Shakespeare’s Sonnet #9: “Is it for fear to wet a widow’s eye”

Sonnet 9

Is it for fear to wet a widow’s eye
That thou consumest thyself in single life?
Ah, if thou issueless shalt hap to die,
The world will wail thee like a makeless wife;
The world will be thy widow and still weep
That thou no form of thee hast left behind,
When every private widow well may keep,
By children’s eyes, her husband’s shape in mind.
Look what an unthrift in the world doth spend
Shifts but his place, for still the world enjoys it;
But beauty’s waste hath in the world an end,
And, kept unused, the user so destroys it.
No love toward others in that bosom sits
That on himself such murd’rous shame commits.

Simplified Modern English Translation

Is it for fear to wet a widow’s eye
Is it because you are afraid that you are going to leave behind a sad widow

That thou consumest thyself in single life?
that you have decided not to marry and have children.

Ah, if thou issueless shalt hap to die,
Let me tell you, if you should die without an heir

The world will wail thee like a makeless wife;
the world itself will weep

The world will be thy widow and still weep
as though the world itself were your widow

That thou no form of thee hast left behind,
since you have not left behind a copy of your beautiful image for the world to enjoy

When every private widow well may keep,
when even everyday widows are allowed to keep

By children’s eyes, her husband’s shape in mind.
an image of their husbands in their children.

Look what an unthrift in the world doth spend
You see, the financial inheritance that an irresponsible person spends

Shifts but his place, for still the world enjoys it;
just goes from one person to another, and someone will always get to enjoy the money later.

But beauty’s waste hath in the world an end,
But the wealth of beauty, if not spent wisely, will be destroyed

And, kept unused, the user so destroys it.
if the possessor doesn’t spend it judiciously.

No love toward others in that bosom sits
You show no love towards the world

That on himself such murd’rous shame commits.
 if you don’t have children and replicate your beauty for succeeding generations.

Reading of Sonnet 9

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:

Is it for feare to wet a widdowes eye,
That thou consum’st thy selfe in single life?
Ah; if thou issulesse shalt hap to die,
The world will waile thee like a makelesse wife,
The world wilbe thy widdow and still weepe,
That thou no forme of thee hast left behind,
When euery priuat widdow well may keepe,
By childrens eyes, her husbands shape in minde:
Looke what an vnthrift in the world doth spend
Shifts but his place, for still the world inioyes it
But beauties waste hath in the world an end,
And kept vnvsde the vser so destroyes it:
No loue toward others in that bosome sits
That on himselfe such murdrous shame commits.