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by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

Sonnet CIV
 (Sung text for setting by L. Crabtree)
 See original
Language: English 
Our translations:  ITA
To me, fair friend, you never can be old,
For as you were when first your eye I ey'd,
Such seems your beauty still. Three winters cold,
Have from the forests shook three summers' pride,
Three beauteous springs to yellow autumn turn'd,
In process of the seasons have I seen,
Three April perfumes in three hot Augusts burn'd,
Since first I saw you fresh, which yet are green.
Ah! yet doth beauty like a dial-hand,
Steal from his figure, and no pace perceiv'd;
So your sweet hue, which methinks still doth stand,
Hath motion, and mine eye may be deceiv'd:
  For fear of which, hear this thou age unbred:
  Ere you were born was beauty's summer dead.

Composition:

    Set to music by Leslie Crabtree (b. 1941), "Sonnet CIV", 2010 [ voice and piano ]

Text Authorship:

  • by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 104

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , no title, appears in Sonnets de Shakespeare, no. 104, first published 1857
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Per me, mio dolce amico, non potrai mai invecchiare", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-10-15
Line count: 14
Word count: 118

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