Sonnet 16
ONE day as I unwarily did gaze
On those fayre eyes my loves immortall light:
The whiles my stonisht[1] hart stood in amaze[2],
Through sweet illusion[3] of her lookes delight.
I mote[4] perceive how, in her glauncing sight,
Legions of loves[5] with little wings did fly:
Darting their deadly arrowes, fyry bright,
At every rash beholder passing by.
One of those archers closely[6] I did spy,
Ayming his arrow at my very hart:
When suddenly, with twincle[7] of her eie,
The damzell broke his misintended dart.
Had she not so doon, sure I had bene slayne,
Yet as it was, I hardly scap't with paine[8].
[1] stonisht:使吃驚的,使驚訝的。
[2] amaze:使為難,使迷惑;使傷腦筋;使混亂。
[3] illusion:具有欺騙性的外表。
[4] mote:能,可以。
[5] loves:她的眼光中飽含“愛(ài)情小唱”。
[6] closely:隱蔽地,偷偷摸摸地。
[7] twincle:瞇著眼看,貶眼。
[8] paine:幾乎沒(méi)有逃脫。