me well or ill,			For which care I do, who calls me good or sick,
So you o'er-green my bad, my good allow?			So, you are my bad, my good permission?
You are my all the world, and I must strive,			You are my whole world and I have to strive
To know my shames and praises from your tongue,			To know my shame and praise from your tongue,
None else to me, nor I to none alive,			Nobody else for me, nor do I live until anyone
That my steeled sense or changes right or wrong.			That my steel makes sense or my steel changes properly or incorrectly.
In so profound abysm I throw all care			I throw all care in such a deep abyss
Of others' voices, that my adder's sense,			Of the voices of others that the meaning of my addier,
To critic and to flatterer stopped are:			Critics and Schmeichler are required:
Mark how with my neglect I do dispense.			Mark how I can do without my neglect.
You are so strongly in my purpose bred,			They are so strong in my purpose,
That all the world besides methinks are dead.			That the whole world is dead next to it.
113			113
Since I left you, mine eye is in my mind,			Since I left you, my eye is in my head
And that which governs me to go about,			And what rules me to deal with
Doth part his function, and is partly blind,			Divide its function and is sometimes blind,
Seems seeing, but effectually is out:			Seems to see, but it has come out effectively:
For it no form delivers to the heart			Because it does not provide any shape for the heart
Of bird, of flower, or shape which it doth latch,			From bird, of flower or shape that it has reduced,
Of his quick objects hath the mind no part,			His fast objects have no part
Nor his own vision holds what it doth catch:			His own vision keeps what it catches:
For if it see the rud'st or gentlest sight,			Because if it sees the Rud'St or the most gentle sight
The most sweet favour or deformed'st creature,			The sweetest fallen or deformed creature,
The mountain, or the sea, the day, or night:			The mountain or the sea, the day or night:
The crow, or dove, it shapes them to your feature.			The crow or pigeon forms it into its function.
Incapable of more, replete with you,			Unable to do more, full with them,
My most true mind thus maketh mine untrue.			So my true mind makes my untrue.
114			114
Or whether doth my mind being crowned with you			Or whether my mind is crowned with you
Drink up the monarch's plague this flattery?			The plague of the monarch drink this flattery?
Or whether shall I say mine eye saith true,			Or whether I should say my eye speaks true
And that your love taught it this alchemy?			And that your love taught this alchemy?
To make of monsters, and things indigest,			To make it digestible by monsters and things,
Such cherubins as your sweet self resemble,			Resemble such cherubins like your sweet itself,
Creating every bad a perfect best			Every bad best way
As fast as objects to his beams assemble:			As fast as objects gather for his rays:
O 'tis the first, 'tis flattery in my seeing,			O 'tis the first', it flattered in my vision,
And my great mind most kingly drinks it up,			And my big mind prefers to drink it,
Mine eye well knows what with his gust is 'greeing,			My eye knows what is with his gust, gries,
And to his palate doth prepare the cup.			And the cup prepares for his palate.
If it be poisoned, 'tis the lesser sin,			If it is poisoned, 'the smaller sin,
That mine eye loves it and doth first begin.			Mine Eye loves it and starts first.
115			115
Those lines that I before have writ do lie,			These lines that I wrote before lies,
Even those that said I could not love you dearer,			Even those who said I couldn't love you, more expensive,
Yet then my judgment knew no reason why,			But then my judgment knew no reason why,
My most full flame should afterwards burn clearer,			My full flame should burn later more clearly,
But reckoning time, whose millioned accidents			But calculate the time whose millionth accidents
Creep in 'twixt vows, and change decrees of kings,			Crawl in Twixt vow and change the changes to the kings,
Tan sacred beauty, blunt the sharp'st intents,			Browning sacred beauty, the sharp intentions blunt,
Divert strong minds to the course of alt'ring things:			Lead strong heads in the course of the Alt'Ring things:
Alas why fearing of time's tyranny,			Unfortunately, why fear of the tyranny of time,
Might I not then say 'Now I love you best,'			I couldn't say: "Now I love you best"
When I was certain o'er incertainty,			When I was sure I was in agreement
Crowning the present, doubting of the rest?			The present crowns, doubts about the rest?
Love is a babe, then might I not say so			Love is a baby, then I couldn't say it
To give full growth to that which still doth grow.			What is still growing to give full growth.
116			116
Let me not to the marriage of true minds			Don't let me go to the real heads
Admit impediments, love is not love			Note obstacles, love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,			What changes when it is changed
Or bends with the remover to remove.			Or bend with the distance to remove.
O no, it is an ever-fixed mark			O No, it's an ever fixed brand
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;			It looks on stamps and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wand'ring bark,			It is the star for every magic bar,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.			Whose value is unknown even though its size is taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks			Love is not the fool of the time, although rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come,			Coming within his bending sickle compass,
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,			Love does not change with his short hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom:			But it also carries it to the edge of the doom:
If this be error and upon me proved,			If this has been a mistake and have proven to me
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.			I never wrote, no man loved yet.
117			117
Accuse me thus, that I have scanted all,			Increase me in such a way that I have all blocked
Wherein I should your great deserts repay,			Where I should pay back your big deserts,
Forgot upon your dearest love to call,			I forgot to call your favorite love
Whereto all bonds do tie me day by day,			Where all bonds bind me every day,
That I have frequent been with unknown minds,			That I was often with unknown heads,
And given to time your own dear-purchased right,			And bought their own rights,
That I have hoisted sail to all the winds			That I sailed to all winds
Which should transport me farthest from your sight.			That should transport me the farthest from your eyes.
