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. Sonnet 47 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Betwixt mine eye and heart a league is took, 02. And each doth good turns now unto the other, 03. When that mine eye is famished for a look, 04. Or heart in love with sighs himself doth smother; 05. With my love's picture then my eye doth feast, 06. And to the painted banquet bids my heart; 07. Another time mine eye is my heart's guest, 08. And in his thoughts of love doth share a part. 09. So either by thy picture or my love, 10. Thy self away, are present still with me, 11. For thou nor farther than my thoughts canst move, 12. And I am still with them, and they with thee. 13. Or if they sleep, thy picture in my sight 14. Awakes my heart, to heart's and eye's delight. |
. Sonnet 47 . (paraphrased) 01. Between my eye and heart, a league is formed, 02. And each does favors now, for the other: 03. When it happens that my eye is starved for a look at you, 04. Or my heart, in love with you, suffocates himself with sighs, 05. Then, my eye feasts with my love's picture of you, 06. And, to that painted banquet table, invites my heart; 07. On another occasion, my eye will be my heart's guest, 08. And in my heart's thoughts of love, my eye shares a part. 09. So, either through your image, or my love of you, 10. Although you are away, there's a way you're still present with me, 11. For, you're never farther than my thoughts can travel, 12. And I am always with my thoughts of you, and they're with me, 13. Or if my thoughts should sleep, your picture in my sight 14. Awakens my heart, to the delight of both my heart and eyes. |
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Sonnet 47 Gloss
L1: league = compact; or, 'alliance.' L1: took = formed. An obsolete usage of "took." Not a grammatical error, just poetic. L2: good turns = favors. L2: unto = for. "Unto" suggests the Biblical - 'do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.' L4: in love with sighs - (Note, to the right.) L6: painted banquet - On a "table." (Note, to the right.) L6: bids = invites. L7: Another time = on another occasion. L11: nor = never. L12: still = always. L12: them = my thoughts of you. L13: sight = dreams; or, 'vision.' |
Sonnet 47 Notes
Sonnet 47 was written to follow #46. The "war" in Sonnet 46 is over. The Poet's heart and eye are now allied, and they share the lovely image the Poet holds of the addressee. ------- L4: in love with sighs The line 4 phrasing is intentionally ambiguous. It can be read that the heart, in love, smothers itself with sighs, or that the heart is in love with sighs, and smothers itself. The first is the primary meaning. The second is rather facetious. L6: painted banquet - On a "table." "Table" is an obsolete term for the panel on which a picture is painted. There is implicit "table" wordplay, between a picture "table" and a banquet table. The picture "table" was expressly stated in Sonnet 24. |
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