79

當(dāng)初獨(dú)自向你求助，

我的詩(shī)獨(dú)占了你全部嫵媚；

而今我的清詞麗句業(yè)已陳腐，

詩(shī)思老病而難尸其位；

親愛(ài)的人啊，我承認(rèn)你這美妙的主題，

值得更精細(xì)的筆觸來(lái)雕飾；

可你那詩(shī)人對(duì)你的描繪，

不過(guò)先取自你，再獻(xiàn)與你；

他稱(chēng)許的美德，可這個(gè)詞

乃竊自你的美行，他所做的奉承

也得自你的面頰，他予你贊美

沒(méi)有什么不是來(lái)自你的本身

所以不必為他的贊譽(yù)而稱(chēng)謝

他只是予你本已有之的一切

Sonnet 79

Whilst I alone did call upon thy aid,

My verse alone had all thy gentle grace;

But now my gracious numbers are decay'd

And my sick muse doth give another place.

I grant, sweet love, thy lovely argument

Deserves the travail of a worthier pen;

Yet what of thee thy poet doth invent

He robs thee of, and pays it thee again.

He lends thee virtue, and he stole that word

From thy behavior; beauty doth he give,

And found it in thy cheek; he can afford

No praise to thee but what in thee doth live.

Then thank him not for that which he doth say,

Since what he owes thee thou thyself dost pay.

80

啊，當(dāng)我動(dòng)筆寫(xiě)你，我是多么沮喪，

我知道有更好的作手在為你揚(yáng)名；

他竭盡全力將你頌揚(yáng)，

令我在提及你時(shí)無(wú)法出聲；

你的德行似大海無(wú)垠，

無(wú)論貴賤皆能載承；

我這逼仄的小舟遠(yuǎn)不及他人，

也在你茫茫的海心執(zhí)著航行；

你淺淺的一托便可令我漂浮，

他則在你深深的遠(yuǎn)海游弋；

即便遇險(xiǎn)，我也不過(guò)是一帆脆弱的輕舟，

他則似樓船巨艦，雄偉無(wú)比；

故他將平安抵達(dá)彼岸，我則中途而毀，

更不幸的是，我對(duì)你的愛(ài)亦令我自棄。

Sonnet 80

O! how I faint when I of you do write,

Knowing a better spirit doth use your name,

And in the praise thereof spends all his might,

To make me tongue-tied, speaking of your fame!

But since your worth－wide as the ocean is,

The humble as the proudest sail doth bear,

My saucy bark, inferior far to his,

On your broad main doth wilfully appear.

Your shallowest help will hold me up afloat,

Whilst he upon your soundless deep doth ride;

Or being wreck'd, I am a worthless boat,

He of tall building and of goodly pride:

Then if he thrive and I be cast away,

The worst was this; －my love was my decay.