莎士比亚十四行诗第七首

全文如下：

SONNET 7

Lo, in the orient when the gracious light
Lifts up his burning head, each under eye
Doth homage to his new-appearing sight,
Serving with looks his sacred majesty;
And having climb'd the steep-up heavenly hill,
Resembling strong youth in his middle age,
yet mortal looks adore his beauty still,
Attending on his golden pilgrimage;
But when from high-most pitch, with weary car,
Like feeble age, he reeleth from the day,
The eyes, 'fore duteous, now converted are
From his low tract and look another way:
So thou, thyself outgoing in thy noon,
Unlook'd on diest, unless thou get a son.

分析如下：

第一小节：

Lo! in the orient when the gracious light

Lifts up his burning head, each under eye

Doth homage to his new-appearing sight,

Serving with looks his sacred majesty;

诗意：看哪！在东方的天空中，太阳抬起了他燃烧的额头。人间万众瞩目，注视着他全新展示的美景，那神圣的光辉！

注意到：这一节从比喻起，不从立论起。写初升的太阳之壮美、辉煌，暗喻美男子之美，“早晨八九点钟的太阳”。

第二节：

And having climbed the steep-up heavenly hill,

Resembling strong youth in his middle age,

Yet mortal looks adore his beauty still,

Attending on his golden pilgrimage:

第五六行：当（太阳）爬上了陡峭的山峰，中年的他依然焕发青春的光芒。

第七八行：然而人们依然崇拜太阳之美，关注着他金色的朝圣之旅。

莎士比亚继续沿用第一小节的比喻，描写正午的太阳，盛极将衰的太阳。其实是在预言：美男子的未来。虽然盛年之际，其美丽、其青春之表象依然让人崇拜。

第三节：

But when from highmost pitch, with weary car,

Like feeble age, he reeleth from the day,

The eyes, ‘fore duteous, now converted are

From his low tract, and look another way:

第九、十行：但是，当太阳从正午的最高点，架着他疲敝的战车，像老年人一样，坠落下来时，

第十一、十二行：那些先前注视着他的人间万众，如今却转头他顾。

诗人继续沿用比喻手法，以太阳的由盛而衰，比喻青春与美的由盛而衰、由美而丑。再次告诫美男子：你的青春和美丽终将消逝，到那时还有谁会注意到你呢？

第四节：

So thou, thyself outgoing in thy noon

Unlooked on diest unless thou get a son.

诗意：所以亲爱的你、刚过盛年的你啊：你若逝去将无人关注，除非你有一个儿子。

该诗的主旨是说：太阳在正午过后将失去崇拜者。俊男你在青春盛年之后也将失去人们的关注；如果不生个儿子的话，你将寂寞而死。

全诗的翻译：

看哪！在东方的天空中，太阳

抬起了燃烧的额头。人间万众瞩目

注视着他全新展示的美景，

以敬畏的目光侍奉他的威严。

当他登上那座天堂般的高峰，

中年的他依然焕发青春的光芒。

凡人依然膜拜他的美丽，

密切注视他的朝圣之旅。

但当他驾着疲惫的战车，从天顶下落，

如同人老去，

人们的目光，那曾经崇拜的目光，如今却移开了，

他们不再关注他的轨迹，而是望向别处：

所以，你，刚过盛年的你啊，你也将过气，

也将像正午之后的太阳一样被人遗忘，

除非你有一个儿子。