Book both my wilfulness and errors down,			Book both my unrest and my mistakes
And on just proof surmise, accumulate,			And if only evidence assumes, gather,
Bring me within the level of your frown,			Bring me into the level of your frown
But shoot not at me in your wakened hate:			But don't shoot me in your woven hatred:
Since my appeal says I did strive to prove			Since my appointment says I tried to prove
The constancy and virtue of your love.			The consistency and virtue of their love.
118			118
Like as to make our appetite more keen			How to make our appetite better
With eager compounds we our palate urge,			With eager connections we push our palate,
As to prevent our maladies unseen,			To prevent our diseases invisibly,
We sicken to shun sickness when we purge.			We get sick to avoid the disease when we clean.
Even so being full of your ne'er-cloying sweetness,			Nevertheless full of your new sweetness,
To bitter sauces did I frame my feeding;			I frame my feeding to bitter sauces;
And sick of welfare found a kind of meetness,			And sick of welfare found a kind of encounter,
To be diseased ere that there was true needing.			To be ill before it was true to be necessary.
Thus policy in love t' anticipate			This is how politics in love expect
The ills that were not, grew to faults assured,			The diseases that were not, grew into insured mistakes,
And brought to medicine a healthful state			And brought a healthy state into medicine
Which rank of goodness would by ill be cured.			Which rank of quality would be healed by illness.
But thence I learn and find the lesson true,			But learn from there and I find the lesson true
Drugs poison him that so feil sick of you.			Drugs poison him so that they are so full of them.
119			119
What potions have I drunk of Siren tears			Which potions did I drink from siren tears?
Distilled from limbecks foul as hell within,			From Limbeck's distilled like hell inside,
Applying fears to hopes, and hopes to fears,			Apply fears for hopes and hopes for fears,
Still losing when I saw my self to win!			I still lose when I saw myself to win!
What wretched errors hath my heart committed,			What miserable mistakes have my heart committed
Whilst it hath thought it self so blessed never!			While it was blessed it itself!
How have mine eyes out of their spheres been fitted			How were my eyes out of their balls?
In the distraction of this madding fever!			In the distraction of this crazy fever!
O benefit of ill, now I find true			O Use of Ill, now I find it true
That better is, by evil still made better.			It is better that evil is still done better.
And ruined love when it is built anew			And ruined love when it is rebuilt
Grows fairer than at first, more strong, far greater.			Grows fairer than initially, stronger, much greater.
So I return rebuked to my content,			So I return to my content
And gain by ills thrice more than I have spent.			And gain through illnesses three times more than I spent.
120			120
That you were once unkind befriends me now,			The fact that you were unfriendly once, friends now friends,
And for that sorrow, which I then did feel,			And for these grief that I then felt
Needs must I under my transgression bow,			I have to need needs under my transition sheet,
Unless my nerves were brass or hammered steel.			Unless my nerves were brass or hammer steel.
For if you were by my unkindness shaken			Because if you were through my unfriendliness
As I by yours, y'have passed a hell of time,			Like me from yours, you have said goodbye to a hell of the time,
And I a tyrant have no leisure taken			And I have not taken a free time
To weigh how once I suffered in your crime.			As I suffered in your crime as I like.
O that our night of woe might have remembered			O that could have remembered our night of woe
My deepest sense, how hard true sorrow hits,			My deepest sense of how hard true grief strikes,
And soon to you, as you to me then tendered			And soon to you how you were sent to me
The humble salve, which wounded bosoms fits!			The modest ointment that is wounded!
But that your trespass now becomes a fee,			But that your violation is now becoming a fee,
Mine ransoms yours, and yours must ransom me.			Mine thought through yours and yours have to do me.
121			121
Tis better to be vile than vile esteemed,			It is better to be hideous than being hideous, estimated,
When not to be, receives reproach of being,			If not to be, the accusation of being,
And the just pleasure lost, which is so deemed,			And the fair pleasure that is classified so that
Not by our feeling, but by others' seeing.			Not through our feeling, but by seeing others.
For why should others' false adulterate eyes			Because why should the wrong falsification eyes of others
Give salutation to my sportive blood?			Give my sporty blood greet?
Or on my frailties why are frailer spies,			Or on my weaknesses, why are frail spies?
Which in their wills count bad what I think good?			What counts bad in your will, what I think is good?
No, I am that I am, and they that level			No, I am what I am and the level
At my abuses, reckon up their own,			In my abuses, they expect their own,
I may be straight though they themselves be bevel;			I may be just, even though they are weird themselves;
By their rank thoughts, my deeds must not be shown			Due to their thoughts, my deeds must not be shown
Unless this general evil they maintain,			Unless maintain this general evil,
All men are bad and in their badness reign.			All men are bad and rule in their badness.
122			122
Thy gift, thy tables, are within my brain			Your gift, your tables, are in my brain
Full charactered with lasting memory,			Fully characterized with permanent memory,
Which shall above that idle rank remain			Which remains above this idle rank
Beyond all date even to eternity.			Beyond all time even forever.
Or at the least, so long as brain and heart			Or at least, as long as the brain and heart
Have faculty by nature to subsist,			Faculty of nature to live,
Till each to razed oblivion yield his part			Until everyone to destroy the Oblivion, deliver its part
Of thee, thy record never can be missed:			Your recording can never be overlooked by you:
That poor retention could not so much hold,			This bad storage couldn't keep so much
Nor need I tallies thy dear love to score,			I still have to score your love to score
Therefore to give them from me was I bold,			So I was brave to give them, brave,
To trust those tables that receive thee more:			To trust these tables that get you more:
To keep an adjunct to remember thee			To keep an addition to remember
Were to import forgetfulness in me.			Should import forgetfulness in me.
