十四行詩,又稱「商籟體」,發源於義大利,流行於十四至十六世紀文藝復興時期的歐洲大陸。其語句整齊、短小精悍、格律嚴謹、富於音樂效果,內容多以歌詠愛情為主。十六世紀中葉傳入英國,不久便風行於英國詩壇。
莎士比亞是英國十四行詩的代表人物,他的詩打破原有詩體的慣例,獨樹一幟,被稱為「莎體」。莎士比亞一生寫下一百五十四首十四行詩。
Is it thy will by image should keep open
My heavy eyelids to the weary night?
Dost thou desire my slumbers should be1 broken.
While shadows like to thee do mock my sight?
Is it thy spirit that thou send’st from thee
So far from home into my deeds to pry,
To find out shames and idle hours in me,
The scope and tenure of thy jealousy?
O, no! thy love, though much, is not so great;
It is my love that keeps mine eye awake;
Mine own true love that doth my test defeat,
To play the watchman ever for thy sake:
For thee watch I whilst thou dost wake elsewhere,
From me far off, with others all too near.
你的身影是否有意
使我睜著朦朧睡眼獨對漫漫長夜,
用你的身影戲玩我的目光,
使我輾轉反側,徹夜難眠。
你的靈魂是否受你調遣,
遠遠而來探看我的行為,
是否有逾越、放蕩。
這真是使人嫉妒的範圍和職權,
不,你的愛尚未涵蓋如此深遠,
是我的愛使我清醒,
是我的真情讓我不能成眠,
為你,我守候到天明。
我為你守夜,而你在別處清醒,
遠離我而與別人親近。