The Complete Works of William Shakespeare — Page 5
Ah, if thou issueless shalt hap to die,
Ach, solltest du ohne Nachkommen sterben,
The world will wail thee like a makeless wife,
Wird die Welt um dich klagen wie eine gattenlose Frau,
The world will be thy widow and still weep,
Die Welt wird deine Witwe sein und immerfort weinen,
That thou no form of thee hast left behind,
Weil du kein Abbild von dir hinterlassen hast,
When every private widow well may keep,
Während jede gewöhnliche Witwe wohl bewahren mag,
By children's eyes, her husband's shape in mind:
Durch Kindesaugen, des Gatten Gestalt im Sinn:
Look what an unthrift in the world doth spend
Sieh, was ein Verschwender in der Welt ausgibt,
Shifts but his place, for still the world enjoys it;
Verlagert nur seinen Ort, denn die Welt genießt es noch immer;
But beauty's waste hath in the world an end,
Doch die Verschwendung der Schönheit hat in der Welt ein Ende,
And kept unused the user so destroys it:
Und ungenutzt bewahrt, vernichtet der Besitzer sie so:
No love toward others in that bosom sits
Keine Liebe zu anderen wohnt in jenem Herzen,
That on himself such murd'rous shame commits.
Das an sich selbst solch mörderische Schande begeht.
For shame deny that thou bear'st love to any
Schäme dich, zu leugnen, dass du irgendjemanden liebst,
Who for thyself art so unprovident.
Der du für dich selbst so sorglos bist.
Grant if thou wilt, thou art beloved of many,
Gib zu, wenn du willst, dass du von vielen geliebt wirst,
But that thou none lov'st is most evident:
Doch dass du niemanden liebst, ist offenkundig:
For thou art so possessed with murd'rous hate,
Denn du bist so von mörderischem Hass erfüllt,
That 'gainst thyself thou stick'st not to conspire,
Dass du nicht zögerst, gegen dich selbst zu sinnen,
Seeking that beauteous roof to ruinate
Und trachtend, jenes schöne Dach zu zerstören,
Which to repair should be thy chief desire:
Dessen Erhalt dein höchstes Begehren sein sollte:
O change thy thought, that I may change my mind,
O wandle deinen Sinn, damit ich meinen ändern kann,
Shall hate be fairer lodged than gentle love?
Soll Hass besser beherbergt sein als sanfte Liebe?
Be as thy presence is gracious and kind,
Sei, wie deine Erscheinung es ist, anmutig und gütig,
Or to thyself at least kind-hearted prove,
Oder erweise dir selbst zumindest Güte,
Make thee another self for love of me,
Erschaffe dir ein zweites Ich aus Liebe zu mir,
That beauty still may live in thine or thee.
Damit Schönheit weiterhin in deinen Kindern oder dir lebe.
Vocabulary
- Ach
- Exclamation expressing surprise, sorrow, or dismay.
- solltest
- Second person singular past subjunctive of 'sollen' (should).
- du
- Second person singular pronoun meaning 'you'.
- ohne
- Preposition meaning 'without'.
- Nachkommen
- Descendants or offspring of a person.
- sterben
- To die; to cease living.
- Wird
- Third person singular future/present of 'werden' (will/becomes).
- die
- Definite article or relative pronoun meaning 'the' or 'who'.
- Welt
- The world; all of existence or humanity.
- um
- Preposition meaning 'around', 'for', or 'about'.
- dich
- Accusative form of 'du', meaning 'you'.
- klagen
- To mourn, lament, or complain about something.
- wie
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'how' or 'like'.
- eine
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'an'.
- gattenlose
- Without a spouse; husbandless or partnerless.
- Frau
- Woman or wife; adult female person.
- Die
- Definite article or demonstrative pronoun meaning 'the' or 'she'.
- wird
- Third person singular of 'werden'; will or becomes.
- deine
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'your' (feminine/plural).
- Witwe
- A widow; a woman whose husband has died.
- sein
- To be; also possessive pronoun meaning 'his'.
- und
- Coordinating conjunction meaning 'and'.
