Shakespeare Sonnet's in Modern English
Shakespeare's sonnet translations below are intended to offer an easy read-through to aid understanding. There is no attempt to 'translate' the poetry word for word, as Shakespeare's poetry is intense and heavily layered with multiple meanings and use of rhyme, metre, and metaphors. These translations are able to offer only the argument of each sonnet and a general impression of the main sense, whilst following each line and image as a modern version.
You may also want to read this article that puts Shakespeare's sonnets in their historical context.
- Sonnet 1 Translation: From Fairest Creatures We Desire Increase
- Sonnet 2 Translation: When Forty Winters Shall Besiege Thy Brow
- Sonnet 3 Translation: Look In Thy Glass, And Tell The Face Thou Viewest
- Sonnet 4 Translation: Unthrifty Loveliness, Why Dost Thou Spend
- Sonnet 5 Translation: Those Hours, That With Gentle Work Did Frame
- Sonnet 6 Translation: Then Let Not Winter's Ragged Hand Deface
- Sonnet 7 Translation: Lo! In The Orient When The Gracious Light
- Sonnet 8 Translation: Music To Hear, Why Hear'st Thou Music Sadly?
- Sonnet 9 Translation: Is It For Fear To Wet A Widow's Eye
- Sonnet 10 Translation: For Shame Deny That Thou Bear'st Love To Any
- Sonnet 11 Translation: As Fast As Thou Shalt Wane, So Fast Thou Grow
- Sonnet 12 Translation: When I Do Count The Clock That Tells Time
- Sonnet 13 Translation: O! That You Were Your Self, Buy, Love, You Are
- Sonnet 14 Translation: Not From The Stars Do I My Judgement Pluck
- Sonnet 15 Translation: When I Consider Everything That Grows
- Sonnet 16 Translation: But Wherefore Do Not You A Mightier Way
- Sonnet 17 Translation: Who Will Believe In My Verse In Time To Come
- Sonnet 18 Translation: Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer's Day?
- Sonnet 19 Translation: Devouring Time, Blunt Thou The Lion's Paw
- Sonnet 20 Translation: A Woman's Face With Nature's Own Hand Painted
- Sonnet 21 Translation: So It Is Not With Me As With That Muse
- Sonnet 22 Translation: My Glass Shall Not Persuade Me I Am Old
- Sonnet 23 Translation: As An Unperfect Actor On The Stage
- Sonnet 24 Translation: Mine Eye Hath Play'd The Painter and Hath Steel'd
- Sonnet 25 Translation: Let Those Who Are In Favour With Their Stars
- Sonnet 26 Translation: Lord Of My Love, To Whom In Vassalage
- Sonnet 27 - coming soon
- Sonnet 28 Translation: How Can I Then Return I Happy Plight
- Sonnet 29 Translation: When In Disgrace With Fortune and Men's Eyes
- Sonnet 30 Translation: When To The Sessions Of Sweet Silent Thought
- Sonnet 31 Translation: Thy Bosom Is Endeared With All Hearts
- Sonnet 32 Translation: If Thou Survive My Well-Contented Day
- Sonnet 33 Translation: Full Many A Glorious Morning I Have Seen
- Sonnet 34 Translation: Why Didst Thou Promise Such A Beauteous Day
- Sonnet 35 Translation: No More Be Grieved At That Which Thou Hast Done
- Sonnet 36 Translation: Let Me Confess That We Two Must Be Twain
- Sonnet 37 Translation: As A Decrepit Father Takes Delight
- Sonnet 38 Translation: How Can My Muse Want Subject To Invent
- Sonnet 39 Translation: O! How Thy WOrth With Manners May I Sing
- Sonnet 40 Translation: Take All My Loves, My Love, Yea Take Them All
- Sonnet 41 Translation: Those Pretty Wrongs That Liberty Commits
- Sonnet 42 Translation: That Thou Hast It Is Not All My Grief
- Sonnet 43 Translation: When Most I Wink, Then Do Mine Eyes Best See
- Sonnet 44 Translation: If The Dull Substance Of My Flesh Were Thought
