Shakespeare's Sonnet Sunday - Sonnet 11

As fast as thou shalt wane, so fast thou grow'st
In one of thine, from that which thou departest;
And that fresh blood which youngly thou bestow'st,
Thou mayst call thine when thou from youth convertest.
Herein lives wisdom, beauty, and increase;
Without this folly, age, and cold decay:
If all were minded so, the times should cease
And threescore year would make the world away.
Let those whom nature hath not made for store,
Harsh, featureless, and rude, barrenly perish:
Look whom she best endow'd, she gave the more;
Which bounteous gift thou shouldst in bounty cherish:
She carv'd thee for her seal, and meant thereby,
Thou shouldst print more, not let that copy die.

1. As fast as you age is how fast
2. your children that come after you shall age;
3. And the children that you bring to this world,
4. You may call your when your youthfulness is gone.
5. In your children, wisdom, beauty, and increase to your family will continue;
6. But, without producing children, you are only left with folly, age, and then death.
7. If everyone thought this way, life on earth would cease
8. in thirty years as the last person died.
9. Let those who do not have fine qualities,
10. those who are harsh, ugly, and rude die without adding to the world.
11. But those who have a lot to give, those with many fine qualities,
12. qualities that you should value.
13. Nature gave you these qualities so that
14. you should make more copies of you in the form of children.

Pic source: http://www.wolverhamptonhistory.org.uk/people/victorian_childhood/playtime/painting