Sonnet 128
How oft, when thou, my music, music play'st,
desire
music
touch
sexuality
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 blest than living lips.
Since saucy jacks so happy are in this,
Give them thy fingers, me thy lips to kiss.
What It Means
Shakespeare watches his mistress play the virginals (a keyboard instrument). He envies the keys that her fingers touch, pressing against her hands. He wishes he were those keys — it's a straightforwardly erotic image disguised as musical admiration. Her fingers give 'gentle fall' to the keys; he wishes they would give it to him instead.
Context
Part of the Dark Lady sequence. The musical conceit is lighter in tone than much of the sequence.
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