- Sonnet 45 Translation: That Thou Hast It Is Not All My Grief
- Sonnet 46 Translation: Mine Eye And Heart Are At A Mortal War
- Sonnet 47 Translation: Betwixt Mine Eye And Heart A League Is Took
- Sonnet 48 Translation: How Careful Was I When I Took My Way
- Sonnet 49 Translation: Against That Time, If Ever That Time Come
- Sonnet 50 Translation: How Heavy Do I Journey On The Way
- Sonnet 51 Translation: Thus Can My Love Excuse The Slow Offence
- Sonnet 52 Translation: So Am I As The Rich, Whose Blessed Key
- Sonnet 53 Translation: What Is Your Substance, Whereof Are You Made
- Sonnet 54 Translation: O! How Much More Doth Beauty Beauteous Seem
- Sonnet 55 Translation: O! Not Marble, Nor The Gilded Monuments
- Sonnet 56 Translation: Sweet Love, Renew Thy Force; Be It Not Said
- Sonnet 57 Translation: Being Your Slave What Should I Do But Tend
- Sonnet 58 Translation: That God Forbid, That Made Me First Your Slave
- Sonnet 59 Translation: If There Be Nothing New, But That Which Is
- Sonnet 60 Translation: Like As The Waves Make Towards The Pebbled Shore
- Sonnet 61 Translation: Is It Thy Will, Thy Image Should Keep Open
- Sonnet 62 Translation: Sin Of Self-love Possesseth All Mine Eye
- Sonnet 63 Translation: Against My Love Shall Be As I Am Now
- Sonnet 64 Translation: When I Have Seen By Time's Fell Hand Defac'd
- Sonnet 65 Translation: Since Brass, Nor Stone, Nor Earth, Nor Boundless Sea
- Sonnet 66 Translation: Tired For All These, For restful Death I Cry
- Sonnet 67 Translation: Ah! Wherefore With Infection Should He Live
- Sonnet 68 Translation: In Days Long Since, Before These Last So Bad
- Sonnet 69 Translation: Those Parts Of Thee That The World's Eye Doth View
- Sonnet 70 Translation: That Thou Art Blamed Shall Not Be Thy Defect
- Sonnet 71 Translation: No Longer Mourn For Me When I Am Dead
- Sonnet 72 Translation: O! Lest The World Should Task You To Recite
- Sonnet 73 Translation: That Time Of Year Thou Mayst In Me Behold
- Sonnet 74 Translation: But Be Contented When That Fell Arrest
- Sonnet 75 Translation: So Are You To My Thoughts As Food To Life
- Sonnet 76 Translation: Why Is My Verse So Barren Of New Pride
- Sonnet 77 Translation: Thy Glass Will Show Thee How Thy Beauties Wear
- Sonnet 78 Translation: So Oft Have I Invoked Thee For My Muse
- Sonnet 79 Translation: Whilst I Alone Did Call Upon Thy Aid
- Sonnet 80 Translation: O! How I Faint When I Do Write Of You
- Sonnet 81 Translation: Or I Shall Live Your Epitaph To Make
- Sonnet 82 Translation: I Grant Thou Wert Not Married To My Muse
- Sonnet 83 Translation: I Never Saw That You Did Painting Need
- Sonnet 84 Translation: Who Is It That Says Most, Which Can Say More
- Sonnet 85 Translation: My Tongue-Tied Muse In Manners Holds Her Still
- Sonnet 86 Transaltion: Farewell! Thou Art Too Dear For My Possessing
- Sonnet 87 Translation: Farewell! Thou Art Too Dear For My Possessing
- Sonnet 88 Translation: When Thou Shalt Be Dispos'd To Set Me Light
- Sonnet 89 Translation: Say That Thou Didst Forsake Me For Some Fault
- Sonnet 90 Translation: Then Hate Me When Thou Wilt; If Ever, Now
- Sonnet 91 Translation: Some Glory In Ttheir Birth, Some In Their Skill
- Sonnet 92 Translation: But Do Thy Worst To Steal Thyself Away
- Sonnet 93 Translation: So Shall I Live, Supposing Thou Art True
- Sonnet 94 Translation: They That Have Power To Hurt, And Will Do None
- Sonnet 95 Translation: How Sweet And Lovely Dost Thou Make The Shame
- Sonnet 96 Translation: Some Say Thy Fault Is Youth, Some Wantonness
