When in the chronicle of wasted time
I see descriptions of the fairest wights,
And beauty making beautiful old rhyme,
In praise of ladies dead and lovely knights,
Then in the blazon of sweet beauty's best,
Of hand, of foot, of lip, of eye, of brow,
I see their antique pen would have expressed
Even such a beauty as you master now.
So all their praises are but prophecies
Of this our time, all you prefiguring;
And, for they looked but with divining eyes,
They had not skill enough your worth to sing.
For we, which now behold these present days,
Have eyes to wonder, but lack tongues to praise.
我在逝去的歲月的記載里,
看到關于絕世佳人的描述,
他們贊美淑女和風流騎士,
用美的語言寫下美的詩賦。
他們著力美化美人的美艷,
包括手、足、嘴唇、眼睛和眉毛;
我發(fā)現(xiàn),古人的筆都想表現(xiàn)
你現(xiàn)在所具備的這份美貌。
其實,他們的贊美只是預言——
預言我們這時代,預言了你。
他們只能憑眼睛私下推斷,
卻未能唱出你真正的價值。
我們呢,當這一切來到眼前,
雖有眼驚訝,卻無舌頭稱羨。