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Sonnet 42
Shakespeare's Sonnets Translation Sonnet 43
When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see, For all the day they view things unrespected; But when I sleep, in dreams they look on thee, And, darkly bright, are bright in dark directed. Then thou, whose shadow shadows doth make bright— How would thy shadow’s form form happy show To the clear day with thy much clearer light, When to unseeing eyes thy shade shines so? How would, I say, mine eyes be blessèd made By looking on thee in the living day, When in dead night thy fair imperfect shade Through heavy sleep on sightless eyes doth stay? All days are nights to see till I see thee,And nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.
When I am most tired, then my eyes see most clearly,
Since during the day they see unimportant things.
But when I sleep, my eyes see you in my dreams.
They are darkly bright, and shine in the darkness they are directed into.
Then you, who are so bright that your shadow makes shadows bright:
How would your shadow's form make a pleasing appearance
In the bright day with your even brighter light,
When your image shines so brightly to unseeing eyes?
How would, I ask, my eyes be blessed
By looking on you in the living day,
When in the dead of night your imperfect shadow
Survives on unseeing eyes in the deep sleep?
All days are dark as nights until I see you,
And nights are bright days when dreams show you to me.
