(3 versions; 1. orig. 1587
edition; 2. a modern type edition that follows original spelling and
punctuation; 3. my modernized edition with interpretive glosses)
The thriftles thred which pampred beauty spinnes,
In thraldom binds the foolish gazing eyes:
As cruell Spiders with their crafty ginnes,
In worthlesse webbes doe snare the simple Flies.
The garments gay, the glittring golden gite,
The tysing talk which flowes from Pallas pooles:
The painted pale, the (too much) red made white,
Are smiling baytes to fishe for loving fooles.
But lo, when eld in toothlesse mouth appeares,
And hoary heares in steede of beauties blaze:
Then had I wist, doth teach repenting yeares,
The tickle track of craftie Cupides maze.
Twixt faire and foule therfore, twixt great and small,
A lovely nutbrowne face is best of all.
The thriftless thread which pampered beauty spins,
In thraldom binds the foolish gazing eyes:
As cruell spiders with their crafty gins,
In worthless webs do snare the simple flies.
The garments gay, the glittering golden gite,
The tysing talk which flows from palace pools:
The painted pale, the (too much) red made white,
Are smiling baytes to fish for loving foole.
But lo, when eld in toothless mouth appears,
And hoary hairs instead of beauties blaze:
Then had I wist, doth teach repenting years,
The tickle track of craftie Cupid's maze. Twixt fair and foul therefore, twixt great and small,
A lovely nutbrown face is best of all.
gins: A contrivance for catching game, etc.; a snare, net, trap, or the like (OED) gite: A kind of dress or gown (OED) tysing: I.e. enticing eld: i.e. old age wist: known (OED) tickle: unreliable, unstable, risky (OED) Twixt: i.e choosing between
