莎士比亚《十四行诗》第17首（英译）如下：

Sonnet 17

*Who will believe my verse in time to come,

If it were filled with your most high deserts？*

*Though yet, heaven knows, it is but as a tomb,

Which hides your life and shows not half your parts.*

*If I could write the beauty of your eyes

And in fresh numbers number all your graces,

The age to come would say, "This poet lies:

Such heavenly touches ne'er touched earthly faces."*

*So should my papers, yellowed with their age,

Be scorn'd like old men of less truth than tongue,

And your true rights be termed a poet's rage,

And stretched metre of an antique song.*

*But were some child of yours alive that time,

You should live twice.*

说明：

主题解析

该诗以赞颂心爱之人的美貌为核心，表达了对永恒与短暂、艺术与现实的矛盾思考。诗人设想如果诗篇能完美呈现对方的神韵，后人将质疑其真实性，暗示美貌与艺术的局限性。

艺术特色

- 反差手法：

通过“天堂的笔触”与“凡人面容”的对比，强化了理想化美与现实的冲突。

- 时空对照：以“将来”与“现在”“坟墓”的意象，探讨记忆与永恒的主题。

文学地位

作为莎士比亚“爱情诗”的代表作，该诗展现了其精湛的语言技巧与人文主义情怀，常被用于探讨美的本质与艺术的边界。