SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO A SUMMER'S DAY

THOU ART MOR LOVELY AND MORE TEMPERATE

ROUGH WINDS DO SHAKE THE DARLING BUDS OF MAY

AND SUMMER'S LEASE HATH TOO SHORT A DATE

SOMETIME TOO HOT IN EYE OF HEAVEN SHINES

AND OFTEN IS HIS GOLD COMPLEXION DIMMED

AND FAIR FROM FAIR SOMETIME DECLINES

BY CHANCE, OR NATURE'S CHANGING COURSE UNTRIMMED

BUT THY ETERNAL SUMMER SHALL NOT FADE

NOR LOSE POSSESSION OF THAT  FAIR THOU OW'ST

NOR SHALL DEATH BRAY THOU WADER'ST IN HIS FADE

WHEN IN ETERNAL LINES TO TIME THOU GROW'ST

SO LONG AS MEN CAN BREATHE OR EYES CAN SEE

SO LONG THIS LIVES, AND THIS GIVES LIVES TO THEE.

shall i compare thou to a summer's day?

thou art more lovely and more temperate.

rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

and summer's lease hath too short a date.

sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

and often is his gold complexion dimmed,

and every fair from fair sometime declines,

by chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed,

but thy eternal summer shall not fade,

nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,

nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his fade.

when in eternal lines to time thou grow'st,

so long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

so long as this lives, and this gives lives to thee.