十四行诗第1首

William Shakespeare1609年初版十四行诗

From fairest creatures we desire increase,
That thereby beauties Rose might neuer die,
But as the riper should by time decease,
His tender heire might beare his memory:
But thou contracted to thine owne bright eyes,
Feed'st thy lights flame with selfe substantiall fewell,
Making a famine where aboundance lies,
Thy selfe thy foe, to thy sweet selfe too cruell:
Thou that art now the worlds fresh ornament,
And only herauld to the gaudy spring,
Within thine owne bud buriest thy content,
And tender chorle makst wast in niggarding:
Pitty the world, or else this glutton be,
To eate the worlds due, by the graue and thee.

文化解读

诗中的劝生育立场，不等于读者必须接受的伦理

“His tender heire might beare his memory”明确把后代放在延续记忆的位置；结尾“Pitty the world”则把私人选择转成面向世界的责任。这是诗中说话者为了劝服对方而建立的论辩立场，不是由这些诗句证明的普遍人生法则。“Thy selfe thy foe”与“glutton”带有指责和夸张，适合与花、火焰、饥荒的比喻一起读。读者既可以看出劝说的力量，也可以追问：为什么说话者认定美属于世界，而不只属于拥有它的人？本首没有写明收诗者的真实姓名，不应把诗外身份猜测当成原文已经交代的事实。

莎士比亚十四行诗 1609初版英语原文

语言说明

玫瑰、火焰与饥荒：丰盛为何变成耗损

开头用“increase”“heire”“memory”把美的延续写成世代相承，接着却转向只凝望自己双眼的人。“Feed'st thy lights flame with selfe substantiall fewell”让自身成为供火燃烧的材料；“Making a famine where aboundance lies”又把本来丰盛的地方写成饥荒。两组形象都指向一种矛盾：占有美并不等于保存美。后半首从春日的装饰转到封闭的花蕾，末联再以吞食世界应得之物收尾。读时可以沿“继承—自耗—封闭—吞食”的变化，看劝说如何一步步加重，而不把各句当成互不相关的赞美容貌。