Shakespeare’s Sonnet #7: “Lo, in the orient when the gracious light”

Sonnet 7

Lo, in the orient when the gracious light
Lifts up his burning head, each under eye
Doth homage to his new-appearing sight,
Serving with looks his sacred majesty;
And having climbed the steep-up heavenly hill,
Resembling strong youth in his middle age,
yet mortal looks adore his beauty still,
Attending on his golden pilgrimage;
But when from highmost pitch, with weary car,
Like feeble age, he reeleth from the day,
The eyes, ‘fore duteous, now converted are
From his low tract and look another way.
So thou, thyself out-going in thy noon,
Unlooked on diest, unless thou get a son.

Simplified Modern English Translation

Lo, in the orient when the gracious light
In the east, when the morning light

Lifts up his burning head, each under eye
precedes the sunrise, every onlooker

Doth homage to his new-appearing sight,
is amazed at the beauty of the sight,

Serving with looks his sacred majesty;
and honors the majesty of the scene.

And having climbed the steep-up heavenly hill,
And as the sun climbs up the sky, heralding the day,

Resembling strong youth in his middle age,
like a young person gathering his strength,

yet mortal looks adore his beauty still,
onlookers still adore the sun’s power and vigor

Attending on his golden pilgrimage;
basking in the splendor of the day’s journey.

But when from highmost pitch, with weary car,
But when the sun begins to set,

Like feeble age, he reeleth from the day,
and, like a person as he ages, the day begins to darken,

The eyes, ‘fore duteous, now converted are
onlookers who were before basking in the splendor of the light

From his low tract and look another way.
look away and begin to prepare for the darkness of night.

So thou, thyself out-going in thy noon,
In the same way, you, since you have already peaked in beauty,

Unlooked on diest, unless thou get a son.
 will begin to be ignored, unless you have a beautiful son to replace you.

Reading of Sonnet 7

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:

Loe in the Orient when the gracious light,
Lifts vp his burning head, each vnder eye
Doth homage to his new appearing sight,
Seruing with lookes his sacred maiesty,
And hauing climb’d the steepe vp heauenly hill,
Resembling strong youth in his middle age,
Yet mortall lookes adore his beauty still,
Attending on his goulden pilgrimage:
But when from high-most pich with wery car,
Like feeble age he reeleth from the day,
The eyes (fore dutious) now conuerted are
From his low tract and looke an other way:
So thou, thy selfe out-going in thy noon:
Vnlok’d on diest vnlesse thou get a sonne.