Shakespeare’s Sonnet #11: “As fast as thou shalt wane, so fast thou grow’st”

Sonnet 11

As fast as thou shalt wane, so fast thou grow’st
In one of thine, from that which thou departest;
And that fresh blood which youngly thou bestow’st
Thou mayst call thine when thou from youth convertest.
Herein lives wisdom, beauty and increase;
Without this, folly, age and cold decay.
If all were minded so, the times should cease,
And threescore year would make the world away.
Let those whom nature hath not made for store,
Harsh, featureless, and rude, barrenly perish;
Look whom she best endowed she gave the more,
Which bounteous gift thou shouldst in bounty cherish.
She carved thee for her seal, and meant thereby
Thou shouldst print more, not let that copy die.

Simplified Modern English Translation

As fast as thou shalt wane, so fast thou grow’st
Heres a simple little poem for you:  “As fast as you shall age, so fast you grow

In one of thine, from that which thou departest;
In one of yours, from the youth which you depart;

And that fresh blood which youngly thou bestow’st
and that fresh blood which proudly you bestow

Thou mayst call thine when thou from youth convertest.
you may call yours when you from youth convert.”

Herein lives wisdom, beauty and increase;
In this little poem lives wisdom, beauty and increase.

Without this, folly, age and cold decay.
Ignore these words of wisdom and you will face folly, age and cold decay.

If all were minded so, the times should cease,
If everyone ignored these simple truths, there would be no future for the human race

And threescore year would make the world away.
and in sixty years there would be hardly anyone still alive.

Let those whom nature hath not made for store,
Let those who are not meant to represent the pride of humanity:

Harsh, featureless, and rude, barrenly perish;
the harsh, the plain and the mean-spirited, disappear from the world.

Look whom she best endowed she gave the more,
However, those whom nature best endowed, she heaped advantage on

Which bounteous gift thou shouldst in bounty cherish.
and meant that her gift should be appreciated and truly cherished.

She carved thee for her seal, and meant thereby
Nature created you as an example of her best skill, and meant thereby

Thou shouldst print more, not let that copy die.
 that you should create more copies, not let her work of perfection die.

Reading of Sonnet 11

The images in the YouTube video are from an original 1609 edition of Shake-speares Sonnets held by the British Library.  It is one of only thirteen copies in existence.  Images courtesy of the Octavo Corporation.  

Text from Original 1609 Quarto

Transcription courtesy of University of Virginia Library:

As fast as thou shalt wane so fast thou grow’st,
In one of thine, from that which thou departest,
And that fresh bloud which yongly thou bestow’st,
*Thou maist call thine, when thou from youth conuertest,
Herein liues wisdome, beauty, and increase,
Without this follie, age, and could decay,
If all were minded so, the times should cease,
And threescoore yeare would make the world away:
Let those whom nature hath not made for store,
Harsh, featurelesse, and rude, barrenly perrish,
Looke whom she best indow’d, she gaue the more;
*Which bountious guift thou shouldst in bounty cherrish,
She caru’d thee for her seale, and ment therby,
Thou shouldst print more, not let that coppy die.

 

* indicates fully justified line, compositor may have adjusted spelling to fit the line.