Sonnet 29
When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state, And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, And look upon myself and curse my fate, Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possessed, Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope, With what I most enjoy contented least; Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee, and then my state, (Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate; For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
| Όταν σμικρύνομαι στα μάτια όλου του κόσμου μόνος τον εαυτό μου απόβλητο θρηνώ, τη μοίρα μέμφομαι και λοιδορώ το φως μου κι αναστατώνω με φωνές τον ουρανό, και με φαντάζομαι να 'μουν αλλιώς πλασμένος, να ’χω την τέχνη του ενός, το νου του άλλου, ωραίος, φέρελπις, με φίλους προικισμένος, και υποφέρω το μαρτύριο του Ταντάλου· κι εκεί που μόλις αυτομίσητος πηγαίνω, σε συλλογίζομαι και γίνομαι μαζί σου κορυδαλλός που από τη μαύρη γη τον αίνο ξυπνά και ψέλνει προς το φως του παραδείσου. Τέτοιο για μένα της αγάπης σου το κλέος που δεν τ’ αλλάζω ούτε με σκήπτρο βασιλέως.
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Μετάφραση: Διονύσης Καψάλης
When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state, And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, And look upon myself and curse my fate, Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possessed, Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope, With what I most enjoy contented least; Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee, and then my state, (Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate; For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
| Όταν από κακοτυχιά μου κι ανθρωποματιές κατάμονος το απόβλητο της θέσης μου θρηνώ, και τον βαθύ ουρανό ενοχλώ μ’ ανώφελες κραυγές και βλαστημάω τη μοίρα μου, βλέποντας τι ’μαι εγώ, κι εύχομαι να ’μουν πλούσιος νέος μ’ άξιους τρόπους, καλοφτιαγμένος, με παρέα καλοσυστημένη, με τέχνη ζηλευτή και δράση στους ανθρώπους κι η πιο τρανή μου απόλαυση πιο λίγο να μ’ ευφραίνει, την ώρα που έτσι η θέση μου αυτοκαταφρονιέται, ξάφνου σε φέρνει η σκέψη μου κι ευθύς μ’ όλον τον νου, σαν κορδαλλός που χαραυγή απ’ τη μαύρη γη πετιέται, η θέση μου ύμνους ψάλλει εμπρός στην πύλη τ’ ουρανού. Η ιδέα της γλυκιάς σου αγάπης τόσο με πλουτίζει, που η θέση μου ακατάδεχτη ρηγάδες αντικρίζει.
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Μετάφραση: Βασίλης Ρώτας, Βούλα Δαμιανάκου
When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state, And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, And look upon myself and curse my fate, Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possessed, Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope, With what I most enjoy contented least; Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee, and then my state, (Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate; For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
| When I’m in disgrace with everyone and my luck has deserted me, I sit all alone and cry about the fact that I’m an outcast, and bother God with useless cries, which fall on deaf ears, and look at myself and curse my fate, wishing that I had more to hope for, wishing I had this man’s good looks and that man’s friends, this man’s skills and that man’s opportunities, and totally dissatisfied with the things I usually enjoy the most. Yet, as I’m thinking these thoughts and almost hating myself, I happen to think about you, and then my condition improves—like a lark at daybreak rising up and leaving the earth far behind to sing hymns to God. For when I remember your sweet love, I feel so wealthy that I’d refuse to change places even with kings.
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Modern English text on the right
https://www.sparknotes.com/nofear/shakespeare/sonnets/sonnet_29/It is uncertain whether the state of disgrace referred to in this sonnet is a real or imaginary one, for we have no external evidence of a dip in Shakespeare's fortunes which might have contributed to an attack of melancholy and a subsequent castigation of fate as the perpetrator. It is tempting to relate works to periods in an author's life. Certainly the years in which Shakespeare wrote Lear and Timon of Athens seem not to have been the happiest of times, but it is almost impossible to correlate particular events in his life, and the possible emotional crises that they could have produced, with publication dates, or known dates of production of his plays. (See further notes on SonnetXXIX. )
http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com/sonnet/29