by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
Translation by Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819 - 1892)

Why is my verse so barren of new pride
Language: English 
Our translations:  ITA
Why is my verse so barren of new pride,
So far from variation or quick change?
Why with the time do I not glance aside
To new-found methods and to compounds strange?
Why write I still all one, ever the same,
And keep invention in a noted weed,
That every word doth almost tell my name,
Showing their birth and where they did proceed?
O, know, sweet love, I always write of you,
And you and love are still my argument;
So all my best is dressing old words new,
Spending again what is already spent:
  For as the sun is daily new and old,
  So is my love still telling what is told.

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , no title, appears in Sonnets de Shakespeare, no. 76, first published 1857
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Perché il mio verso è spoglio di ogni nuovo ornamento", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-04
Line count: 14
Word count: 114

Language: English  after the English 
Was ist so arm an Neuheit mein Gedicht,
Statt wechselnd nach der Mode sich zu schmücken?
Warum versuch' ich's wie die Andern nicht,
Prunkvoll, geziert und neu mich auszudrücken?
Warum trägt mein Gedanke immerfort
Ein und dasselbe Kleid, schlicht und gewöhnlich,
Daß ich leicht kennbar bin, fast jedes Wort
Auf seinen Ursprung zeigt, auf mich persönlich?
O wisse, süße Liebe, immer sing' ich
Von Dir allein, Du meines Liedes Leben! 
Mein Bestes neu in alte Worte bring' ich,
Stets wiederholend, was schon längst gegeben.
  Denn wie der Sonne Auf- und Untergang:
  Alt und doch täglich neu ist mein Gesang.

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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2009-12-05
Line count: 14
Word count: 99