271Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion's paws,

272And make the earth devour her own sweet brood;

273Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger's jaws,

274And burn the long-lived Phoenix in her blood;

275Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleet'st,

276And do whate'er thou wilt, swift-footed Time,

277To the wide world and all her fading sweets:

278But I forbid thee one most heinous crime,

279Oh, carve not with thy hours my love's fair brow,

280Nor draw no lines there with thine antique pen;

281Him in thy course untainted do allow

282For beauty's pattern to succeeding men.

283 Yet do thy worst, old Time: despite thy wrong,

284 My love shall in my verse ever live young.

286A woman's face with Nature's own hand painted

287Hast thou, the master mistress of my passion;

288A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted

289With shifting change, as is false women's fashion;

290An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,

291Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth;

292A man in hue all hues in his controlling,

293Which steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth;

294And for a woman wert thou first created,

295Till nature as she wrought thee fell a-doting,

296And by addition me of thee defeated,

297By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.

298 But since she pricked thee out for women's pleasure,

299 Mine be thy love, and thy love's use their treasure.

301So is it not with me as with that Muse,

302Stirred by a painted beauty to his verse,

303Who heaven itself for ornament doth use,

304And every fair with his fair doth rehearse,

305Making a couplement of proud compare

306With sun and moon, with earth and sea's rich gems;

307With April's first-born flowers, and all things rare

308That heaven's air in this huge rondure hems.

309Oh, let me true in love but truly write,

310And then believe me: my love is as fair

311As any mother's child, though not so bright

312As those gold candles fixed in heaven's air:

313 Let them say more that like of hearsay well,

314 I will not praise, that purpose not to sell.