Shakespeare’s Sonnet #28: “How can I then return in happy plight”

Sonnet 28

How can I then return in happy plight
That am debarred the benefit of rest?
When day’s oppression is not eased by night,
But day by night, and night by day, oppressed;
And each, though enemies to either’s reign,
Do in consent shake hands to torture me;
The one by toil, the other to complain
How far I toil, still farther off from thee.
I tell the day to please him thou art bright
And dost him grace when clouds do blot the heaven;
So flatter I the swart-complexioned night,
When sparkling stars twire not, thou gild’st the even.
But day doth daily draw my sorrows longer,
And night doth nightly make grief’s length seem stronger.

Simplified Modern English Translation

How can I then return in happy plight
How can I return to you in good condition

That am debarred the benefit of rest?
when I can never get any sleep?

When day’s oppression is not eased by night,
When my day’s labor is not eased by a good night’s rest,

But day by night, and night by day, oppressed;
and every day, and every night, I feel oppressed.

And each, though enemies to either’s reign,
Both day and night, though natural enemies to each other

Do in consent shake hands to torture me;
conspire together to torture me.

The one by toil, the other to complain
The day tortures me with arduous labor, and the night reminds me

How far I toil, still farther off from thee.
how far I toil, miles and miles away from you.

I tell the day to please him thou art bright
I even try to placate the day, by telling it that you are bright

And dost him grace when clouds do blot the heaven;
and that you do it grace by providing brightness even when its cloudy out.

So flatter I the swart-complexioned night,
I try a similar flattery with the dark night,

When sparkling stars twire not, thou gild’st the even.
saying that you provide the sparkle, when the stars are hidden.

But day doth daily draw my sorrows longer,
But neither strategy works, and the day continues to draw out my sorrows,

And night doth nightly make grief’s length seem stronger.
and the night continues to draw out my grief at being so far away from you.

Reading of Sonnet 28

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:

How can I then returne in happy plight
That am debard the benifit of rest?
When daies oppression is not eazd by night,
But day by night and night by day oprest.
And each (though enimes to ethers raigne)
Doe in consent shake hands to torture me,
The one by toyle, the other to complaine
How far I toyle, still farther off from thee.
I tell the Day to please him thou art bright,
And do’st him grace when clouds doe blot the heauen:
So flatter I the swart complexiond night,
When sparkling stars twire not thou guil’st th’ eauen.
*But day doth daily draw my sorrowes longer,
And night doth nightly make greefes length seeme |(stronger

 

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