1 Cupid laid by his brand and fell asleep,
Cupid set down his burning torch and fell asleep, Cupid put his torch down and totally crashed out, cupid puts down his torch. falls asleep.
2 A maid of Dian’s this advantage found,
A maiden devoted to Diana found this chance, A virgin girl who served Diana saw her opening, maiden sees her chance
3 And his love-kindling fire did quickly steep
And quickly plunged his passion-igniting fire And she quickly dunked his heat-starting fire dunks his burning torch
4 In a cold valley-fountain of that ground:
Into a cold spring-fountain in that place: Into a freezing cold spring right there, in cold spring water
5 Which borrowed from this holy fire of Love,
Which absorbed from this sacred fire of Love Which got its warmth from Cupid's sacred fire steals heat from cupid's fire
6 A dateless lively heat still to endure,
An eternal, living heat that will last forever, An endless, living warmth that never goes away, gets eternal heat
7 And grew a seething bath which yet men prove,
And became a hot, bubbling bath that men still use, And turned into a hot bath that people still go to, becomes hot spring bath
8 Against strange maladies a sovereign cure:
As a perfect cure for all strange illnesses: As the best cure for all kinds of weird sicknesses, cures weird sicknesses
Volta The volta shifts from mythological history (lines 1–8) to personal application (lines 9–14): the universal cure fails for the speaker because his beloved is more powerful than Cupid's fire.
9 But at my mistress’ eye Love’s brand new-fired,
But when my beloved's eye caught Love's torch again, But then my girl's look fired up Cupid's torch again, her eyes relight his torch
10 The boy for trial needs would touch my breast,
The boy needed to test it by touching my heart, The kid had to try it out by hitting my chest, he tests it on my heart
11 I sick withal the help of bath desired,
I, burning with desire, hoped the bath would help, I, sick with love, wanted that bath to fix me, im sick. want the bath.
12 And thither hied a sad distempered guest.
And traveled there as a sad, troubled visitor. And went there as a sad, messed-up guest. go there sick & sad
13 But found no cure, the bath for my help lies,
But found no healing there; my real cure lies But the bath didn't help; my real cure is bath doesn't fix it
14 Where Cupid got new fire; my mistress’ eyes.
Where Cupid got his new fire—in my beloved's eyes. Wherever Cupid got his fire back—in her eyes. it's in her eyes.