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. Sonnet 58 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. That God forbid, that made me first your slave, 02. I should in thought control your times of pleasure, 03. Or at your hand th' account of hours to crave, 04. Being your vassal bound to stay your leisure. 05. Oh let me suffer (being at your beck) 06. Th' imprison'd absence of your liberty, 07. And patience tame, to sufferance bide each check, 08. Without accusing you of injury. 09. Be where you list, your charter is so strong, 10. That you yourself may privilege your time 11. To what you will, to you it doth belong, 12. Yourself to pardon of self-doing crime. 13. I am to wait, though waiting so be hell, 14. Not blame your pleasure be it ill or well. |
. Sonnet 58 . (paraphrased) 01. That Love forbid, that first made me your slave, 02. I should even think to control your times of pleasure, 03. Or ask you to account for how you spend your time, 04. Since I'm your vassal, obligated to wait until you have time for me. 05. Oh, love, give me strength to endure (since I'm at your beck and call,) 06. The absence of yourself, enforced against me, while you're at liberty, 07. And to subdue my impatience, to toleration as I wait through each minute of delay, 08. Without accusing you of doing harm. 09. Go where you wish; your entitlement is so strong, because of my love for you, 10. That you, yourself, may allocate your time 11. According to what you please, it is your right 12. To pardon yourself for any "crime" you do, (so you don't need my pardon.) 13. I will wait - although waiting for you like this is hell - 14. And I won't criticize your choice, of where you go or what you do, whether it's bad or good. |
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Sonnet 58 Gloss
L1: God = love. Love personified as a god; Cupid. L2: in thought = even think to. L3: crave = ask. L4: stay = await. L5: Oh let me suffer = give me strength to endure. This is a minor "prayer," of the "god give me strength" type. L5: beck = beck and call. L6: imprison'd = enforced. (Note, to the right.) L7: patience tame = subdue impatience. Impatience is poetically cast as a type of "patience." L7: bide = tolerate. L7: check = delay. L8: injury = harm. L9: list = wish. L9: charter = entitlement. L10: privilege = allocate. L11: will = desire. L11: doth belong = is your right. L14: blame your pleasure = criticize your choice. |
Sonnet 58 Notes
Sonnet 58 is a variation on a theme, following #57, to make a pair. Sonnet 58 is a more serious consideration of the theme. The annoyance expressed in Sonnet 57 wore off quickly. The Poet was quite fond of the person to whom Sonnets 57 and 58 were addressed. ------- L6: imprison'd = enforced. The Poet is "imprisoned" in that his love obligates him to abide the addressee's absence. There's implicit reliance on the different definitions of "abide": tolerate, and dwell. The Poet's love says he must abide the addressee's absence, therefore "dwell" with it, as if imprisoned. The modern slang phrase "live with it" is the same kind of idea. |
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