Уильям Шекспир , Хилари Мантел , Александр Константинович Жолковский , Кеннет Брана , Хаим Плуцик - Год Шекспира

remorse.’

        Away he springs, and hasteth to his horse.

But lo, from forth a copse that neighbours by

A breeding jennet, lusty, young, and proud

Adonis’ tramping courier doth espy,

And forth she rushes, snorts, and neighs aloud.

The strong-necked steed being tied unto a tree

Breaketh his rein, and to her straight goes he.

Imperiously he leaps, he neighs, he bounds,

And now his woven girths he breaks asunder.

The bearing earth with his hard hoof he wounds,

Whose hollow womb resounds like heaven’s thunder.

        The iron bit he crusheth ’tween his teeth,

        Controlling what he was controlled with.

His ears up-pricked; his braided hanging mane

Upon his compassed crest now stand on end.

His nostrils drink the air, and forth again,

As from a furnace, vapours doth he send.

        His eye which scornfully glisters like fire

        Shows his hot courage and his high desire.

Sometime he trots, as if he told the steps,

With gentle majesty, and modest pride;

Anon he rears upright, curvets and leaps,

As who should say ʼLo, thus my strength is tried.

        And this I do to captivate the eye

        Of the fair breeder that is standing by.’

What recketh he his rider’s angry stir,

His flatt’ring ʼHolla’, or his ʼStand, I say!’

What cares he now for curb or pricking spur,

For rich caparisons or trapping gay?

        He sees his love, and nothing else he sees,

        Nor nothing else with his proud sight agrees.

Look when a painter would surpass the life

In limning out a well-proportioned steed,

His art with nature’s workmanship at strife,

As if the dead the living should exceed:

        So did this horse excel a common one

        In shape, in courage, colour, pace and bone.

Round-hoofed, short-jointed, fetlocks shag and long,

Broad breast, full eye, small head, and nostril wide,

High crest, short ears, straight legs and passing strong,

Thin mane, thick tail, broad buttock, tender hide.

        Look what a horse should have he did not lack,

        Save a proud rider on so proud a back.

Sometimes he scuds far off, and there he stares;

Anon he starts at stirring of a feather;

To bid the wind a base he now prepares,

And whe’r he run or fly they know not whether:

        For through his mane and tail the high wind sings,

        Fanning the hairs, who wave like feather’d wings.

He looks upon his love, and neighs unto her.

She answers him as if she knew his mind.

Being proud, as females are, to see him woo her,

She puts on outward strangeness, seems unkind,

        Spurns at his love, and scorns the heat he feels,

        Beating his kind embracements with her heels.

Then, like a melancholy malcontent,

He vails his tail, that, like a falling plume

Cool shadow to his melting buttock lent.

He stamps, and bites the poor flies in his fume.

        His love, perceiving how he is enraged,

        Grew kinder, and his fury was assuaged.

His testy master goeth about to take him

When, lo, the unbacked breeder, full of fear,

Jealous of catching, swiftly doth forsake him;

With her the horse, and left Adonis there.

        As they were mad unto the wood they hie them,

        Outstripping crows that strive to overfly them.

All swol’n with chafing, down Adonis sits,

Banning his boist’rous and unruly beast.

1592–1593

Венера и Адонис

Манит пусть низкое чернь! А мне

Аполлон белокурый

Пусть наливает полней чашу

кастальской струей!

Овидий Любовные элегии, I, XV, 35–36^[1].

Высокочтимому Генри Ризли, графу Саутгемптону, барону Тичфилду

Высокочтимый, мне не дано знать, не оскорбит ли Вашу Светлость посвящение столь корявых строк, ни того, подвергнусь ли осуждению света за то, что прибег к столь мощной опоре для такой неубедительной ноши; разве что, если угодил Вашей Чести, сочту это высочайшей оценкой, и дам обет лишиться всего свободного времени до тех пор, пока не почту Вас более весомым трудом. Но если этот первенец моей фантазии уродлив, я буду сожалеть, что избрал для него столь благородного покровителя, и не стану более засевать тощую почву, опасаясь, что она принесет дурной урожай. Отдаю это на Ваш досточтимый суд, и желаю Вашей Чести исполнения всех упований: как Ваших собственных, так и уповающего на Вас света.

Всегда к услугам Вашей милости,

Уильям Шекспир

Как солнце пурпур свой стремит в зенит,

с зарею хнычущей простившись всласть —

Адонис юный зверя бить спешит.

Одно из двух: охота или страсть.

        Венера льнет к нему, утратив стыд,

        надеясь, что мальчишку обольстит.

«Ты, чья краса моей красе укор

трехкратный! Ты, что сладостью своей

не только смертным — нимфам нос утер —

румяней роз, белее голубей!

        Творений краше у Природы нет!

        Умрешь — померкнет мир тебе вослед!

Молю: ну спешься, юный сердцеед.

Пусть гордый конь в сторонке отдохнет.

Яви мне эту милость — и в ответ

укромным тайнам потеряешь счет.

        Присядь со мной — здесь змеи не шипят —

        и выпей поцелуя сладкий яд.

Ты не пресытишь уст — столь --">