---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being your slave, what should I do but…"
description: "\"“Being your slave, what should I do but tend Upon the hours and times of your desire? I have no precious time at all to spend, Nor services to do, till..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/william-shakespeare-4_love_being-your-slave-what-should-i-do-but-te_202743.jpg"
---

#  Being your slave, what should I do but tend Upon the hours…

![“Being your slave, what should I do but tend Upon the hours and times of your desire? I have no precious time at all to spend, Nor services to do, till you require. Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you, Nor think the bitterness of absence sour…” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/william-shakespeare-4_love_being-your-slave-what-should-i-do-but-te_202743.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/william-shakespeare-4_love_being-your-slave-what-should-i-do-but-te_202743.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/william-shakespeare-4_love_being-your-slave-what-should-i-do-but-te_202743.jpg)

> ““Being your slave, what should I do but tend Upon the hours and times of your desire? I have no precious time at all to spend, Nor services to do, till you require. Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you, Nor think the bitterness of absence sour When you have bid your servant once adieu; Nor dare I question with my jealous thought Where you may be, or your affairs suppose, But, like a sad slave, stay and think of nought Save, where you are how happy you make those. So true a fool is love that in your will, Though you do any thing, he thinks no ill.””

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A servant expresses total devotion, willing to abandon personal time and question, to serve the beloved’s desires without complaint.

**In simple terms:** Complete devotion to another’s wishes.

Key Takeaway

Serve selflessly, trust love.

Themes

devotion service love trust

Mood

longing reverent melancholic

Type

literary romantic philosophical

When to use this quote

- romantic relationships
- master‑servant dynamics
- personal sacrifice
- emotional dependence

Key Concepts

self‑sacrifice unconditional loyalty power dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- What does it mean to give all of yourself to another?
- How can love remain healthy without boundaries?

A Different Perspective

May lead to loss of self‑identity and unhealthy dependence.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

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