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Sonnet 128: How Oft When Thou, My Music, Music Play’st, By: William Shakespeare

October 13, 2026 by Editors

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How oft when thou, my music, music play’st,
Upon that blessed wood whose motion sounds
With thy sweet fingers when thou gently sway’st
The wiry concord that mine ear confounds,
Do I envy those jacks that nimble leap,
To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,
Whilst my poor lips which should that harvest reap,
At the wood’s boldness by thee blushing stand!
To be so tickled, they would change their state
And situation with those dancing chips,
O’er whom thy fingers walk with gentle gait,
Making dead wood more bless’d than living lips.
Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,
Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss.

Read all of William Shakespeare's poems · About William Shakespeare

More by William Shakespeare

  • Sonnet 131: Thou Art As Tyrannous, So As Thou Art
  • Sonnet 132: Thine Eyes I Love, And They, As Pitying Me
  • Sonnet 133: Beshrew That Heart That Makes My Heart To Groan
  • Sonnet 134: So, Now I Have Confess'd That He Is Thine
  • Sonnet 135: Whoever Hath Her Wish, Thou Hast Thy 'Will,'

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