Shakespeare’s Sonnet #46: “Mine eye and heart are at a mortal war”

Reading of Sonnet 46

Click on video

Modernized Spelling and Punctuation

Mine eye and heart are at a mortal war
How to divide the conquest of thy sight;
Mine eye my heart thy picture’s sight would bar,
My heart mine eye the freedom of that right.
My heart doth plead that thou in him dost lie,
A closet never pierced with crystal eyes;
But the defendant doth that plea deny,
And says in him thy fair appearance lies.
To ‘cide this title is impanelèd
A quest of thoughts, all tenants to the heart,
And by their verdict is determinèd
The clear eye’s moiety and the dear heart’s part,
As thus: mine eye’s due is thy outward part,
And my heart’s right thy inward love of heart.

Simplified Modern English Translation

My eye and my heart are at mortal war with each other
over how to divide the bounty which is the sight of you.
My eye would bar my heart from from seeing your image,
my heart would prevent my eye from having such a right.
My heart pleads that your true image resides within him,
a room unseen by mortal eyes;
but my eyes do deny that plea
and say that your true image actually lies in them.
To decide this legal right of possession is impaneled
a jury of thoughts, (all partial to the heart’s side),
and by their verdict is determined
the share of your image due to the eyes, and the share due to the loving heart,
as thus: my eye’s due is you outward part,
and my heart’s right my inner feelings of love for you.

Text from Original 1609 Quarto

Transcription courtesy of University of Virginia Library:

Mine eye and heart are at a mortall warre,
How to deuide the conquest of thy sight,
Mine eye, my heart their¹ pictures sight would barre,
My heart, mine eye the freedome of that right,
My heart doth plead that thou in him doost lye,
(A closet neuer pearst with christall eyes)
But the defendant doth that plea deny,
And sayes in him their¹ faire appearance lyes.
To side this title is impannelled
A quest of thoughts, all tennants to the heart,
And by their verdict is determined
The cleere eyes moyitie, and the deare hearts part.
As thus, mine eyes due is their¹ outward part,
And my hearts right, their¹ inward loue of heart.

 

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

¹ thy