- immerfort
- Continually; going on forever without stopping.
- weinen
- To cry or weep; to shed tears.
- Weil
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'because'.
- kein
- Negative article meaning 'no' or 'not any'.
- Abbild
- A copy, image, or likeness of something.
- von
- Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'by'.
- dir
- Dative form of 'du', meaning 'to you' or 'you'.
- hinterlassen
- To leave behind; to bequeath something to others.
- Während
- Conjunction meaning 'while' or 'whereas'.
- jede
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'every' or 'each'.
- gewöhnliche
- Ordinary, common, or usual in nature.
- wohl
- Modal particle meaning 'probably', 'indeed', or 'well'.
- bewahren
- To preserve, keep safe, or protect something.
- mag
- Third person singular of 'mögen'; may or might.
- Durch
- Preposition meaning 'through' or 'by means of'.
- Kindesaugen
- A child's eyes; the gaze of one's offspring.
- des
- Genitive definite article meaning 'of the'.
- Gatten
- Genitive/dative of 'Gatte'; husband or male spouse.
- Gestalt
- Form, figure, or shape of a person or thing.
- im
- Contraction of 'in dem', meaning 'in the'.
- Sinn
- Mind, sense, or meaning; mental perception.
- Sieh
- Imperative of 'sehen'; see or look at something.
- was
- Interrogative or relative pronoun meaning 'what'.
- ein
- Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
- Verschwender
- A spendthrift; someone who wastes resources extravagantly.
- in
- Preposition meaning 'in', 'into', or 'within'.
- der
- Definite article or relative pronoun meaning 'the'.
- ausgibt
- Third person singular of 'ausgeben'; to spend or give out.
- Verlagert
- Shifts or relocates; moves something to another place.
- nur
- Adverb meaning 'only' or 'just'.
- seinen
- Accusative masculine possessive pronoun meaning 'his'.
- Ort
- A place or location; a specific spot.
- denn
- Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'; also 'then'.
- genießt
- Third person singular of 'genießen'; to enjoy something.
- es
- Neuter personal pronoun meaning 'it'.
- noch
- Adverb meaning 'still', 'yet', or 'even'.
- immer
- Adverb meaning 'always' or 'ever'.
- Doch
- Conjunction or adverb meaning 'but', 'yet', or 'however'.
- Verschwendung
- Waste or squandering of resources or beauty.
- Schönheit
- Beauty; the quality of being aesthetically pleasing.
- hat
- Third person singular of 'haben'; has.
- Ende
- End or conclusion; the final point of something.
- ungenutzt
- Unused; not put to any practical use.
- bewahrt
- Third person singular of 'bewahren'; preserves or keeps.
- vernichtet
- Destroys or annihilates; causes complete ruin.
- Besitzer
- Owner or possessor of something.
- sie
- Personal pronoun meaning 'she', 'they', or 'them'.
- so
- Adverb or conjunction meaning 'so', 'thus', or 'therefore'.
- Keine
- Negative pronoun meaning 'no' or 'none'.
- Liebe
- Love; deep affection for another person.
- zu
- Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'too'.
- anderen
- Dative plural of 'andere'; to others or other people.
- wohnt
- Third person singular of 'wohnen'; lives or resides.
- jenem
- Dative demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' (dative).
- Herzen
- Dative of 'Herz'; heart; center of emotion.
- Das
- Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'that'.
- an
- Preposition meaning 'on', 'at', or 'to'.
- sich
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself', 'herself', or 'itself'.
- selbst
- Intensifying pronoun meaning 'self', 'even', or 'itself'.
- solch
- Determiner meaning 'such' or 'such a'.
- mörderische
- Murderous or deadly; causing or intending death.
- Schande
- Shame or disgrace; a dishonourable act.
- begeht
- Third person singular of 'begehen'; commits an act.
- Schäme
- Imperative or noun form of 'Scham'; shame yourself.
- leugnen
- To deny or disavow; to refuse to acknowledge.
- dass
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'that'.
- irgendjemanden
- Accusative of 'irgendjemand'; anybody or anyone at all.
