Sonnet 43

SHALL I then silent be, or shall I speake?

And if I speake, her wrath renew I shall:

And if I silent be, my hart will breake,

Or chokéd be with overflowing gall.

What tyranny is this, both my hart to thrall1,

And eke my toung with proud restraint to tie;

That nether I may speake nor thinke at all,

But like a stupid stock2 in silence die!

Yet I my hart with silence secretly

Will teach to speak, and my just cause to plead:

And eke mine eies, with meeke humility,

Love-learnéd3 letters to her eyes to read.

Which her deep wit, that true harts thought can spel4,

Wil soone conceive, and learne to construe well5.

注释：1.thrall：使做奴隶；征服。

2.stock：树桩，残株。

3.love-learnéd：教我的眼睛寄出爱情教它们写的情书。

4.spel：读。

5.well：通过在内心树立一个意中人的形象，学着正确阐释，这样，意中人很快就能理解自己。