«Однажды ночью я увидел вечность…» Английские стихотворения XVI–XVII веков / I saw Eternity the other night…

Then give them both the lie.

Tell potentates, they live
Acting by others’ action;
Not loved unless they give,
Not strong but by a faction.
If potentates reply,
Give potentates the lie.

Tell men of high condition,
That manage the estate,
Their purpose is ambition,
Their practice only hate.
And if they once reply,
Then give them all the lie.

Tell them that brave it most,
They beg for more by spending,
Who, in their greatest cost,
Seek nothing but commending.
And if they make reply,
Then give them all the lie.

Tell zeal it wants devotion;
Tell love it is but lust;
Tell time it is but motion;
Tell flesh it is but dust.
And wish them not reply,
For thou must give the lie.

Tell age it daily wasteth;
Tell honour how it alters;
Tell beauty how she blasteth;
Tell favour how it falters.
And as they shall reply,
Give every one the lie.

Tell wit how much it wrangles
In tickle points of niceness;
Tell wisdom she entangles
Herself in overwiseness.
And when they do reply,
Straight give them both the lie.

Tell physic of her boldness;
Tell skill it is pretension;
Tell charity of coldness;
Tell law it is contention.
And as they do reply,
So give them still the lie.

Tell fortune of her blindness;
Tell nature of decay;
Tell friendship of unkindness;
Tell justice of delay.
And if they will reply,
Then give them all the lie.

Tell arts they have no soundness,
But vary by esteeming;
Tell schools they want profoundness,
And stand too much on seeming.
If arts and schools reply,
Give arts and schools the lie.

Tell faith it’s fled the city;
Tell how the country erreth;
Tell manhood shakes off pity;
Tell virtue least preferreth.
And if they do reply,
Spare not to give the lie.

So when thou hast, as I
Commanded thee, done blabbing—
Although to give the lie
Deserves no less than stabbing—
Stab at thee he that will,
No stab the soul can kill.

The Passionate Man’s Pilgrimage

(Паломничество страстного[18 - Passionate ['pæʃ(ə)nət] – пылкий, страстный.] человека)

[Supposed to be written by one at the point of death (предполагается, что написано: «быть написанным» одним человеком на краю смерти)]

Give me my scallop shell of quiet (дай мне мою двустворчатую раковину спокойствия[19 - Раковина была значком паломника.]; scallop ['skɒləp]– гребешок /двустворчатый моллюск/; shell – раковина /моллюска/; quiet['kwaɪət] – покой, спокойствие; умиротворение),

My staff of faith to walk upon (мой посох веры, чтобы идти, опираясь на него; staff [stɑ:f] – палка, посох; faith [feɪθ] – вера),

My scrip of joy (мою котомку отрады; scrip – /уст./ сума, заплечный мешок; joy – радость), immortal diet (бессмертную пищу; immortal [ɪ'mɔ:t(ə)l] – бессмертный; diet ['daɪət] – питание, пища; еда, корм),

My bottle of salvation (мою бутыль/флягу спасения; salvation [sæl'veɪʃ(ə)n] – избавление, спасение; /рел./ спасение души /от вечной смерти/),

My gown of glory (мое платье/одеяние славы /т. е. сияния/; glory ['ɡlɔ:rɪ] – слава; великолепие, неземная красота; лучезарное сияние), hope’s true gage (надежды истинный залог = знак/символ; gage – заклад, залог /= pledge/),

And thus I’ll take my pilgrimage (и так я предприму мое паломничество; pilgrimage ['pɪlɡrɪmɪʤ] – паломничество; pilgrim ['pɪlɡrɪm] – паломник, пилигрим).

Blood must be my body’s balmer (кровь должна быть моего тела бальзамировщиком; balm [bɑ:m] – бальзам, болеутоляющее средство, исцеляющее средство; благоухание, ароматический запах; утешение, облегчение страданий; balmer = embalmer; to embalm [ɪm'bɑ:m], [em-] – бальзамировать, мумифицировать; сохранять, сберегать),

No other balm will there be given (никакой иной бальзам там не будет дан),