← The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare — Page 11

English → Fr THE SONNETS Level 9/10

So is it not with me as with that muse,

Ainsi n'en est-il pas de moi comme de cette muse,

Stirred by a painted beauty to his verse,

Qu'une beauté peinte éveille à ses vers,

Who heaven it self for ornament doth use,

Qui du ciel lui-même fait ornement,

And every fair with his fair doth rehearse,

Et chaque beauté à sa beauté confronte,

Making a couplement of proud compare

Formant un accouplement de fière comparaison

With sun and moon, with earth and sea's rich gems:

Avec le soleil et la lune, avec la terre et les riches gemmes de la mer :

With April's first-born flowers and all things rare,

Avec les premières fleurs d'avril et toutes choses rares,

That heaven's air in this huge rondure hems.

Que l'air du ciel enclôt en cette vaste rondeur.

O let me true in love but truly write,

Ô laissez-moi, loyal en amour, n'écrire que vraiment,

And then believe me, my love is as fair,

Et croyez-moi alors, mon amour est aussi belle,

As any mother's child, though not so bright

Qu'aucun enfant de mère, sans être aussi éclatante

As those gold candles fixed in heaven's air:

Que ces chandelles d'or fixées dans l'air du ciel :

Let them say more that like of hearsay well,

Que disent davantage ceux qui aiment les ouï-dire,

I will not praise that purpose not to sell.

Je ne louerai point ce que je n'ai pas dessein de vendre.

My glass shall not persuade me I am old,

Mon miroir ne me persuadera pas que je suis vieux,

So long as youth and thou are of one date,

Tant que la jeunesse et toi êtes de même âge,

But when in thee time's furrows I behold,

Mais quand en toi je contemple les sillons du temps,

Then look I death my days should expiate.

Alors j'attends que la mort expie mes jours.

For all that beauty that doth cover thee,

Car toute cette beauté qui te revêt

Is but the seemly raiment of my heart,

N'est que le convenable vêtement de mon cœur,

Which in thy breast doth live, as thine in me,

Qui vit en ta poitrine, comme le tien vit en moi,

How can I then be elder than thou art?

Comment pourrais-je alors être plus vieux que toi ?

O therefore love be of thyself so wary,

Ô donc, amour, sois si vigilant envers toi-même,

As I not for my self, but for thee will,

Comme je le veux, non pour moi, mais pour toi,

Bearing thy heart which I will keep so chary

Portant ton cœur que je garderai si précieusement

As tender nurse her babe from faring ill.

Comme une tendre nourrice préserve son nourrisson du mal.

Presume not on thy heart when mine is slain,

Ne présume pas de ton cœur quand le mien sera tué,

Thou gav'st me thine not to give back again.

Tu m'as donné le tien pour ne pas le reprendre.

Vocabulary

Ainsi: Thus, so, in this manner or way.
en: In, on, at; also used as pronoun.
est: Is; third person singular of être.
il: He, it; masculine singular pronoun.
pas: Not; negation in French sentences.
de: Of, from; preposition indicating possession or origin.
moi: Me, myself; first person singular pronoun.
comme: Like, as; preposition for comparison.
cette: This, that; feminine singular demonstrative adjective.
muse: Muse; goddess of inspiration in arts.
une: A, an; feminine singular indefinite article.
beauté: Beauty; the quality of being beautiful.
peinte: Painted; past participle of peindre.
éveille: Awakens, rouses; third person singular of éveiller.
ses: His, her, its; plural possessive adjective.
vers: Verse, lines of poetry; also toward.
ciel: Sky, heaven; celestial realm or space.
lui: Him, her, it; indirect object pronoun.
même: Same, very; identity or emphasis marker.
fait: Makes, does; fact or deed.
ornement: Ornament, decoration; embellishment or adornment.
chaque: Each, every; distributive adjective.
sa: His, her, its; feminine singular possessive adjective.
confronte: Confronts, compares; third person singular of confronter.
Formant: Forming, making; present participle of former.
un: A, an; masculine singular indefinite article.
fière: Proud, haughty; feminine form of fier.
comparaison: Comparison; act of comparing two things.
Avec: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or association.
le: The; masculine singular definite article.
soleil: Sun; celestial body providing light and heat.
et: And; conjunction connecting words or clauses.
la: The; feminine singular definite article.
lune: Moon; celestial body orbiting the Earth.
terre: Earth, land; planet or ground.
les: The; plural definite article for all genders.
riches: Rich, wealthy; abundant or precious.
gemmes: Gems, jewels; precious stones or crystals.
mer: Sea, ocean; large body of saltwater.
premières: First, earliest; feminine plural of premier.
fleurs: Flowers; blooming plants or blossoms.
avril: April; fourth month of the year.
toutes: All, every; feminine plural of tout.
choses: Things, objects; plural of chose.
rares: Rare, uncommon; scarce or precious.
air: Air, atmosphere; also means tune or appearance.
vaste: Vast, wide; immense or extensive.
laissez: Leave, allow; second person plural imperative.
loyal: Loyal, faithful; devoted or true.
amour: Love; affection or romantic feeling.
écrire: Write; compose words or text.
que: That, which; conjunction or relative pronoun.
vraiment: Truly, really; in truth or fact.
croyez: Believe; second person plural of croire.
alors: Then, at that time; consequently.
mon: My; masculine singular possessive adjective.
aussi: Also, too; furthermore or likewise.
belle: Beautiful; feminine form of beau.
aucun: No, none, any; negative adjective or pronoun.
enfant: Child; young person or offspring.
mère: Mother; female parent or origin.
sans: Without; preposition indicating absence.
être: To be; fundamental auxiliary or main verb.
éclatante: Brilliant, dazzling; shining or radiant.
ces: These, those; plural demonstrative adjective.
chandelles: Candles; wax lights or tapers.
or: Gold; precious yellow metal or color.
fixées: Fixed, fastened; feminine plural past participle.
dans: In, inside; preposition indicating location.
disent: Say, tell; third person plural of dire.

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