123			123
No! Time, thou shalt not boast that I do change,			No! Time, you shouldn't boast that I change
Thy pyramids built up with newer might			Your pyramids, which were built with recent power
To me are nothing novel, nothing strange,			For me there is nothing new, nothing strange,
They are but dressings Of a former sight:			You are just dressing of a former sight:
Our dates are brief, and therefore we admire,			Our data is short and therefore we admire
What thou dost foist upon us that is old,			What you put on us is old,
And rather make them born to our desire,			And prefer to make born according to our wish
Than think that we before have heard them told:			As if we think that we heard beforehand what you said:
Thy registers and thee I both defy,			Your registers and you, I defy both,
Not wond'ring at the present, nor the past,			Neither in the present nor in the past, the past,
For thy records, and what we see doth lie,			For your records and what we see, lie,
Made more or less by thy continual haste:			More or less made through your constant hurry:
This I do vow and this shall ever be,			I swog and that will ever be
I will be true despite thy scythe and thee.			I will be true despite your scythe and you.
124			124
If my dear love were but the child of state,			If my love was just the child of the state,
It might for Fortune's bastard be unfathered,			For Fortunes Bastard it could be unreserved
As subject to time's love or to time's hate,			As if it is subject to the love of time or hatred of time,
Weeds among weeds, or flowers with flowers gathered.			Weeds between weeds or flowers with assembled flowers.
No it was builded far from accident,			No, it was built far from accident,
It suffers not in smiling pomp, nor falls			It does not suffer in a smiling pompom nor does it fall
Under the blow of thralled discontent,			Under the blow of corrupt dissatisfaction,
Whereto th' inviting time our fashion calls:			While the inviting time our fashion calls:
It fears not policy that heretic,			There is no fear that heretics,
Which works on leases of short-numbered hours,			That works for hours on rental contracts for hours,
But all alone stands hugely politic,			But all alone is very political,
That it nor grows with heat, nor drowns with showers.			That it still grows with heat or drown with shower.
To this I witness call the fools of time,			I see how I call the fools of the time
Which die for goodness, who have lived for crime.			Who die for goodness that have lived for crimes.
125			125
Were't aught to me I bore the canopy,			Wasn't to do anything, I drilled the canopy
With my extern the outward honouring,			With my outer honor,
Or laid great bases for eternity,			Or put large bases for eternity,
Which proves more short than waste or ruining?			What more than waste or ruined turns out?
Have I not seen dwellers on form and favour			I haven't seen any residents in shape and favor
Lose all, and more by paying too much rent			Lose all and more by paying too much rent
For compound sweet; forgoing simple savour,			For composite sweetness; Do without simple taste,
Pitiful thrivers in their gazing spent?			Poeman thrivers in your eye used?
No, let me be obsequious in thy heart,			No, let me be below average in your heart,
And take thou my oblation, poor but free,			And take my victim, poor, but free,
Which is not mixed with seconds, knows no art,			What is not mixed with seconds does not know art,
But mutual render, only me for thee.			But mutual render, only me for you.
Hence, thou suborned informer, a true soul			Hence, you subherrated informant, a real soul
When most impeached, stands least in thy control.			If it is most accused of, you are least in your control.
126			126
O thou my lovely boy who in thy power,			O You my dear boy who in your power,
Dost hold Time's fickle glass his fickle hour:			Dost Hold Time's Fickle Glass his inconsistent hour:
Who hast by waning grown, and therein show'st,			Who has grown and showed, showed
Thy lovers withering, as thy sweet self grow'st.			Your lovers, how your sweet itself grows.
If Nature (sovereign mistress over wrack)			When nature (sovereign mistress over wreck)
As thou goest onwards still will pluck thee back,			If you write yourself back further, you will still withdraw
She keeps thee to this purpose, that her skill			She keeps you for this purpose that her skills
May time disgrace, and wretched minutes kill.			May kill time and miserable minutes.
Yet fear her O thou minion of her pleasure,			But fear her to be your pleasure
She may detain, but not still keep her treasure!			She can hold on, but still not keep your treasure!
Her audit (though delayed) answered must be,			Your answered examination (although delayed) must be
And her quietus is to render thee.			And her Quietus is to render you.
127			127
In the old age black was not counted fair,			Black was not counted fairly in old age,
Or if it were it bore not beauty's name:			Or if it wasn't the name of Beauty:
But now is black beauty's successive heir,			But now is the successive heritage of Black Beauty,
And beauty slandered with a bastard shame,			And beauty slandered with a bastard shame,
For since each hand hath put on nature's power,			Because since every hand the power of nature has
Fairing the foul with art's false borrowed face,			Cladding the foul with the incorrectly borrowed face of art,
Sweet beauty hath no name no holy bower,			Sweet beauty has no name no sacred bower,
But is profaned, if not lives in disgrace.			But is disparaged if not in shame.
Therefore my mistress' eyes are raven black,			So the eyes of my mistress are raven black,
Her eyes so suited, and they mourners seem,			Their eyes so suitable and they seem to grieve,
At such who not born fair no beauty lack,			With those who were not born fair, without beauty, lack,
Slandering creation with a false esteem,			Defamation of creation with false appreciation,
Yet so they mourn becoming of their woe,			But so she dares about her suffering
That every tongue says beauty should look so.			That every tongue says that beauty should look like this.
128			128
How oft when thou, my music, music play'st,			How often when you play my music, music,
Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds			On this blessed wood, the movement of which sounds
With thy sweet fingers when thou gently sway'st			With your sweet fingers when you fluctuated gently
The wiry concord that mine ear confounds,			The wire concord that confuses my ear
Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap,			Do I envy these jacks, the nimble jump?
To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,			Kiss the delicate inside your hand,
Whilst my poor lips which should that harvest reap,			While my poor lips that should harvest this harvest
At the wood's boldness by thee blushing stand.			Delivering from you in the boldness of the wood.
