by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
Translation by François-Victor Hugo (1828 - 1873)
Were't aught to me I bore the canopy
Language: English
Were't aught to me I bore the canopy,
With my extern the outward honouring,
Or laid great bases for eternity,
Which proves more short than waste or ruining?
Have I not seen dwellers on form and favour
Lose all and more by paying too much rent
For compound sweet; forgoing simple savour,
Pitiful thrivers, in their gazing spent?
No; let me be obsequious in thy heart,
And take thou my oblation, poor but free,
Which is not mix'd with seconds, knows no art,
But mutual render, only me for thee.
Hence, thou suborned informer! a true soul
When most impeach'd, stands least in thy control.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 125 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Richard Simpson (1820 - 1876), "Sonnet CXXV", 1866 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , no title, appears in Sonnets de Shakespeare, no. 125, first published 1857
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-08-12
Line count: 14
Word count: 105
À quoi me servirait‑il de porter un dais...
Language: French (Français) after the English
À quoi me servirait-il de porter un dais au-dessus de mon amour, et de rendre à ce qui est extérieur des honneurs superficiels ? À quoi bon poser de vastes assises pour une éternité à laquelle couperont court la ruine et la mort ? N'ai-je pas vu les fermiers de la forme et de la beauté s'épuiser complétement à leur payer une rente trop forte, et, perdant leur grâce naturelle sous des charmes frelatés, se ruiner, riches pitoyables, dans l'admiration d'eux-mêmes ? Non ! laisse-moi seulement te servir dans ton cœur. Accepte mon affection, pauvre mais sincère offrande, où nul autre que toi n'a part et où l'art n'est pour rien, simple don de mon âme en échange de ton âme ! Arrière, temps, délateur suborné ! c'est quand tu l'accuses le plus violemment qu'une âme fidèle reconnaît le moins ton contrôle.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by François-Victor Hugo (1828 - 1873), no title, appears in Sonnets de Shakespeare, no. 125, first published 1857 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 125
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-08-19
Line count: 14
Word count: 136