7
Lo, in the orient when the gracious light
Lifts up his burning head, each under eye
Doth homage to his new-appearing sight,
Serving with looks his sacred majesty; 4
And having climb'd the steep-up heavenly hill,
Resembling strong youth in his middle age,
Yet mortal looks adore his beauty still,
Attending on his golden pilgrimage; 8
But when from highmost pitch, with weary car,
Like feeble age, he reeleth from the day,
The eyes, 'fore duteous, now converted are
From his low tract, and look another way: 12
So thou, thyself outgoing in thy noon,
Unlook'd on diest, unless thou get a son.
8
Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly?
Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy:
Why lov'st thou that which thou receiv'st not gladly,
Or else receiv'st with pleasure thine annoy? 4
If the true concord of well-tuned sounds,
By unions married, do offend thine ear,
They do but sweetly chide thee, who confounds
In singleness the parts that thou shouldst bear. 8
Mark how one string, sweet husband to another,
Strikes each in each by mutual ordering;
Resembling sire and child and happy mother,
Who, all in one, one pleasing note do sing: 12
Whose speechless song, being many, seeming one,
Sings this to thee: 'Thou single wilt prove none.'
9–12 Cf. n.
9 highmost pitch: highest elevation
11 converted: turned away
12 tract: course
13 thyself outgoing . . . noon: passing beyond your noon of beauty
1 Music to hear: you whose voice is music
10 mutual ordering: ordered harmony
14 'Thou single wilt prove none'; cf. n.
