Shakespeare’s Sonnet #29: “When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes”

Reading of Sonnet 29

Click on video to play 

Modernized Spelling and Punctuation

When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Simplified Modern English Translation

When out of fortune’s favor and suffering the scornful looks of other men,
I cry at my lonely and outcast condition,
and pray to a heaven that doesn’t seem to care,
and look at myself and curse my fate,
wishing that I was like other men who seem to have hope for the future,
and who are good looking and have many friends,
desiring the artistic skill of some and the bountiful opportunities of others,
and not content doing the things I most enjoy;
feeling sorry for myself in these dark, desperate times
I begin to think about you, and then my condition,
like a singing bird greeting a new day,
ascends from a dreary earth to heaven itself with a beautiful hymn.
For when I focus all my loving thoughts on you, such wealth comes
that then I would scorn to trade places even with a king.

Text from Original 1609 Quarto

Transcription courtesy of University of Virginia Library:

When in disgrace with Fortune and mens eyes,
I all alone beweepe my out-cast state,
And trouble deafe heauen with my bootlesse cries,
And looke vpon my selfe and curse my fate.
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featur’d like him, like him with friends possest,
Desiring this mans art, and that mans skope,
With what I most inioy contented least,
Yet in these thoughts my selfe almost despising,
Haplye I thinke on thee, and then my state,
(Like to the Larke at breake of daye arising)
From sullen earth sings himns at Heauens gate,
For thy sweet loue remembred such welth brings,
That then I skorne to change my state with Kings.