Shakespeare's Sonnets (1923) Yale/Text/Sonnet 14

For other versions of this work, see Sonnet 14 (Shakespeare).

14

Not from the stars do I my judgment pluck;
And yet methinks I have astronomy,
But not to tell of good or evil luck,
Of plagues, of dearths, or seasons' quality; 4
Nor can I fortune to brief minutes tell,
Pointing to each his thunder, rain, and wind,
Or say with princes if it shall go well,
By oft predict that I in heaven find: 8
But from thine eyes my knowledge I derive,
And, constant stars, in them I read such art
As 'Truth and beauty shall together thrive,
If from thyself to store thou wouldst convert;' 12
Or else of thee this I prognosticate:
'Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.'

2 have astronomy: know astrology
5 tell: allot
6 Pointing: appointing
8 oft predict: frequent predictions
10 art: knowledge
12 If from thyself . . . convert; cf. n.
14 date: end