372 bane death, destruction
375 steel harden (puns on “steal”)
376 grave engrave, make an impression upon
377 regard notice
381 bereft deprived of
382 hence go away
384 palfrey horse for ordinary riding (as opposed to a warhorse)
387 Affection passion, lust
388 suffered permitted (to burn)
391 jade worn-out horse
393 fee due, reward
395 thong leather strap, i.e. rein
bending crest arched neck
396 Enfranchising freeing
397 in … bed naked in her bed
400 agents parts (i.e. penis)
like similar
401 faint feeble, fainthearted
bold daring/sexually immodest
404 of from
405 on of
presented offered, available
406 Though even if
yet still, nevertheless
proceedings behavior
408 made perfect learned by heart
409 quoth said
411 owe i.e. take on the responsibility of the debt
412 My … it the only desire I feel for love is the urge to discredit it
414 but … breath in the same breath, at the same time
417 springing sprouting, growing
diminished weakened, deprived
419 backed and burdened broken in and ridden
420 waxeth grows
422 idle worthless
bootless pointless
424 alarms calls to arms
ope open
426 battery assault by heavy bombardment
429 mermaid’s i.e. Siren’s, a mythical creature, part woman, part bird, whose enchanting singing lured sailors to their death (also slang for “prostitute”)
430 pressed (I am) oppressed, crushed
434 inward … invisible inner, invisible beauty (i.e. his voice)
435 outward parts physical appearance
move stir/sexually arouse (picking up on the genital sense of part)
436 sensible capable of feeling
443 stillatory still (in which perfume is distilled)
face excelling incomparably beautiful face
446 other four i.e. senses
448 suspicion wariness of evil
451 ruby-coloured portal i.e. his lips
453 betokened Wrack signified shipwreck
456 flaws squalls of wind
457 presage omen
advisedly attentively, warily
marketh observes, notes
459 grin bare his teeth
462 ere before
463 flatly prostrate/without hesitation
465 recures cures, heals
466 love some editors emend to “loss”
thriveth prospers
469 late intent recent intention
471 cunning skillful/crafty
wittily ingeniously
472 Fair fall may fair befall, good luck to (playing on Venus’ literal “fall”)
475 wrings pinches
480 so … still as long as he continues to kiss her (still may play on sense of “motionless”)
482 blue windows blue-veined eyelids/eyes (though these were gray in line 140)
490 repine discontent
494 drenched immersed/drowned
495 Or either
497 death’s annoy i.e. as distressing as death
500 shrewd severe, harsh
503 leaders military captains (who serve the queen)/guides
504 But were it not
piteous merciful, compassionate
506 liveries uniforms worn by a particular nobleman’s servants
wear wear out
507 verdure freshness/taste
509 star-gazers astrologers
510 plague in 1593, the year of the poem’s publication, the plague was particularly virulent in London
511 seals … imprinted stamps that have left their authoritative impression in my lips, as if in wax
513 sell myself connotations of prostitution
514 So provided that
use good dealing trade fairly/have good sex
515 slips errors/counterfeit coins/sexual lapses
516 seal-manual signature/personal seal on a ring
519 touches kisses
520 told counted
523 queen may pun on “quean,” i.e. prostitute
owe bear, have for
524 Measure … with i.e. attribute my aloofness to
525 know plays on sense of “have sex with”
526 fry very young fish
forbears spares
527 mellow ripe
529 world’s comforter i.e. sun
531 owl … shrieks the owl was considered a bird of ill omen, its cry thought to herald death
532 fold the pen, enclosure
538 tendered paid (in settlement of a debt)
540 Incorp’rate united in one body
541 disjoined broke off
544 surfeit drink to excess
on drouth of drought
545 plenty abundance (of desire/flesh/ kisses)
pressed overwhelmed/pressed literally
dearth famine
550 insulter (victorious) attacker
551 vulture i.e. ravenous desire, predatory imagination
pitch fix, set (may play on one sense of the noun: “highest point to which a bird of prey soars before swooping on its victim”)
553 spoil booty, goods acquired by plunder
554 forage plunder, pillage/glut oneself like a wild beast
reek smoke with heat
555 reek and smoke sweat
556 careless reckless
557 oblivion generating heedlessness
558 wrack destruction
561 roe species of small deer
chasing being hunted
562 froward refractory, fretful
dandling rocked or joggled up and down
564 listeth desires
565 so is so
temp’ring heating
567 out of hope (that seem) hopeless
compassed achieved
vent’ring taking risks
568 whose … commission who has license to go further than his orders
570 choice object of choice
571 gave over given up
573 Foul harsh, unkind
