貢中元的部落格

Sonnet 64  When I have seen by Time's fell hand defaced  十二言 

 When I have seen by Time's fell hand defaced

當我已看到時間可怕的手掌，
The rich proud cost of outworn buried age;

抹掉了鋪張陳腐的厚葬世代；
When sometime lofty towers I see down-razed,

看到巍峨紀念碑被夷平橫躺，
And brass eternal slave to mortal rage;

而不朽銅像屈服於無情破壞；
When I have seen the hungry ocean gain

當我看到那欲壑難填的大海，
Advantage on the kingdom of the shore,

吞噬土地，佔據了岸邊的國度，
And the firm soil win of the watery main,

而堅實之地從海洋奪取隣隘，
Increasing store with loss, and loss with store;

得而復失，失失得得，交替相互；
When I have seen such interchange of state,

當我看到國界如此相互交換，
Or state itself confounded to decay;

或國家本身混亂而導致腐朽；
Ruin hath taught me thus to ruminate，

毀滅教導我如此的深思再三，
That Time will come and take my love away.

那時間終究會把我愛人帶走。
　This thought is as a death which cannot choose

這感覺像死亡一樣，沒得選擇，
　But weep to have that which it fears to lose.

只能哭著擁有那惟恐失去的。

第一句到第四句，為了韻尾，文句重組。
But weep to have that which it fears to lose. 只能在恐懼中擁有，在哭泣裡放手。

 But weep to have that which it fears to lose.  

只有在哭泣裡擁有，在恐懼中放手(失去)。14