1 O me! what eyes hath love put in my head,
What kind of eyes has love placed in my head What kind of eyes did love put in my head what eyes did love give me
2 Which have no correspondence with true sight,
That don't match with what is actually true That don't see what's actually there eyes that don't see true
3 Or if they have, where is my judgement fled,
Or if they do see correctly, where has my judgment gone Or if they see the truth, where did my mind go or if right where's my judgment
4 That censures falsely what they see aright?
That judges incorrectly what it sees correctly That judges wrong what it sees right judging wrong what i see right
5 If that be fair whereon my false eyes dote,
If what my deceived eyes adore is beautiful If what my lying eyes love is actually beautiful if my eyes' love is fair
6 What means the world to say it is not so?
What does the world mean by saying it is not beautiful Then why does everyone else say it's not beautiful why's everyone say it's not
7 If it be not, then love doth well denote,
If it is not beautiful, then love accurately demonstrates If it's not beautiful, then love proves if not fair love's proof
8 Love’s eye is not so true as all men’s: no,
Love's eye is not as accurate as other people's Love doesn't see as clearly as other people love's eye not true like others
Volta The volta shifts from questioning ('what eyes,' 'where is judgement') to accepting the condition. He cannot blame himself; love is the active agent of his blindness.
9 How can it? O how can love’s eye be true,
How can it be true? How can love's eye be accurate How can it? How can love see what's real how can love see true
10 That is so vexed with watching and with tears?
That is so troubled with constant vigilance and tears That's kept awake by constant watching and crying watch & cry too much
11 No marvel then though I mistake my view,
No wonder then that I mistake what I see So no wonder I see things wrong no wonder i'm wrong
12 The sun it self sees not, till heaven clears.
Even the sun itself cannot see until heaven clears Even the sun can't see anything until the clouds clear even sun can't see thru clouds
13 O cunning love, with tears thou keep’st me blind, personification: 'cunning love'
O clever love, you keep me blind with tears Love, you're clever—you keep me crying and blind love keeps me blind w tears
14 Lest eyes well-seeing thy foul faults should find.
So clear-seeing eyes won't discover your ugly faults So I won't see the ugly truth about you so i don't see ur ugly faults