To be so tickled they would change their state			To be tickled so that they would change their state
And situation with those dancing chips,			And situation with these dancing chips,
O'er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait,			O'er that your fingers go with a gentle walk,
Making dead wood more blest than living lips,			Make Dead Holz smart as living lips,
Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,			There are cheeky Jacks so happy
Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss.			Give them your fingers to kiss your lips.
129			129
Th' expense of spirit in a waste of shame			The costs of the mind in a waste of pubic
Is lust in action, and till action, lust			Is lust in action and to action, lust
Is perjured, murd'rous, bloody full of blame,			Is injured, Murd'rous, bloody full of guilt,
Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust,			Wild, extreme, rude, cruel, not trust,
Enjoyed no sooner but despised straight,			Not enjoyed earlier, but straightforward, despised,
Past reason hunted, and no sooner had			Having the past reason and hardly having had
Past reason hated as a swallowed bait,			Past hated as a swallowed bait,
On purpose laid to make the taker mad.			Consciously laid to drive the participant crazy.
Mad in pursuit and in possession so,			Crazy in the persecution and in possession, so,
Had, having, and in quest, to have extreme,			Had, and looking for extremes,
A bliss in proof and proved, a very woe,			A bliss of the proof and proven, a very suffering,
Before a joy proposed behind a dream.			A joy that was proposed behind a dream.
All this the world well knows yet none knows well,			The world knows all of this, but nobody knows well
To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.			To avoid the sky that leads people to this hell.
130			130
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun,			My mistress's eyes are nothing like the sun,
Coral is far more red, than her lips red,			Koralle is far red when her lips red,
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun:			If snow is white, then why are your breasts dun:
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head:			When hair is wires, black wires grow on her head:
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,			I saw Roses Damasced, red and white
But no such roses see I in her cheeks,			But no such roses see me in their cheeks
And in some perfumes is there more delight,			And in some perfumes there is more joy
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.			Than in the breath that comes from my lover.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know,			I love to hear you speak, but I know I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound:			This music has a much more pleasant sound:
I grant I never saw a goddess go,			I grant that I never have a goddess who go,
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.			My mistress, when she goes, steps on the floor.
And yet by heaven I think my love as rare,			And yet I think my love as rare when I think my love as rarely
As any she belied with false compare.			Like everyone who opposed it with a wrong comparison.
131			131
Thou art as tyrannous, so as thou art,			You are as tyrannical as you are,
As those whose beauties proudly make them cruel;			As those whose beauties they make proud;
For well thou know'st to my dear doting heart			Well, you know that I can do my dear fashion heart?
Thou art the fairest and most precious jewel.			You are the most beautiful and precious jewel.
Yet in good faith some say that thee behold,			But in good faith, some say that you see
Thy face hath not the power to make love groan;			Your face does not have the strength to bring love for moaning;
To say they err, I dare not be so bold,			To say that they are wrong, I don't dare so brave,
Although I swear it to my self alone.			Although I swear it myself.
And to be sure that is not false I swear,			And to make sure that this is not wrong, I swear
A thousand groans but thinking on thy face,			Moaning a thousand, but thinks about your face,
One on another's neck do witness bear			One on the neck of another witness
Thy black is fairest in my judgment's place.			In my judgment, your black is most beautiful.
In nothing art thou black save in thy deeds,			In nothing that you save black in your deeds, you save in your deeds,
And thence this slander as I think proceeds.			And from there this defamation, I think, it works.
132			132
Thine eyes I love, and they as pitying me,			Your eyes that I love and she as a pity with me,
Knowing thy heart torment me with disdain,			I know your heart torment me with contempt
Have put on black, and loving mourners be,			Black up and be loving mourners,
Looking with pretty ruth upon my pain.			I look at my pain with pretty Ruth.
And truly not the morning sun of heaven			And really not the morning sun of heaven
Better becomes the grey cheeks of the east,			The gray cheeks of the east get better
Nor that full star that ushers in the even			Still this full star that rings into the same
Doth half that glory to the sober west			Half half as fame to the sober west
As those two mourning eyes become thy face:			When these two mourning eyes become your face:
O let it then as well beseem thy heart			O then leave it your heart too
To mourn for me since mourning doth thee grace,			To mourn me since they mourned, you have grace to mourn me
And suit thy pity like in every part.			And fits your pity as in every part.
Then will I swear beauty herself is black,			Then I will swear the beauty that is black, is black,
And all they foul that thy complexion lack.			And you lack everything she is missing that your complexion is missing.
133			133
Beshrew that heart that makes my heart to groan			The heart that makes my heart moaning
For that deep wound it gives my friend and me;			For this deep wound there is my friend and me;
Is't not enough to torture me alone,			It's not enough to torture myself alone
But slave to slavery my sweet'st friend must be?			But slave for slavery does my sweet friend have to be?
Me from my self thy cruel eye hath taken,			Me by itself, your cruel eye took
And my next self thou harder hast engrossed,			And my next myself, you have harder, you have deepened
Of him, my self, and thee I am forsaken,			From him, myself and you, I am abandoned
A torment thrice three-fold thus to be crossed:			A tormented triple triple crowded triple:
Prison my heart in thy steel bosom's ward,			Prison my heart in your steel bosom's station,
But then my friend's heart let my poor heart bail,			But then my friend's heart left my bad heart against bail,
Whoe'er keeps me, let my heart be his guard,			Who holds me, let my heart be his guard
Thou canst not then use rigour in my gaol.			You can't then use strictness in my prison.
And yet thou wilt, for I being pent in thee,			And yet you will, because I am commissioned in you
Perforce am thine and all that is in me.			Perforce am yours and everything that is in me.