- Sonnet 97 Translation: How Like A Winter Hath My Absence Been
- Sonnet 98 Translation: From You Have I Been Absent In The Spring
- Sonnet 99 Translation: The Forward Violet Thus Did I Chide
- Sonnet 100 Translation: Where Art Thou, Muse, That Thou Forget'st So Long
- Sonnet 101 Translation: O Truant Muse, What Shall Be Thy Amends
- Sonnet 102 Translation: My Love Is Strengthen'd, Though More Weak In Seeming
- Sonnet 103 Translation: Alack, What Poverty My Muse Brings Forth
- Sonnet 104 Translation: To Me,Fair Friend, You Can Never Be Old
- Sonnet 105 Translation: Let Not My Love Be Called Idolatry
- Sonnet 106 Translation: When In The Chronicle Of Wasted Time
- Sonnet 107 Translation: Not Mine Own Fears, Nor The Prophetic Soul
- Sonnet 108 Translation: What's In The Brain That Ink May Character
- Sonnet 109 Translation: O! Never Say That I Was False Of Heart
- Sonnet 110 Translation: Alas! 'Tis True, I Have Gone Here And There
- Sonnet 111 Translation: O For My Sake Do You With Fortune Chide
- Sonnet 112 Translation: Your Love And Pity Doth Th' Impression Fill
- Sonnet 113 Translation Since I Left You, Mine Eye Is In My Mind
- Sonnet 114 Translation: Or Whether Doth My Mind, Being Crowned With You
- Sonnet 115 Translation: Those Lines That I Before Have Writ Do Lie
- Sonnet 116 Translation: Let Me Not To The Marriage Of True Minds
- Sonnet 117 Translation: Accuse Me Thus: That I Have Scanted All
- Sonnet 118 Translation: Like As To Make Our Appetites More Keen
- Sonnet 119 Transaltion: What Potions Have I Drunk Of Siren Tears
- Sonnet 120 Translation: That You Were Once Unkind Befriends Me Now
- Sonnet 121 Translation: 'Tis Better To Be Vile Than Vile Esteemed
- Sonnet 122 - coming soon
- Sonnet 123 Translation: Thy Pyramids Built Up With Newer Might
- Sonnet 124 Transaltion: If My Dear Love Were But The Child Of State
- Sonnet 125 - coming soon
- Sonnet 126 - coming soon
- Sonnet 127 - coming soon
- Sonnet 128 - coming soon
- Sonnet 129 - coming soon
- Sonnet 130 Translation: My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like The Sun
- Sonnet 131 Translation: Thou Art As Tyrannous, So As Thou Art
- Sonnet 132 Translation: Thine Eyes I Love, And They, As Pitying Me
- Sonnet 133 Translation: Beshrew That Heart That Makes My Heart To Groan
- Sonnet 134 Translation: So Now I Have Confessed That He Is Thine
- Sonnet 135 Translation: Whoever Hath Her Wish, Thou Hast Thy Will
- Sonnet 136 Translation: If Thy Soul Check Thee That I Come So Near
- Sonnet 137 Translation: Thou Blind Fool, Love, What Dost Thou To Mine Eyes
- Sonnet 138 Translation: When My Love Swears That She Is Made Of Truth
- Sonnet 139 Translation: O! Call Not Me To Justify The Wrong
- Sonnet 140 Translation: Be Wise As Thou Art Cruel
- Sonnet 141 Translation: In Faith I Do Not Love You With Mine Eyes
- Sonnet 142 Translation: Love Is My Sin, And Thy Dear Virtue Hate
- Sonnet 143 Translation: Lo, As A Careful Housewife Runs To Catch
- Sonnet 144 Translation: Two Loves I Have Of Comfort And Despair
- Sonnet 145 Translation: Those Lips That Love's Own Hand Did Make
- Sonnet 146 Translation: Poor Soul, The Centre Of My Sinful Earth
- Sonnet 147 Translation: My Love Is As A Fever Longing Still
- Sonnet 148 Translation: O Me! What Eyes Hath Love Put In My Head
- Sonnet 149 Translation: Canst Thou, O Cruel! Say I Love Thee Not
- Sonnet 150 Translation: O! From What Power Hast Thou This Powerful Might
- Sonnet 151 Translation: Love Is Too Young To Know What Conscience Is
- Sonnet 152 Translation: In Loving Thee Thou Kow'st I Am Forsworn