- liebst
- Second person singular of 'lieben'; you love.
- Der
- Definite article or relative pronoun meaning 'the' or 'who'.
- für
- Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in favour of'.
- sorglos
- Careless or carefree; without worry or concern.
- bist
- Second person singular of 'sein'; you are.
- Gib
- Imperative of 'geben'; give something to someone.
- wenn
- Conjunction meaning 'when' or 'if'.
- willst
- Second person singular of 'wollen'; you want or wish.
- vielen
- Dative plural of 'viel'; by or to many people.
- geliebt
- Past participle of 'lieben'; loved or beloved.
- wirst
- Second person singular future of 'werden'; you will become.
- niemanden
- Accusative of 'niemand'; nobody or no one.
- ist
- Third person singular of 'sein'; is.
- offenkundig
- Evident or obvious; plainly apparent to everyone.
- Denn
- Conjunction meaning 'because', 'for', or 'since'.
- mörderischem
- Dative of 'mörderisch'; murderous, deadly (dative form).
- Hass
- Hatred; intense hostility or aversion toward someone.
- erfüllt
- Filled with; past participle of 'erfüllen', to fulfil.
- Dass
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'that'.
- nicht
- Negation adverb meaning 'not'.
- zögerst
- Second person singular of 'zögern'; you hesitate.
- gegen
- Preposition meaning 'against' or 'towards'.
- sinnen
- To ponder, plan, or scheme; to contemplate something.
- trachtend
- Present participle of 'trachten'; striving or aiming for.
- jenes
- Genitive demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' (genitive).
- schöne
- Adjective meaning beautiful or lovely (inflected form).
- Dach
- Roof; the covering structure on top of a building.
- zerstören
- To destroy or ruin; to demolish completely.
- Dessen
- Genitive relative pronoun meaning 'whose' or 'of which'.
- Erhalt
- Preservation or maintenance; keeping something intact.
- dein
- Possessive pronoun meaning 'your' (singular familiar).
- höchstes
- Superlative of 'hoch'; highest or greatest.
- Begehren
- Desire or longing; a strong wish for something.
- sollte
- Third person singular past subjunctive of 'sollen'; should.
- wandle
- Imperative of 'wandeln'; change or transform yourself.
- damit
- Conjunction meaning 'so that'; also 'with it'.
- ich
- First person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
- meinen
- Accusative possessive pronoun 'my'; also to mean or think.
- ändern
- To change or alter something; to modify.
- kann
- First/third person singular of 'können'; can or is able.
- Soll
- Third person singular of 'sollen'; should or is supposed to.
- besser
- Comparative of 'gut'; better in quality or degree.
- beherbergt
- Third person singular of 'beherbergen'; to house or shelter.
- als
- Conjunction meaning 'than' or 'as' in comparisons.
- sanfte
- Adjective meaning gentle or soft (inflected form).
- Sei
- Imperative of 'sein'; be something or someone.
- Erscheinung
- Appearance or manifestation; outward visible form.
- anmutig
- Graceful or charming; full of elegance and appeal.
- gütig
- Kind or benevolent; showing goodness toward others.
- Oder
- Coordinating conjunction meaning 'or'.
- erweise
- Imperative of 'erweisen'; show or demonstrate something.
- zumindest
- Adverb meaning 'at least' or 'at the very least'.
- Güte
- Kindness or goodness; benevolent quality of character.
- Erschaffe
- Imperative of 'erschaffen'; create or bring into existence.
- zweites
- Ordinal adjective meaning 'second' (neuter inflected).
- Ich
- First person singular pronoun 'I'; also the self or ego.
- aus
- Preposition meaning 'out of', 'from', or 'made of'.
- mir
- Dative of 'ich'; to me or for me.
- Damit
- Conjunction meaning 'so that'; also 'therewith'.
- weiterhin
- Adverb meaning 'furthermore', 'still', or 'continuing'.
- Kindern
- Dative plural of 'Kind'; to or in children.
- oder
- Coordinating conjunction meaning 'or'.
- lebe
- First person singular present subjunctive of 'leben'; live.
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →