Margin Notes
Unabridged
From fairest creatures we desire increase,
That thereby beauty’s rose might never die,
But as the riper should by time decease,
His tender heir might bear his memory;
But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,
Feed’st thy light’s flame with self-substantial fuel,
Making a famine where abundance lies,
Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.
Thou that art now the world’s fresh ornament
And only herald to the gaudy spring,
Within thine own bud buriest thy content,
And, tender churl, mak’st waste in niggarding.
Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
To eat the world’s due, by the grave and thee.
fairest creatures -- most beautiful people
increase -- to have children
beauty’s rose -- beauty likened to a rose
riper-- someone grown older
decease -- to die
tender heir -- a gentle or beloved child
contracted to thine own bright eyes -- in love with yourself
self-substantial fuel -- feeding your flame with your own self
famine where abundance lies -- scarcity created by selfishness
thyself thy foe -- being your own enemy
sweet self too cruel -- cruel to your own beauty
world’s fresh ornament -- new and admired beauty
herald to the gaudy spring -- a bright sign of spring’s arrival
buriest thy content -- hiding your gifts
tender churl --a sweet but selfish person
waste in niggarding -- wasting by being stingy
Pity the world -- share your beauty
glutton -- greedy person
eat the world’s due* -- consume what should be shared
by the grave and thee -- beauty dies with you