Shakespeare’s Sonnet #66 “Tired with all these, for restful death I cry”

And strength by limping sway disablèd,
And art made tongue-tied by authority,

Reading of Sonnet 66

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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.

Modernized Spelling and Punctuation

Tired with all these, for restful death I cry;
As, to behold desert a beggar born,
And needy nothing trimmed in jollity,
And purest faith unhappily forsworn,
And gilded honor shamefully misplaced,
And maiden virtue rudely strumpeted,
And right perfection wrongfully disgraced,
And strength by limping sway disablèd,
And art made tongue-tied by authority,
And folly, doctor-like, controlling skill,
And simple truth miscalled simplicity,
And captive good attending captain ill.
Tired with all these, from these would I be gone,
Save that, to die, I leave my love alone.

Simplified Modern English Translation

Tired with all of the following, for restful death I cry:
for instance, to behold talented people born into poverty,
and undeserving nobodies surrounded by wealth,
and faithful people maliciously betrayed,
and golden titles handed out to the unworthy,
and virtuous women accused of promiscuity,
and genuine perfection wrongfully disgraced,
and strength disabled by lame authority,
and art stifled by censorship,
and pompous professors hindering advancement,
and simple truth miscalled simplemindedness,
and virtue enslaved by wickedness.
Tired with all these, from these would I be gone,
except that, to die, I leave my love alone.

Text from Original 1609 Quarto

Transcription courtesy of University of Virginia Library:

Tyr’d with all these for restfull death I cry,
As to behold desert a begger borne,
And needie Nothing trimd in iollitie,
And purest faith vnhappily forsworne,
And gilded honor shamefully misplast,
And maiden vertue rudely strumpeted,
And right perfection wrongfully disgrac’d,
And strength by limping sway disabled,
And arte made tung-tide by authoritie,
And Folly (Doctor-like) controuling skill,
And simple-Truth miscalde Simplicitie,
And captiue-good attending Captaine ill.
Tyr’d with all these, from these would I be gone,
Saue that to dye, I leaue my loue alone.