134			134
So now I have confessed that he is thine,			Now I have confessed that he is yours
And I my self am mortgaged to thy will,			And I myself have pledged in your will,
My self I'll forfeit, so that other mine,			I will realize my self, so that others mean
Thou wilt restore to be my comfort still:			You will restore to be my comfort:
But thou wilt not, nor he will not be free,			But you won't and it won't be free
For thou art covetous, and he is kind,			For you you are desirable and he is friendly, he is friendly,
He learned but surety-like to write for me,			He learned, but grumpet to write for me,
Under that bond that him as fist doth bind.			Under this bond that he bind as a fist.
The statute of thy beauty thou wilt take,			You will take the statute of your beauty
Thou usurer that put'st forth all to use,			You are a crop that has all brought about to use,
And sue a friend, came debtor for my sake,			And sue a friend, came around my sake, a debtor,
So him I lose through my unkind abuse.			So he loses through my unfriendly abuse.
Him have I lost, thou hast both him and me,			I lost to him, you have him and me, you have
He pays the whole, and yet am I not free.			He pays the whole thing and yet I am not free.
135			135
Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy will,			Whoever has your wish, you have your will,
And 'Will' to boot, and 'Will' in over-plus,			And "wants to" boot, and "wants" in Über-Plus,
More than enough am I that vex thee still,			I am more than enough that you are still annoyed
To thy sweet will making addition thus.			This is what makes your sweet will.
Wilt thou whose will is large and spacious,			Do you want to be big and spacious
Not once vouchsafe to hide my will in thine?			Not once again to hide my will in your will?
Shall will in others seem right gracious,			Is in others
And in my will no fair acceptance shine?			And in my will no fair acceptance shines?
The sea all water, yet receives rain still,			The sea is all water, still gets rain,
And in abundance addeth to his store,			And in abundance in his shop,
So thou being rich in will add to thy will			So, you are rich in will, which adds to your will
One will of mine to make thy large will more.			A will of mine to do your big will more.
Let no unkind, no fair beseechers kill,			Do not let any unfriendliness, no fair brooms,
Think all but one, and me in that one 'Will.'			Think of everyone except for one and me in this "will".
136			136
If thy soul check thee that I come so near,			If your soul check you that I get so close
Swear to thy blind soul that I was thy 'Will',			Swear by your blind soul that I was your will
And will thy soul knows is admitted there,			And if your soul will know, is allowed there
Thus far for love, my love-suit sweet fulfil.			So far for love, my love ad.
Will', will fulfil the treasure of thy love,			Wants', will fulfill the treasure of your love,
Ay, fill it full with wills, and my will one,			Yy, fill it full of Wills and my will,
In things of great receipt with case we prove,			In things of great receipt with a case, we prove that
Among a number one is reckoned none.			The number one is not expected.
Then in the number let me pass untold,			Then let me pass untouched in the number,
Though in thy store's account I one must be,			Although I am on the account of your business, I have to be
For nothing hold me, so it please thee hold,			Keep me for nothing, so please keep you
That nothing me, a something sweet to thee.			That nothing me, something sweet for you.
Make but my name thy love, and love that still,			But make my name your love and still love that,
And then thou lov'st me for my name is Will.			And then you love me for my name.
137			137
Thou blind fool Love, what dost thou to mine eyes,			You blind love of fools, what you do with my eyes, you, you,
That they behold and see not what they see?			That you don't see each other and don't see what you see?
They know what beauty is, see where it lies,			You know what beauty is, see where it lies
Yet what the best is, take the worst to be.			But what's best, take the worst to be.
If eyes corrupt by over-partial looks,			If the eyes corrupt by a clear appearance,
Be anchored in the bay where all men ride,			Be anchored in the bay in which all men drive,
Why of eyes' falsehood hast thou forged hooks,			Why from the eyes of the eyes they forged hooks,
Whereto the judgment of my heart is tied?			Where is the judgment of my heart bound?
Why should my heart think that a several plot,			Why should my heart think that one several action,
Which my heart knows the wide world's common place?			What does my heart know the common place in the wide world?
Or mine eyes seeing this, say this is not			Or my eyes see that, say that is not
To put fair truth upon so foul a face?			Fair truth used such a bad face?
In things right true my heart and eyes have erred,			In things, the voices
And to this false plague are they now transferred.			And they are now transferred to this wrong plague.
138			138
When my love swears that she is made of truth,			When my love swears that it consists of the truth
I do believe her though I know she lies,			I think she, even though I know she is lying
That she might think me some untutored youth,			So that she could think of some unimpeded young people,
Unlearned in the world's false subtleties.			Unrorned in the wrong subtleties of the world.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,			So she thought that she thinks me young
Although she knows my days are past the best,			Although she knows that my days are best over
Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue,			Simply I write your wrongly speaking tongue
On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed:			A simple truth is suppressed on both sides:
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?			But why doesn't she say that she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?			And why don't I say that I am old?
O love's best habit is in seeming trust,			O The best habit of love is the apparent trust
And age in love, loves not to have years told.			And age in love, loves to have not told years.
Therefore I lie with her, and she with me,			So I put her with her and she
And in our faults by lies we flattered be.			And we have flattered in our mistakes through lies.
139			139
O call not me to justify the wrong,			O do not call me to justify the wrong one,
That thy unkindness lays upon my heart,			That your unfriendliness puts my heart
Wound me not with thine eye but with thy tongue,			Wounded me not with your eye, but with your tongue,
Use power with power, and slay me not by art,			Use strength with strength and do not kill me by art,
Tell me thou lov'st elsewhere; but in my sight,			Tell me, you love somewhere else; But in my eyes
Dear heart forbear to glance thine eye aside,			Dear heart, your eye must look aside
What need'st thou wound with cunning when thy might			What do you need if your might be?
