Poetry: Edmund Spenser Amoretti Sonnet 1 - Modernised English with Notes

Happy ye leaues when as those lilly hands,
which hold my life in their dead doing might
shall handle you and hold in loues soft bands,
lyke captiues trembling at the victors sight.
And happy lines, on which with starry light,
those lamping eyes will deigne sometimes to look
and reade the sorrowes of my dying spright,
written with teares in harts close bleeding book.
And happy rymes bath'd in the sacred brooke,
of Helicon whence she deriued is,
when ye behold that Angels blessed looke,
my soules long lacked foode, my heauens blis.
Leaues, lines, and rymes, seeke her to please alone,
whom if ye please, I care for other none.

Notes:
Dead-doing might = power to bring about the poet's death
deign = to esteem worthy
Spright/sprite = Spirit
Helicon: the sacred river in Greek mythology that sank underground in order not to get tainted by the blood of Orpheus as his killers went to wash it off their hands.
Leaves, lines and rhymes = this book, "Amoretti", and the poetry within it.

Modernised Text:
Happy, ye leaves, when as those lily hands,
which hold my life in their dead-doing might,
shall handle you and hold in love's soft bands,
like captives trembling at the victor's sight.
And happy lines, on which with starry light,
those lamping eyes will deign sometimes to look
and read the sorrows of my dying sprite,
written with tears in heart's close bleeding book.
And happy rhymes, bath'd in the sacred brook
of Helicon whence she derivèd is,
when ye behold that Angel's blessed look:
my soul's long-lackèd food, my heaven's bliss.
Leaves, lines, and rhymes, seek her to please alone,
whom, if ye please, I care for other none.

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