Шекспир. Сонет 152. Оба клятвопреступники

Любя тебя, я был уже женатым,
но дважды ты, когда в любви клялась,
обет постельной клятвы разорвала,
и ненависть объявлена меж нас.
Тебя лишь в двух я клятвах обвиняю,
Себя я обвиняю в двадцати? -
Я жил, тобою я злоупотребляя,
но разуверен в твоей честности.
Ведь клялся я, что глубоко добра ты,
что любишь, вправду, искренне, верна,
и слепота к глазам моим пристала,
чтоб мне не видеть истинной тебя.
Я клялся: ты прекрасна - в этом грех.
нельзя так чернить истину при всех.

SONNET 152
In loving thee thou know'st I am forsworn,
 But thou art twice forsworn; to me love swearing,
 In act thy bed-vow broke and new faith torn,
 In vowing new hate after new love bearing.
 But why of two oaths' breach do I accuse thee,
 When I break twenty? I am perjured most;
 For all my vows are oaths but to misuse thee
 And all my honest faith in thee is lost,
 For I have sworn deep oaths of thy deep kindness,
 Oaths of thy love, thy truth, thy constancy,
 And, to enlighten thee, gave eyes to blindness,
 Or made them swear against the thing they see;
    For I have sworn thee fair; more perjur'd I,
    To swear against the truth so foul a lie!

NOTES

 CLII. The poet confesses that his attachment to his dark mistress convicts him of unfaithfulness. She, however, has been not only similarly unfaithful, but unfaithful anew to him. Still, he allows that he is the more untruthful; for, corrupt as she was, he had ascribed to her excellent virtues, and, in defiance of truth, had proclaimed her beautiful.

 1. Forsworn. As having been married long before.

 3. In act. In reality. This is a very important qualification with respect to Mrs. Fitton as the lady referred to. She may have alleged that she was formally and legally free from her youthful marriage, probably a runaway match, without the consent of her parents. The poet alleges that in reality she had broken her marriage-vow. According to modern usage, "in act" suggests another sense, which is here unsuitable, as the vow was broken in act, when swearing love to the poet.


 


 4. The "new hate" and new love" are obviously towards the poet.

 7. To misuse thee. To treat you in a manner entirely different from that in which you ought to be treated.

 8. In thee is lost. As being incurably depraved.

 10, 11. Oaths of thy deep kindness, &c. Oaths that thou wast most kind, loving, and faithful.

 11. To enlighten thee. To shed lustre on thee.

 12. Them. Eyes, apparently.

 13. Perjur'd I. Q. has "perjurde eye."