Is more than my o'erpressed defence can bide?			Is more than my exploited defense can bide bide?
Let me excuse thee, ah my love well knows,			Let me apologize, ah my love knows well,
Her pretty looks have been mine enemies,			Your pretty looks were my enemies
And therefore from my face she turns my foes,			And that's why she turns my enemies out of my face
That they elsewhere might dart their injuries:			So that they could sharpen their injuries elsewhere:
Yet do not so, but since I am near slain,			But not that, but since I am almost killed,
Kill me outright with looks, and rid my pain.			Kill me directly with looks and free my pain.
140			140
Be wise as thou art cruel, do not press			Be wise like you cruel, don't press
My tongue-tied patience with too much disdain:			My tongue -bound patience with too much contempt:
Lest sorrow lend me words and words express,			So that I don't express grief, words and words turn out to me,
The manner of my pity-wanting pain.			The way of my painful pain.
If I might teach thee wit better it were,			If I could teach you better, it was that it was
Though not to love, yet love to tell me so,			Although not to love, but I love myself to tell me
As testy sick men when their deaths be near,			As a testy sick men when their death is nearby,
No news but health from their physicians know.			No news, but health of your doctors know.
For if I should despair I should grow mad,			Because if I should despair, I should get angry
And in my madness might speak ill of thee,			And in my madness you could speak sick of you
Now this ill-wresting world is grown so bad,			Now this bad wresting world is so bad
Mad slanderers by mad ears believed be.			Crazy defamers of crazy ears believed.
That I may not be so, nor thou belied,			That I shouldn't be like that or you believe
Bear thine eyes straight, though thy proud heart go wide.			Just wear your eyes, even though your proud heart goes far.
141			141
In faith I do not love thee with mine eyes,			In faith I don't love you with my eyes
For they in thee a thousand errors note,			Because they consider a thousand errors in you,
But 'tis my heart that loves what they despise,			But my heart, what loves what you despise
Who in despite of view is pleased to dote.			Who is delighted despite the view.
Nor are mine cars with thy tongue's tune delighted,			Mine cars are also enthusiastic with the melody of her tongue,
Nor tender feeling to base touches prone,			Still tender feeling for touching, susceptible to
Nor taste, nor smell, desire to be invited			Still tastes good to smell, to be invited
To any sensual feast with thee alone:			To a sensual festival with you alone:
But my five wits, nor my five senses can			But my five joke, my five senses can still
Dissuade one foolish heart from serving thee,			Keep a stupid heart from serving you,
Who leaves unswayed the likeness of a man,			Who lets the similarity of a man let off,
Thy proud heart's slave and vassal wretch to be:			Your proud heart slave and the vassal be elend:
Only my plague thus far I count my gain,			Only my plague so far count my profit,
That she that makes me sin, awards me pain.			The fact that she lets me sin pulls me.
142			142
Love is my sin, and thy dear virtue hate,			Love is my sin and your dear hatred of virtue
Hate of my sin, grounded on sinful loving,			Hate of my sin, which was founded on sinful loved ones,
O but with mine, compare thou thine own state,			O But with mine, compare your own condition,
And thou shalt find it merits not reproving,			And you should find that it does not do not to blame,
Or if it do, not from those lips of thine,			Or if it is so, not from these lips,
That have profaned their scarlet ornaments,			That have released their scarlet ornaments,
And sealed false bonds of love as oft as mine,			And sealed false bonds of love as often as mine,
Robbed others' beds' revenues of their rents.			Robbed other "beds" of their rents.
Be it lawful I love thee as thou lov'st those,			Be it lawful, I love you when you love this
Whom thine eyes woo as mine importune thee,			Who your eyes make up as mine, import yourself,
Root pity in thy heart that when it grows,			Root pity in your heart, that during growth,
Thy pity may deserve to pitied be.			Your pity can earn it.
If thou dost seek to have what thou dost hide,			If you try to have what you are hiding
By self-example mayst thou be denied.			You will be denied by self -project.
143			143
Lo as a careful huswife runs to catch,			Lo runs as a careful husband to catch,
One of her feathered creatures broke away,			One of her feathered creatures loosened
Sets down her babe and makes all swift dispatch			Set your baby and make all quick shipping
In pursuit of the thing she would have stay:			Looking for what she would stay:
Whilst her neglected child holds her in chase,			While her neglected child keeps her in chase,
Cries to catch her whose busy care is bent,			Cries to catch them whose busy care is bent,
To follow that which flies before her face:			To follow what flies in front of her face:
Not prizing her poor infant's discontent;			Not to evaluate the dissatisfaction of her poor child;
So run'st thou after that which flies from thee,			So run after what flies from you
Whilst I thy babe chase thee afar behind,			While I chase your baby after me, behind me
But if thou catch thy hope turn back to me:			But if you catch your hope, turn back to me:
And play the mother's part, kiss me, be kind.			And play the role of the mother, kiss me, be nice.
So will I pray that thou mayst have thy Will,			So I will pray that you have your will
If thou turn back and my loud crying still.			When you turn back and my loud crying.
144			144
Two loves I have of comfort and despair,			Two love that I have of consolation and despair,
Which like two spirits do suggest me still,			What still interpret me like two spirits,
The better angel is a man right fair:			The better angel is a man on the right.
The worser spirit a woman coloured ill.			The worse spirit, a woman who has colored sick.
To win me soon to hell my female evil,			To soon win me to hell, my female evil,
Tempteth my better angel from my side,			Seduces my better angel from my side
And would corrupt my saint to be a devil:			And would corrupt my saint to be a devil:
Wooing his purity with her foul pride.			Umwick his purity with her bad pride.
