1 My glass shall not persuade me I am old,
My mirror will never convince me that I'm growing old, My mirror can't tell me I'm old, no matter what it shows, mirrors can't make me feel old 'Glass' = mirror; the speaker denies time's visible marks on his own body.
2 So long as youth and thou are of one date,
As long as you and youth itself share the same age, as long as you and youth are the same person—as long as you're young, you are youth 'Date' = age, time of origin; parallelism suggests the young man IS youth itself.
3 But when in thee time’s furrows I behold,
But when I see the wrinkles of age carved across your face, But the moment I see time's wrinkles on you, the moment i see age on you 'Furrows' = wrinkles, the marks of age plowed by time.
4 Then look I death my days should expiate.
Then I expect death to end my days, then I'm looking at death coming to finish me off, then i die 'Expiate' = atone for, take away; metaphorically, the end of life itself.
5 For all that beauty that doth cover thee,
Because all the beauty that surrounds you, You see, all that beauty covering you, all your beauty
6 Is but the seemly raiment of my heart,
Is merely the lovely clothing worn by my heart, is just the pretty garment my heart is wearing, is my heart wearing a beautiful disguise 'Raiment' = clothing, garments; the young man's body clothes the speaker's heart.
Wordplay
- raiment = clothing, garments
- the young man's entire body is merely the clothing worn by the speaker's heart
- inversion of the body-soul hierarchy: the external is internal, clothing is substance
7 Which in thy breast doth live, as thine in me, The merged-heart conceit: perfect reciprocity of love as identity exchange.
Which lives in your chest while your heart lives in mine— My heart is in your chest and your heart is in mine, we've switched hearts Mutual exchange of hearts, a conventional Renaissance image of merged souls.
8 How can I then be elder than thou art?
So how could I possibly be older than you? So how could I be older than you? how can i be older Logical question: if they share heart/identity, they must share age.
Volta The shift from argument about shared identity and immortal youth to a desperate plea: 'be careful with yourself because you're my life.' Logic transforms into emotional vulnerability.
9 O therefore love be of thyself so wary,
So therefore, my love, be so very careful with yourself, So my love, be careful with yourself—really careful, please be careful with yourself 'Wary' = cautious, careful; a sudden shift to urgent plea.
10 As I not for my self, but for thee will,
The way I now care for you instead of for myself, the way I look out for you now instead of myself, the way i care for you not me
11 Bearing thy heart which I will keep so chary
Holding your heart, which I will guard so tenderly, I'm holding your heart and I'll protect it so carefully, i'm holding your heart like it's fragile 'Chary' = careful, wary, tender; the speaker as guardian.
12 As tender nurse her babe from faring ill. Protection as love: the speaker becomes a nurturing guardian figure.
Like a gentle nurse protecting her baby from harm, the way a loving nurse protects a baby from getting hurt, like a nurse protecting a baby Simile of protection: the speaker as nurse, the young man's heart as vulnerable child.
13 Presume not on thy heart when mine is slain,
Don't presume your heart can survive when mine is destroyed, Don't think your heart will be okay once mine is dead, don't expect to survive my death 'Slain' = killed; metaphorical death from aging.
14 Thou gav’st me thine not to give back again.
You gave me your heart never to return it. You gave me your heart and I'm not giving it back. you gave it to me forever Final paradox: the young man is bound to the speaker through irrevocable exchange.