574 rose … plucked like lock-picking, a standard image of (female) virginity loss
575 fast safe, secure
580 look well to take good care of
581 Cupid the Roman god of love was Venus’ son; he caused people to fall in love by firing arrows at them
protest declare
583 waste spend
584 watch remain awake
586 make the match agree to the assignation, appoint a rendezvous (match plays on sense of “sexual encounter”)
590 lawn fine white linen/alternative name for the plant “hound’s tongue” or “Venus’ navelwort”
592 yoking fastening around the neck/subduing
595 lists official enclosure in which tournaments were held (possibly plays on sense of “list” as “pleasure/appetite”)
596 champion opponent/one who fights on her behalf
mounted on horseback, i.e. on top of her
hot encounter spirited fight/lustful sexual encounter
597 prove discover
598 manage take a horse through a series of exercises/handle sexually, “ride”
599 That so that
Tantalus in Greek mythology, a king who stole from the gods and was condemned to stand in a pool below a fruit tree that remained just out of his reach
600 clip embrace
Elysium the heaven of classical mythology
601 painted grapes refers to Pliny’s account of Zeuxis the painter, apparently so skillful that birds mistook his painted grapes for real ones
602 pine the maw starve the stomach
603 mishaps misfortunes
604 helpless useless
605 warm effects sexual feelings and arousal
608 assayed attempted
proved demonstrated, achieved
611 Fie expression of impatience or disgust
613 hadst would have
615 advised warned
616 churlish rough, violent
617 tushes tusks
whetteth still sharpens continually
618 mortal death-dealing
bent determined (referring to the butcher)/curved (referring to the tusks)
619 bow-back arched back
battle battalion in full array
620 pikes spines (maintains the image of armed troops by playing on sense of “long-handled weapons with pointed steel heads”)
621 fret rage
622 sepulchres tombs
623 moved angered/forced to leave his lair (hunting term)
625 brawny covered with hardened skin, unfeeling
626 proof armor
628 ireful angry
venture dare to attack
632 tributary i.e. submissive (a tributary pays homage to his conqueror)
633 eyne eyes
635 vantage his advantage
636 root dig up, destroy
mead meadow
637 cabin lair
638 foul wicked
639 will wish, intention
641 not to dissemble I won’t lie
645 downright straight down/straightaway
647 boding foreboding, fearful
649 jealousy anxious care for another’s safety
650 sentinel guard, lookout
651 suggesteth incites
653 Distemp’ring disturbing the natural constitution of/diluting with water
654 abate put out
655 bate-breeding strife-producing
656 canker parasitic grub that destroys plants
tender spring youthful growth
657 carry-tale rumormonger, telltale
dissentious quarrelsome
661 so that
663 his i.e. Adonis’
667 indeed in reality
668 That I who
670 divination prophetic insight
673 needs wilt must
674 Uncouple release your dogs
flying fleeing
675 subtlety cunning
676 roe species of small timid deer
encounter fight
678 well-breathed fit, not out of breath
679 on foot in pursuit
purblind dimly sighted (which hares were thought to be)
680 overshoot outstrip, overtake
682 cranks and crosses twists and turns about and crosses backward and forward
doubles sharp turns
683 musets gaps in hedges and fences/hares’ lairs
684 amaze confuse
686 cunning well-trained/crafty
687 earth-delving conies burrowing rabbits
keep live
689 sorteth mixes
690 shifts stratagems
waits on attends
694 ado fuss, difficulty
cold fault point at which they lost the scent
695 spend their mouths bark loudly
echo in Greek mythology, Echo was the nymph who loved self-obsessed Narcissus and pined away on his account until only her voice was left
697 Wat common name for a hare
700 alarums sounds of their approach
702 sore grievously
passing-bell bell tolling for the souls of the dead
703 dew-bedabbled made wet by the dew
704 return turn again/turn back
indenting zigzagging
705 envious malicious
708 relieved helped
712 Unlike myself i.e. contrary to my usual behavior as the goddess of love
moralize explain the moral meaning
715 leave break off
716 aptly promptly, readily
718 of by
724 true honest
725 modest Dian i.e. Diana, Roman goddess of chastity (modesty), the moon, and hunting
726 forsworn having broken her vow (of chastity)
727 of … reason I see the reason for the darkness of the night
728 Cynthia the Greek name for Diana
729 forging counterfeiting
731 framed created, shaped
high heaven’s despite defiance of heaven
733 destinies in Greek mythology, the three Fates were also known as “Destinies”: one spun the thread of a man’s life, another measured it, and the third cut it
