William Shakespeare, Sonnet cxlviii
O me! what eyes hath love put in my head,
Which have no correspondence with true sight!
Or, if they have, where is my judgment fled,
4
That censures falsely what they see aright? [*]
If that be fair whereon my false eyes dote,
What means the world to say it is not so?
If it be not, then love doth well denote
8
Love's eye is not so true as all men's: no,
How can it? O how can Love's eye be true,
That is so vex'd with watching and with tears?
No marvel then though I mistake my view;
12
The sun itself sees not till heaven clears.
O cunning Love! with tears thou keep'st me blind,
Lest eyes well-seeing thy foul faults should find.
Notes
line 4: Censures -- judges, estimates. [ Back to text ]
Most notes to Shakespeare's sonnets are from Charles Knight's edition, but those in square brackets are mine.