Sonnet 127 (William Shakespeare) | Σονέτο 127 (Ουίλλιαμ Σαίξπηρ) [In the old age black was not counted fair: Παλιά η μελαχρινή δεν πέρναγε για ωραία]
In the old age black was not counted fair,
Or if it were, it bore not beauty's name;
But now is black beauty's successive heir,
And beauty slandered with a bastard shame:
For since each hand hath put on Nature's power,
Fairing the foul with Art's false borrowed face,
Sweet beauty hath no name, no holy bower,
But is profaned, if not lives in disgrace.
Therefore my mistress' eyes are raven black,
Her eyes so suited, and they mourners seem
At such who, not born fair, no beauty lack,
Sland'ring creation with a false esteem:
Yet so they mourn becoming of their woe,
That every tongue says beauty should look so.
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Παλιά η μελαχρινή δεν πέρναγε για ωραία,
δεν είχε με τη χάρη τ’ όνομα· αλλά να,
μαύρη του Ωραίου η γνήσια κληρονόμα η νέα,
και νόθα την ξανθιά τη βρίζουν φανερά.
Τι αφότου με την τέχνη η καθεμιά ομορφαίνει
τη φύση κι η άσκημη φαντάζει καλλονή,
τ’ Ωραίο ούτ’ όνομα έχει, ούτε ναό να μένει
παρ’ εξαχρειώνεται ή περνάει χωρίς τιμή.
Τα μάτια της καλής μου, μαύρα του κοράκου,
με το περίγυρό τους μοιάζουν να πενθούν
για τις μελαχρινές που, κι αν ωραίες, του κάκου
με ψευτοεχτίμηση την πλάση δυσφημούν.
Κι όμως αυτό το πένθος τόσο τους ταιριάζει
που οι γλώσσες όλες λεν «τ’ Ωραίο έτσι θα μοιάζει».
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Μετάφραση: Βασίλης Ρώτας
With the commencement of the so called 'Dark Lady' sonnets, there is a marked change of tone from that of serene reflection on a love that has been almost eternized, to a slightly disturbed analysis of a passion which is at times close to frenzy. The opening sonnet introduces his mistress as 'black', but then digresses unexpectedly into a tirade against cosmetics and face painting, something which Shakespeare never found easy to tolerate, for he seems to equate it with a falseness in human relations. The argument of the poem seems to be that his beloved mistress is black because it is symbolic of a mourning for the debasement of true beauty. His love having taken on this guise of black mourning, it has now become so fashionable that common opinion has swung round to believing that dark beauties alone are truly beautiful. He therefore feels that his passion for her is justified.
http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/sonnet/127