734 cross thwart, oppose
curious ingenious, beautifully fashioned
736 defeature disfigurement
738 mischances misfortunes, disasters
739 agues acute fevers
740 pestilence plague
wood mad
741 marrow-eating sickness syphilis (which corrodes the bones)
attaint infection
742 Disorder disturbance of bodily balance/(sexual) misdemeanors
blood sexual desire
743 Surfeits digestive disorders resulting from excessive eating or drinking
impostumes abscesses
747 favour facial features
savour sweet scent
hue complexion
751 fruitless childless/ useless
752 vestals virgins (specifically the priestesses who guarded the sacred fire of the temple of Vesta in Rome)
self-loving i.e. not giving their love to a man/selfish because producing no children
754 dearth famine
755 prodigal extravagant
756 oil with connotations of semen (burns then refers to sexual heat)
760 destroy … obscurity also alludes to masturbation
762 Sith since
pride arrogance, self-love/state of (masturbatory) phallic erection
slain picking up on the sexual sense of “to die” (“to orgasm”)
763 made away murdered
764 mischief calamity/evildoing
765 whose … slay who commit suicide (but continues the play on masturbation)
desperate spiritually hopeless (the state that preceded suicide)
766 butcher-sire murdering father
reaves deprives
767 Foul-cank’ring discoloring and corroding
treasure plays on sense of “semen”
frets erodes, decays
768 put to use loaned out with interest/employed sexually
769 fall return (plays on the notion of Venus’ literal fall and on sense of sexual succumbing)
770 over-handled too commonly treated (with sexual connotations)
773 foul wicked, immoral/dirty, black
774 treatise tale, talk
777 wanton lustful
781 Lest in case
782 closure enclosure
783 undone ruined
787 reprove reject, condemn
789 device tricks, wily ingenuity
792 bawd pimp
795 semblance appearance
796 blotting tarnishing, staining
797 Which refers to beauty
hot tyrant i.e. lust
stains sexually defiles
bereaves robs, plunders
806 text theme on which one speaks
green young, inexperienced
808 teen sorrow, affliction
813 laund glade, open space in a wood
apace swiftly
816 eye sight
818 late-embarkèd recently departed on a ship
friend could also mean “lover”
820 ridges crests
contend strive in conflict
821 pitchy intensely black (“pitch” is a tarlike substance)
822 Fold in enfold, envelop
824 flood sea
825 stonished astonished/bewildered/dismayed
827 confounded confused/defeated
828 fair … way i.e. Adonis, whose presence illuminated the path
830 neighbour neighboring
831 Make … of echo
832 Passion lament
deeply solemnly/loudly
836 extemporally spontaneously, improvised
837 thrall captive
dote infatuatedly fond/foolish
839 heavy sad
anthem song in which two voices sing in response to each other
845 copious abundant, verbally elaborate
847 withal with
848 parasites flatterers
849 tapsters innkeepers
850 humour mood, whim
fantastic wits young men with fanciful ideas and wild notions
854 moist cabinet dewy dwelling (lark’s nest on the ground)
860 clear shining
862 influence flow of power thought to emit from stars and planets
863 a son i.e. Adonis, mortal but brighter than the sun (on which “son” puns)
864 May who may
865 myrtle the evergreen shrub or small tree was sacred to Venus
866 o’erworn gone by
868 hearkens listens
870 coasteth approaches/pursues at a distance (hunting term)
cry yelping of hounds
875 milch doe lactating female deer
dugs teats, udder
876 brake thicket
877 are … bay have cornered the prey, forcing it to turn to defend itself
879 folds coils
882 Appals dismays, terrifies
confounds overcomes
883 chase animal that is hunted
887 curst fierce, savage
888 strain court’sy are excessively polite regarding (i.e. hang back)
cope encounter, fight
889 dismal ominous
890 surprise ambush
894 basely fly run away in a cowardly manner
stay the field remain on the battlefield
895 ecstasy frenzy (of anxiety)
899 Bids commands
901 frothy foaming
903 sinews nerves
906 rate berate, angrily reprove
murther murder/(being) a murderer
907 spleens impulses
909 mated checked, thwarted
911 respects considerations/intentions
naught … respecting heeding nothing at all/incapable of proper thinking
912 In hand preoccupied
914 caitiff wretch
916 sovereign plaster sure remedy (i.e. licking)
919 ill-resounding harshly echoing
920 flap-mouthed a mouth with broad, hanging lips
921 welkin sky
volleys … voice i.e. barks repeatedly
923 Clapping pressing down, fixing
926 prodigies extraordinary events, regarded as omens
928 Infusing imbuing, filling
dreadful terrifying
929 up in
930 exclaims on cried out on, loudly accuses
931 Hard-favoured harsh-featured
932 divorce separator