William Shakespeare Sonnet 1
From fairest creatures we desire increase,
That thereby beauty's rose might never die,
But as the riper should by time decease,
His tender heir might bear his memory: 4
But thou contracted to thine own bright eyes,
Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel,
Making a famine where abundance lies,
Thy self thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel: 8
Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament,
And only herald to the gaudy spring,
Within thine own bud buriest thy content,
And tender churl mak'st waste in niggarding: 12
Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.
我们要美丽的生灵不断蕃息,
能这样,美的玫瑰才永不消亡,
既然成熟的东西都不免要谢世,
娇嫩的子孙就应当来承继芬芳: 4
但是你跟你明亮的眼睛结了亲,
把自身当柴烧,烧出了眼睛的光彩,
这就在丰收的地方造成了饥馑,
你是跟自己作对,教自己受害。 8
如今你是世界上鲜艳的珍品,
只有你能够替灿烂的春天开路,
你却在自己的花蕾里埋葬了自身,
温柔的怪物呵,用吝啬浪费了全部。 12
可怜这世界吧,世界应得的东西
别让你和坟墓吞吃到一无所遗!
译者:屠岸,抄自方平主编的《莎士比亚全集》第十卷诗歌卷十四行诗集。