And whether that my angel be turned fiend,			And whether my angel will be devilish
Suspect I may, yet not directly tell,			Suspect I can, but not say directly,
But being both from me both to each friend,			But both of me both to every friend
I guess one angel in another's hell.			I think an angel in someone else's hell.
Yet this shall I ne'er know but live in doubt,			Nevertheless, I shouldn't know, but live in doubt
Till my bad angel fire my good one out.			Until my bad angel fires my good.
145			145
Those lips that Love's own hand did make,			These lips that made love of love made
Breathed forth the sound that said 'I hate',			Breathed out the sound with the inscription "I hate",
To me that languished for her sake:			For me this was for her will:
But when she saw my woeful state,			But when she saw my sad state
Straight in her heart did mercy come,			Mercy came especially in her heart,
Chiding that tongue that ever sweet,			The tongue always be cute so
Was used in giving gentle doom:			Was used to give gentle downfall:
And taught it thus anew to greet:			And teached it so newly to greet:
I hate' she altered with an end,			I hate it, she changed with one end
That followed it as gentle day,			It followed as a gentle day
Doth follow night who like a fiend			Follow the night that a fully liked
From heaven to hell is flown away.			The sky to hell is flown away.
I hate', from hate away she threw,			I hate, from hatred she threw, threw her,
And saved my life saying 'not you'.			And saved my life and said "not you".
146			146
Poor soul the centre of my sinful earth,			Poor soul the center of my sinful earth,
My sinful earth these rebel powers array,			My sinful earth these rebel powers array,
Why dost thou pine within and suffer dearth			Why you will be in us and suffer in a lack of
Painting thy outward walls so costly gay?			Do you paint your walls so expensive gay to the outside?
Why so large cost having so short a lease,			Why so big costs have a rental agreement so briefly,
Dost thou upon thy fading mansion spend?			Do you spend on your fading villa?
Shall worms inheritors of this excess			Should worms of this surplus
Eat up thy charge? is this thy body's end?			Eat your load? Is that the end of your body?
Then soul live thou upon thy servant's loss,			Then you live on the loss of your servant
And let that pine to aggravate thy store;			And let this jaw to make your shop worse;
Buy terms divine in selling hours of dross;			Buy the divine terms in the sales lessons of lines;
Within be fed, without be rich no more,			Within the feeding without being rich, no longer,
So shall thou feed on death, that feeds on men,			So you should feed on death that feeds on men,
And death once dead, there's no more dying then.			And death once dead, it no longer dies.
147			147
My love is as a fever longing still,			My love is still a feverwehr,
For that which longer nurseth the disease,			For what does the disease longer,
Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill,			From eating what the patient preserves,
Th' uncertain sickly appetite to please:			The uncertain pathological appetite at request:
My reason the physician to my love,			My reason the doctor of my love
Angry that his prescriptions are not kept			Angry that his recipes are not kept
Hath left me, and I desperate now approve,			I have risen and I am now desperately approving
Desire is death, which physic did except.			The wish is death that physic has also done.
Past cure I am, now reason is past care,			Last remedy I am, now the past is in the past.
And frantic-mad with evermore unrest,			And hectic with more and more unrest,
My thoughts and my discourse as mad men's are,			My thoughts and discourse are as Mad Men,
At random from the truth vainly expressed.			Coincidentally expressed from the truth.
For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright,			Because I swore you fairly and thought you brightly,
Who art as black as hell, as dark as night.			Anyone who art as black and hellish, as dark as night.
148			148
O me! what eyes hath love put in my head,			O me! What eyes have love in my head
Which have no correspondence with true sight,			Who have no correspondence with a real sight,
Or if they have, where is my judgment fled,			Or if you have, where did my judgment have fled
That censures falsely what they see aright?			This falsely falsely censored what you see Aright?
If that be fair whereon my false eyes dote,			If that is fair, on which my wrong eyes endow
What means the world to say it is not so?			What does the world mean that it is not?
If it be not, then love doth well denote,			If not, then love is good
Love's eye is not so true as all men's: no,			Dear eye is not as true as all men: no,
How can it? O how can love's eye be true,			How can it? O How can the eye of love be true
That is so vexed with watching and with tears?			Is that so annoyed by observation and tears?
No marvel then though I mistake my view,			No wonder, even though I am confusing my view,
The sun it self sees not, till heaven clears.			The sun that she doesn't see herself until the sky is clear.
O cunning love, with tears thou keep'st me blind,			O cunning love, with tears that I keep blind, blindly,
Lest eyes well-seeing thy foul faults should find.			This should not look for your bad mistakes.
149			149
Canst thou O cruel, say I love thee not,			Can you say cruel, I don't love you
When I against my self with thee partake?			When I take part with yourself?
Do I not think on thee when I forgot			I don't think of you when I forgot
Am of my self, all-tyrant, for thy sake?			Am in myself, all-tyrant, for your will?
Who hateth thee that I do call my friend,			Who has you that I call my friend
On whom frown'st thou that I do fawn upon,			Who did you frown to whom I tickled,
Nay if thou lour'st on me do I not spend			No, if you are on me, I don't spend
Revenge upon my self with present moan?			Revenge to myself with the current moan?
What merit do I in my self respect,			What earnings do I have in my self -esteem?
That is so proud thy service to despise,			This is so proud to despise your service
When all my best doth worship thy defect,			When all my best worship your defect,
Commanded by the motion of thine eyes?			Successful by moving your eyes?
But love hate on for now I know thy mind,			But dear hatred at the moment, I know your mind
Those that can see thou lov'st, and I am blind.			Those who can see that you love and I'm blind.
