Shakespeare's Sonnets

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Sonnet Dedication Sonnet 1 Sonnet 2 Sonnet 3 Sonnet 4 Sonnet 5 Sonnet 6 Sonnet 7 Sonnet 8 Sonnet 9 Sonnet 10 Sonnet 11 Sonnet 12 Sonnet 13 Sonnet 14 Sonnet 15 Sonnet 16 Sonnet 17 Sonnet 18 Sonnet 19 Sonnet 20 Sonnet 21 Sonnet 22 Sonnet 23 Sonnet 24 Sonnet 25 Sonnet 26 Sonnet 27 Sonnet 28 Sonnet 29 Sonnet 30 Sonnet 31 Sonnet 32 Sonnet 33 Sonnet 34 Sonnet 35 Sonnet 36 Sonnet 37 Sonnet 38 Sonnet 39 Sonnet 40 Sonnet 41 Sonnet 42 Sonnet 43 Sonnet 44 Sonnet 45 Sonnet 46 Sonnet 47 Sonnet 48 Sonnet 49 Sonnet 50 Sonnet 51 Sonnet 52 Sonnet 53 Sonnet 54 Sonnet 55 Sonnet 56 Sonnet 57 Sonnet 58 Sonnet 59 Sonnet 60 Sonnet 61 Sonnet 62 Sonnet 63 Sonnet 64 Sonnet 65 Sonnet 66 Sonnet 67 Sonnet 68 Sonnet 69 Sonnet 70 Sonnet 71 Sonnet 72 Sonnet 73 Sonnet 74 Sonnet 75 Sonnet 76 Sonnet 77 Sonnet 78 Sonnet 79 Sonnet 80 Sonnet 81 Sonnet 82 Sonnet 83 Sonnet 84 Sonnet 85 Sonnet 86 Sonnet 87 Sonnet 88 Sonnet 89 Sonnet 90 Sonnet 91 Sonnet 92 Sonnet 93 Sonnet 94 Sonnet 95 Sonnet 96 Sonnet 97 Sonnet 98 Sonnet 99 Sonnet 100 Sonnet 101 Sonnet 102 Sonnet 103 Sonnet 104 Sonnet 105 Sonnet 106 Sonnet 107 Sonnet 108 Sonnet 109 Sonnet 110 Sonnet 111 Sonnet 112 Sonnet 113 Sonnet 114 Sonnet 115 Sonnet 116 Sonnet 117 Sonnet 118 Sonnet 119 Sonnet 120 Sonnet 121 Sonnet 122 Sonnet 123 Sonnet 124 Sonnet 125 Sonnet 126 Sonnet 127 Sonnet 128 Sonnet 129 Sonnet 130 Sonnet 131 Sonnet 132 Sonnet 133 Sonnet 134 Sonnet 135 Sonnet 136 Sonnet 137 Sonnet 138 Sonnet 139 Sonnet 140 Sonnet 141 Sonnet 142 Sonnet 143 Sonnet 144 Sonnet 145 Sonnet 146 Sonnet 147 Sonnet 148 Sonnet 149 Sonnet 150 Sonnet 151 Sonnet 152 Sonnet 153 Sonnet 154
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Shakespeare's Sonnets
Shakescleare Translation

Shakespeare's Sonnets Translation Sonnet 16

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But wherefore do not you a mightier way Make war upon this bloody tyrant, time, And fortify yourself in your decay With means more blessèd than my barren rhyme? 5 Now stand you on the top of happy hours, And many maiden gardens, yet unset, With virtuous wish would bear your living flowers, Much liker than your painted counterfeit. So should the lines of life that life repair 10 Which this time’s pencil or my pupil pen Neither in inward worth nor outward fair Can make you live yourself in eyes of men. To give away yourself keeps yourself still, And you must live, drawn by your own sweet skill.

But why don't you, in a stronger way,
Fight against time, this bloody tyrant,
And defend yourself against decay
In a more blessed way than my barren poetry?
Now you stand on the happy hours of your prime,
And there are many virgins that are still unseeded,
Who wish virtuously to bear your children,
Which would be more like you than any painted portrait.
So should bloodlines repair life,
Which neither time's pencils or my inexperienced pen
Can preserve in its internal essence or external appearance,
To keep you alive in the eyes of men.
To give yourself away in marriage would preserve you,
And you must live, drawn by your own sweet skill.

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About the Translator: Suzy Kim

Suzy Kim is a graduate student studying Victorian literature at Brown University. She studied English and Psychology at University of Pennsylvania, and some of her creative work can be found in the upcoming volume of The Graphic Canon: Tales of Crime and Mystery Vol. 1. She is from Seoul, and currently lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

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