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 express'd
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 look'd but with divining eyes,
They had not skill enough your worth to sing:
For we, which now behold these present days,
Had eyes to wonder, but lack tongues to praise.
當(dāng)我從那湮遠(yuǎn)的古代的紀(jì)年
發(fā)見那絕代風(fēng)流人物的寫真,
艷色使得古老的歌詠也香艷,
頌贊著多情騎士和絕命佳人,
于是,從那些國色天姿的描畫,
無論手腳、嘴唇、或眼睛或眉額,
我發(fā)覺那些古拙的筆所表達(dá)
恰好是你現(xiàn)在所占領(lǐng)的姿色。
所以他們的贊美無非是預(yù)言
我們這時代,一切都預(yù)告著你;
不過他們觀察只用想象的眼,
還不夠才華把你歌頌得盡致:
而我們,幸而得親眼看見今天,
只有眼驚羨,卻沒有舌頭詠嘆。