Monday, November 9, 2009

Translatio: Shakespeare Sonnet

XVII (Sonnet 17-Mandarin Chinese)

Who will believe my verse in time to come,
未来的时候谁会相信我的试,
Ultimately, who will believe my verse,

If it were fill'd with your most high deserts?
如果他满了你最高不毛之地?
If it filled your most high deserts?

Though yet heaven knows it is but as a tomb
虽说天堂知道只是一个坟墓
Though heaven knows it is only a tomb

Which hides your life, and shows not half your parts.
暗藏你的生活和不会表露你的部件的一半.
Hides your life and will not show half your parts.

If I could write the beauty of your eyes,
如果我可以写你眼睛的美,
If I could write your eyes beauty,

And in fresh numbers number all your graces,
还有用新的书记来数目你所有的恩典,
And use new numbers to count all your grace,

The age to come would say 'This poet lies;
下一个时代会说 ‘着个诗人说黄;
Next generation will say ‘This poet lies;

Such heavenly touches ne'er touch'd earthly faces.'
着样天上的触摸从来没有磨过世上的连.
Such heavenly touches have never touched earthly faces.’

So should my papers, yellow'd with their age,
我黄色和老的纸应该要,
My yellow and old papers should,

Be scorn'd, like old men of less truth than tongue,
鄙薄,就上会骗人的老人,
Be scorned, just like old men who lie,

And your true rights be term'd a poet's rage
还有你真正的对头就是诗人的腷
And your true rights are a poet’s fury

And stretched metre of an antique song:
和一个鼓舞收割的张开公尺:
And an antique song with a stretched meter:

But were some child of yours alive that time,
但那时候你的孩子是或者的,
But in that time your children are alive,

You should live twice, in it, and in my rhyme.
你在我的押运要或者两次.
You in my rhyme should live twice.

2 comments:

  1. This really makes me wish I understood Mandarin--the Chinese characters are so beautiful! What a great choice for a translation.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with Kim. I have only had one semester of Mandarin, not enough to read the characters. They look elegant. I like the interlinear format, and your New English gloss is clear.

    ReplyDelete