Holy Sonnet XIV
Batter my heart, three-personed god; for You |
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As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend; |
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That I may rise and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend |
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Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new. |
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I, like an usurped town, to another due, |
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Reason, Your viceroy in me, me should defend, |
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Yet dearly I love You, and would be loved fain, |
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But am bethrothed unto Your enemy. |
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Divorce me, untie or break that knot again; | |
Take me to You, imprison me, for I, |
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Annotation
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Batter 打擊;搥打。 Three-personed God 三位一體的上主:聖父、聖子、聖神。 |
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Knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend. 敲擊,呵氣,使光並試圖改善。Donne把上主比作鐵匠,他本人比作被鍊的鐵塊。鐵匠打鐵成器,意即上主改造人的心靈。 |
3-4 |
bend/your force 盡全力。 |
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usurped town, to another due 被霸佔而屬於另一人的城鎮。 |
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Labour to admit You,…, to no end. 努力讓你進入(我的心中),沒有達到目的。 |
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Reason,Your viceroy in me 理性,你在我心中的主宰。 |
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is captived and proves weak or untrue. (理性)被俘虜並顯得衰弱或不實。 |
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fain 樂意;欣然。 |
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betrothed unto Your enemy 許配給你的敵人(罪)。 |
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Divorce me, untie, or break that knot 使我脫離(你的敵人),使我自由或拆毀那個結合(指與敵人結合)。 |
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imprison me 把我禁錮。 |
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Except you enthrall me, never shall be free, 除非你使我成為你的奴隸,我永遠得不到自由。 |
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Nor ever chaste, except You ravish me. 也不可能變為貞潔,除非你把我姦污。 |