Shakespeare’s Sonnet #54 “O, how much more doth beauty beauteous seem”

Sonnet 54

O, how much more doth beauty beauteous seem
By that sweet ornament which truth doth give.
The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem
For that sweet odor which doth in it live.
The canker-blooms have full as deep a dye
As the perfumèd tincture of the roses,
Hang on such thorns and play as wantonly
When summer’s breath their maskèd buds discloses;
But, for their virtue only is their show,
They live unwooed and unrespected fade,
Die to themselves. Sweet roses do not so;
Of their sweet deaths are sweetest odors made.
And so of you, beauteous and lovely youth,
When that shall fade, my verse distills your truth.

Simplified Modern English Translation

O, how much more doth beauty beauteous seem
Oh, how much more does beauty beauteous seem

By that sweet ornament which truth doth give.
through that sweet ornament which truth does give.

The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem
The rose looks fair, but we deem it even more beautiful

For that sweet odor which doth in it live.
because of that sweet odor that lives within it.

The canker-blooms have full as deep a dye
Unscented dog roses have just as deep a dye

As the perfumèd tincture of the roses,
as the perfumed colors of the roses,

Hang on such thorns and play as wantonly
hang on similar thorns and play as wantonly

When summer’s breath their maskèd buds discloses;
when summer’s heat opens up their buds.

But, for their virtue only is their show,
But, because their virtue only is their visual appearance,

They live unwooed and unrespected fade,
The live unwooed and unregarded fade;

Die to themselves. Sweet roses do not so;
they perish alone.  Sweet roses do not so;

Of their sweet deaths are sweetest odors made.
The live on in sweet perfumes after they die.

And so of you, beauteous and lovely youth,
And so of you, beauteous and lovely youth,

When that shall fade, my verse distills your truth.
when your beauty shall fade, my verse forever distills your truth.

Reading of Sonnet 54

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:

Oh how much more doth beautie beautious seeme,
By that sweet ornament which truth doth giue,
The Rose lookes faire, but fairer we it deeme
For that sweet odor, which doth in it liue:
The Canker bloomes haue full as deepe a die,
As the perfumed tincture of the Roses,
Hang on such thornes, and play as wantonly,
When sommers breath their masked buds discloses:
But for their virtue only is their show,
They liue vnwoo’d, and vnrespected fade,
Die to themselues. Sweet Roses doe not so,
Of their sweet deathes, are sweetest odors made:
And so of you, beautious and louely youth,
When that shall vade, by¹ verse distils your truth.

 

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

¹ my (either way OK)