Shakespeare’s Sonnet #19: “Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws”

Sonnet 19

Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws,
And make the earth devour her own sweet brood;
Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger’s jaws,
And burn the long-lived phoenix in her blood;
Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleet’st,
And do whate’er thou wilt, swift-footed Time,
To the wide world and all her fading sweets;
But I forbid thee one most heinous crime:
O, carve not with thy hours my love’s fair brow,
Nor draw no lines there with thine antique pen;
Him in thy course untainted do allow
For beauty’s pattern to succeeding men.
Yet do thy worst, old Time; despite thy wrong,
My love shall in my verse ever live young.

Simplified Modern English Translation

Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion’s paws,
Devouring Time, go ahead and blunt the the claws on the majestic lion’s paws,

And make the earth devour her own sweet brood;
and make the earth devour all her precious forms of life;

Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger’s jaws,
Force the fiercest tiger in the jungle to succumb to your power,

And burn the long-lived phoenix in her blood;
and even destroy mythological animals that are supposedly impervious to death.

Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleet’st,
Make seasons happy or sad according to your whims

And do whate’er thou wilt, swift-footed Time,
and do whatever you want, swift-footed Time,

To the wide world and all her fading sweets;
to the whole world and all her transitory beauties;

But I forbid thee one most heinous crime:
but I forbid you one most heinous crime:

O, carve not with thy hours my love’s fair brow,
Do not show any signs of aging on my fair love’s face,

Nor draw no lines there with thine antique pen;
nor draw any wrinkles on his brow;

Him in thy course untainted do allow
Leave him alone, and unaffected by your power

For beauty’s pattern to succeeding men.
to act as an ideal form for succeeding generations.

Yet do thy worst, old Time; despite thy wrong,
On the other hand, do whatever you want, old Time; whatever harms you might inflict,

My love shall in my verse ever live young.
 I will preserve forever my love’s youth and beauty in my poetry.

Reading of Sonnet 19

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:

Deuouring time blunt thou the Lyons pawes,
*And make the earth deuoure her owne sweet brood,
Plucke the keene teeth from the fierce Tygers yawes,
And burne the long liu’d Phaenix in her blood,
Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleet’st,
And do what ere thou wilt swift-footed time
To the wide world and all her fading sweets:
But I forbid thee one most hainous crime,
O carue not with thy howers my loues faire brow,
Nor draw noe lines there with thine antique pen,
Him in thy course vntainted doe allow,
For beauties patterne to succeding men.
Yet doe thy worst ould Time dispight thy wrong,
My loue shall in my verse euer liue young.

 

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