Shakespeare’s Sonnet #21: “So it is not with me as with that muse”

Sonnet 21

So is it not with me as with that muse
Stirred by a painted beauty to his verse,
Who heaven itself for ornament doth use
And every fair with his fair doth rehearse,
Making a couplement of proud compare
With sun and moon, with earth and sea’s rich gems,
With April’s first-born flowers and all things rare
That heaven’s air in this huge rondure hems.
O let me, true in love, but truly write,
And then believe me, my love is as fair
As any mother’s child, though not so bright
As those gold candles fixed in heaven’s air.
Let them say more than like of hearsay well;
I will not praise that purpose not to sell.

Simplified Modern English Translation

So is it not with me as with that muse
Please don’t compare me to many poets these days,

Stirred by a painted beauty to his verse,
who are stirred to poetic expression by subjects whose beauty is often enhanced by cosmetics,

Who heaven itself for ornament doth use
who try to compare their subjects to heaven itself

And every fair with his fair doth rehearse,
and anything and everything beautiful is co-opted to 

Making a couplement of proud compare
make a comparison with the beauty of their subjects:

With sun and moon, with earth and sea’s rich gems,
with sun and moon, with earth and seas’s rich gems,

With April’s first-born flowers and all things rare
with the flowers of April and all rare things

That heaven’s air in this huge rondure hems.
that can be found anywhere on heaven or earth.

O let me, true in love, but truly write,
I, on the other hand, am truly in love and only truly write

And then believe me, my love is as fair
and therefore believe me, my love is as fair

As any mother’s child, though not so bright
as any human being on this earth, but not so bright

As those gold candles fixed in heaven’s air.
as the golden stars in heaven itself.

Let them say more than like of hearsay well;
Go ahead and let other poets praise their subjects falsely;

I will not praise that purpose not to sell.
 I don’t intend to praise in an exaggerated way, since I am not in the market to sell. 

Reading of Sonnet 21

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:

So is it not with me as with that Muse,
Stird by a painted beauty to his verse,
Who heauen it selfe for ornament doth vse,
And euery faire with his faire doth reherse,
Making a coopelment of proud compare
With Sunne and Moone, with earth and seas rich gems:
With Aprills first borne flowers and all things rare,
That heauens ayre in this huge rondure hems,
O let me true in loue but truly write,
And then beleeue me, my loue is as faire,
As any mothers childe, though not so bright
As those gould candells fixt in heauens ayer:
Let them say more that like of heare-say well,
I will not prayse that purpose not to sell.