SONNET 7
Lo! in the orient when the gracious lightLifts up his burning head, each under eye
Doth homage to his new-appearing sight,
Serving with looks his sacred majesty;
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;
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:
So thou, thyself out-going in thy noon,
Unlook'd on diest, unless thou get a son.
Notes
highmost pitch (9): highest elevation.
converted (11): turned away.
tract (12): course.
out-going...noon (13): i.e., passing beyond your prime.
PARAPHRASE
When the first rays of the sun appear in the east,
And he [the sun] lifts up his burning head, men's eyes
Pay tribute to his brand new appearance
Serving his majesty [the sun] with looks of awe;
And when he climbs that hill to heaven [ascends back into the sky],
Like a strong young man in the prime of life,
Mortals still worship his glory,
Watching closely his climb into the sky;
But when from his zenith he, with his weary horses [car = chariot],
Staggers away from the day like he is old and feeble,
The eyes [of men], before dutiful, now turn away from him
They turn away from his path in the sky and look elsewhere:
So you, youself nearly past your prime,
Will too go unregarded [like the sun], unless you have a son.
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