Sonnet 12/XII "When I do count the clock"

When I do count the clock that tells the time,
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;
When I behold the violet past prime,
And sable curls or silver'd o'er with white;
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves,
Which erst from heat did canopy the herd
And Summer's green all girded up in sheaves
Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard;
Then of thy beauty do I question make
That thou among the wastes of time must go,
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake,
And die as fast as they see others grow,
And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defense
Save breed to brave him when he takes thee hence.


Quatrain 1

1 When I / do count / the clock / that tells / the time,
2 And see / the brave / day // sunk / in hi/deous night;
3 When I / behold / the vi/olet / past prime,
4 And sa/ble curls / or sil/ver'd o'er / with white;

Quatrain 2

5 When lof/ty trees / I see // barren / of leaves,
6 Which erst / from heat / did ca/nopy / the herd
7 And Sum/mer's green / all gir/ded up / in sheaves
8 Borne on / the bier / with white / and bris/tly beard;

Quatrain 3

9 Then of / thy beau/ty do / I ques/tion make
10That thou / among / the wastes / of time / must go,
11 Since sweets / and beau/ties do / themselves / forsake,
12 And die / as fast / as they / see o/thers grow,

Couplet

13 And no/thing 'gainst / Time's scythe / can make / defense
14 Save breed / to brave / him // when / he takes / thee hence.

Sonnet 11/XI "As fast as thou shalt wane"

As fast as thou shalt wane so fast tho grow'st
In one of thine from that which thou departest,
And that fresh blood which youngly thou bestow'st
Thou may'st call thine, when thou from youth convertest.
Herein lives wisdom, beauty, and increase;
Without this, folly, age, and cold decay.
If all were minded so, the times should cease,
And threescore year would make the world away.
Let those whom nature hath not made for store--
Harsh, featureless, and rude--barrenly perish.
Look whom she best endow'd, she gave the more,
Which bounteous gift thou should'st in bounty cherish.
She carv'd thee for her seal, and meant thereby
Thou shouldst print more, not let that copy die.


Quatrain 1

1 As fast / as thou / shalt wane // so fast / thou grow'st >
2 In one / of thine // from that / which thou / departest,
3 And that / fresh blood / which young/ly thou / bestow'st
4 Thou may'st / call thine // when thou / from youth / convertest.

Quatrain 2

5 Herein / lives wis/dom, // beau/ ty, and / increase;
6 Without / this, // fol/ly, age, / and cold / decay.
7 If all / were min/ded so, / the times / should cease,
8 And three/score year / would make / the world / away.

Quatrain 3

9 Let those / whom na/ture hath / not made / for store--
10Harsh, fea/tureless, / and rude/--barren/ly perish.
11 Look, // whom / she best / endow'd, / she gave / the more,
12 Which boun/teous gift / thou should'st / in boun/ty cherish.

Couplet

13 She carv'd / thee for / her seal, / and meant / thereby >
14 Thou should'st /print more, / not let / that co/py die.