150			150
O from what power hast thou this powerful might,			O From what power you have this powerful power,
With insufficiency my heart to sway,			To fluctuate my heart with ours,
To make me give the lie to my true sight,			So that I lie my true sight, I lie
And swear that brightness doth not grace the day?			And swear that the brightness doesn't give the day?
Whence hast thou this becoming of things ill,			Where did you get the sick what you get sick
That in the very refuse of thy deeds,			That in the denial of their actions,
There is such strength and warrantise of skill,			There is such a strength and guarantee of skills
That in my mind thy worst all best exceeds?			This is best in my head, what is worst?
Who taught thee how to make me love thee more,			Who taught you how I can get myself to love you more,
The more I hear and see just cause of hate?			The more I hear and see, just cause of hate?
O though I love what others do abhor,			O Although I love what others do, loathe,
With others thou shouldst not abhor my state.			You shouldn't loathe my state with others.
If thy unworthiness raised love in me,			When your unworthiness imposed love in me,
More worthy I to be beloved of thee.			More worthy, I loved by you.
151			151
Love is too young to know what conscience is,			Love is too young to know what conscience is
Yet who knows not conscience is born of love?			But who knows that conscience is not born out of love?
Then gentle cheater urge not my amiss,			Then not gentle fraudsters don't push my state,
Lest guilty of my faults thy sweet self prove.			So that I do not guilty of my mistake, prove your own itself.
For thou betraying me, I do betray			Because you betray me, I reveal
My nobler part to my gross body's treason,			My noble part of the betrayal of my gross body,
My soul doth tell my body that he may,			My soul tells my body that it may
Triumph in love, flesh stays no farther reason,			Triumph in love, meat remains no further reason
But rising at thy name doth point out thee,			But on your name climbing, point to you,
As his triumphant prize, proud of this pride,			When his triumphant price, proud of this pride,
He is contented thy poor drudge to be,			He is satisfied that your bad diver can be
To stand in thy affairs, fall by thy side.			To stand in your matters, cut on your side.
No want of conscience hold it that I call,			There is no lack of conscience that I call,
Her love, for whose dear love I rise and fall.			Your love, for whose love I stand up and fall.
152			152
In loving thee thou know'st I am forsworn,			If you love yourself, you know that I have been sent
But thou art twice forsworn to me love swearing,			But you were born twice, I love to swear
In act thy bed-vow broke and new faith torn,			In act your bed-low broke and new faith torn,
In vowing new hate after new love bearing:			When wasting new hatred after new love Bearing:
But why of two oaths' breach do I accuse thee,			But why do I accuse you of two oxygen?
When I break twenty? I am perjured most,			When I break twenty? I am most injured
For all my vows are oaths but to misuse thee:			For all of my vows, there are oaths, but to abuse you:
And all my honest faith in thee is lost.			And all my honest trust in you is lost.
For I have sworn deep oaths of thy deep kindness:			Because I have sworn deep oath of your deep quality:
Oaths of thy love, thy truth, thy constancy,			Eide of your love, your truth, your consistency,
And to enlighten thee gave eyes to blindness,			And to clarify yourself, the blindness gave eyes,
Or made them swear against the thing they see.			Or left them against swearing what they see.
For I have sworn thee fair: more perjured I,			Because I swore you fairly: I leave more, I, I,
To swear against the truth so foul a be.			To swear so badly against the truth.
153			153
Cupid laid by his brand and fell asleep,			Cupid placed and fell asleep by his brand,
A maid of Dian's this advantage found,			Found a maid of Dian's this advantage,
And his love-kindling fire did quickly steep			And his love fire was quickly steep
In a cold valley-fountain of that ground:			In a cold valley of this floor:
Which borrowed from this holy fire of Love,			Who borrowed from this holy fire of love,
A dateless lively heat still to endure,			A exploratory lively warmth that is still to be endured,
And grew a seeting bath which yet men prove,			And grew a Seing Bad that still prove men.
Against strange maladies a sovereign cure:			There is a sovereign healing against strange diseases:
But at my mistress' eye Love's brand new-fired,			But with my mistress Eye Love's brand new fire,
The boy for trial needs would touch my breast,			The boy for experimental needs would touch my chest,
I sick withal the help of bath desired,			I sick with the help of the desired bathroom,
And thither hied a sad distempered guest.			And there was a sad damen for.
But found no cure, the bath for my help lies,			But no healing found that lies bath for my help,
Where Cupid got new fire; my mistress' eyes.			Where Cupid got new fire; The eyes of my lover.
154			154
The little Love-god lying once asleep,			The little god of love that once sleeps, sleeps,
Laid by his side his heart-inflaming brand,			Layed his heart fighting at his side,
Whilst many nymphs that vowed chaste life to keep,			While many nymphs that have sworn the chaste life to keep to keep,
Came tripping by, but in her maiden hand,			Came over, but in her girls' hands
The fairest votary took up that fire,			The fairest votary has recorded this fire
Which many legions of true hearts had warmed,			What had warmed up many legions of true hearts,
And so the general of hot desire,			And so the general of the hot desire,
Was sleeping by a virgin hand disarmed.			Slept disarmed by a virgin hand.
This brand she quenched in a cool well by,			This brand that she made in a cool fountain
Which from Love's fire took heat perpetual,			What took warmth from the fire of love forever,
Growing a bath and healthful remedy,			Growing a bath and a healthy remedy,
For men discased, but I my mistress' thrall,			Discreted for men, but I am my mistress's thrall,
Came there for cure and this by that I prove,			Came there to heal remedies, and I prove that,
Love's fire heats water, water cools not love.			Love's Fire warms water, water does not cool love.
THE END			THE END