Shakespeare's Sonnets (1923) Yale/Text/Sonnet 124
124
If my dear love were but the child of state,
It might for Fortune's bastard be unfather'd,
As subject to Time's love or to Time's hate,
Weeds among weeds, or flowers with flowers gather'd. 4
No, it was builded far from accident;
It suffers not in smiling pomp, nor falls
Under the blow of thralled discontent,
Whereto the inviting time our fashion calls: 8
It fears not policy, that heretic,
Which works on leases of short number'd hours,
But all alone stands hugely politic,
That it nor grows with heat, nor drowns with showers.
To this I witness call the fools of time, 13
Which die for goodness, who have liv'd for crime.
1 child of state: born of circumstances, accidental
2 for: because it was
4 Weeds . . . gather'd; cf. n.
7 thralled discontent: discontent held in subjection
8 Whereto: to which
fashion: custom, usage
9 policy: craft
11 hugely politic: extremely wise
13, 14 Cf. n.