Shakespeare’s Sonnet #45: “The other two, slight air and purging fire”

Sonnet 45

The other two, slight air and purging fire,
Are both with thee, wherever I abide;
The first my thought, the other my desire,
These present-absent with swift motion slide.
For when these quicker elements are gone
In tender embassy of love to thee,
My life, being made of four, with two alone
Sinks down to death, oppressed with melancholy;
Until life’s composition be recured
By those swift messengers returned from thee,
Who even but now come back again, assured
Of thy fair health, recounting it to me.
This told, I joy; but then no longer glad,
I send them back again and straight grow sad.

Simplified Modern English Translation

The other two, slight air and purging fire,
The other two elements, insubstantial air and cleansing fire,

Are both with thee, wherever I abide;
are both with you, wherever I may be;

The first my thought, the other my desire,
The first is my thought, the other is my desire;

These present-absent with swift motion slide.
these two move effortlessly from me to you, and you to me.

For when these quicker elements are gone
For when these lighter elements are gone

In tender embassy of love to thee,
on an ambassadorial mission carrying my love to you,

My life, being made of four, with two alone
my life, being made of four elements, with two alone (earth and water)

Sinks down to death, oppressed with melancholy;
sinks down to death, oppressed with melancholy;

Until life’s composition be recured
until life’s original composition of elements is restored

By those swift messengers returned from thee,
by a return of air and fire from their journey,

Who even but now come back again, assured
who even at this instant are coming back, 

Of thy fair health, recounting it to me.
giving my a detailed account of your fair health.

This told, I joy; but then no longer glad,
Once I hear this, I am overjoyed; but the joy is short-lived

I send them back again and straight grow sad.
as I send the two away again, and immediately grow sad.

Reading of Sonnet 45

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:

The other two, slight ayre, and purging fire,
Are both with thee, where euer I abide,
The first my thought, the other my desire,
These present absent with swift motion slide.
For when these quicker Elements are gone
In tender Embassie of loue to thee,
My life being made of foure, with two alone,
Sinkes downe to death, opprest with melancholie.
Vntill liues composition be recured,
By those swift messengers return’d from thee,
Who euen but now come back againe assured,
Of their¹ faire health, recounting it to me.
This told, I ioy, but then no longer glad,
I send them back againe and straight grow sad.

 

Wording differences between the text and the reading are noted with a superscript:

¹ thy