Sonnet 48
How careful was I when I took my way,
Each trifle under truest bars to thrust,
That to my use it might unused stay
From hands of falsehood, in sure wards of trust.
But thou, to whom my jewels trifles are,
Most worthy comfort, now my greatest grief,
Thou best of dearest, and mine only care,
Art left the prey of every vulgar thief.
Thee have I not locked up in any chest,
Save where thou art not, though I feel thou art,
Within the gentle closure of my breast,
From whence at pleasure thou mayst come and part,
And even thence thou wilt be stol’n I fear,
For truth proves thievish for a prize so dear.
November 10th, 2006 at 11:33 pm
Hey Some Guy,
I just found your Shakespeare stuff. I have listened to about the first five and then the last couple. You have gotten so much more confident and smooth in your presentations since the beginning.
I always wondered what Shakespeare was saying and never had the time to do the in depth research that you have obviously had to do to present these podcasts. So thanks for saving me so much time! Also, you are beginning to sound as if you are enjoying figuring it all out. I would imagine that there is a cumulative effect kind of thing going on as well. The more of it you figure out, the easier it is to figure out the next piece. Are you finding that to be true?
Just out of idle curiousity, have you noticed any changes or shifts beginning in yourself since you started this program. In other words, what are you getting out of all of this. Like I said, just curious if the program is working or not.
Again, thanks for your insights.
DL
March 28th, 2007 at 2:15 am
So, I’ve been waiting patiently. What? Are quitting before the job is done?
August 1st, 2007 at 8:49 am
I just wanted to say how brilliant these podcasts are. Some Guy - you are the best teacher of Shakespeare I have encountered in my 41 years.
You seem to have stopped doing them. I hope you pick them up again. And then start on the plays.
How about hosting a TV series…
August 19th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
hey! i really liked listening to your take on the sonnets! I am sure it will come in handy when I take a shakespeare course this fall. I hope you continue working on them!
October 15th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Hey Some Guy, it took Shakes 20 years to write them, me ten to learn em, so it takes longer for you debate them and record them in your own style. there’s only another 106 to go! you’re a third of the way in. Don’t forget, May, 2009 is their 400th anniversary.
cheers.
W.
February 26th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Hi Someguy,
You are simply the best.
Please come back and do some more.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:22 am
You’re the best. You’ve made Shakespeare really approachable. Please finish the job!
October 25th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Een vent
Nog 7 dagen blijft die vent bij me
dan houdt hij ermee op en ik zweer je
dat ik hem zal missen elke ochtend weer
Dag 48 wordt de allerlaatste keer
De afgelopen 41 dagen
ik heb het brood gesmeerd en thee gezet
weet hij geweldig te behagen en
zit hij hier gezellig bij mijn bed
Ik zal het ietwat voor U nuanceren
het brood hoef ik slechts voor mezelf te smeren en
nooit at hij, zo vroeg, een stukje mee
of dronk hij maar een enkel kopje thee
Hij is wel en niet van vlees en bloed
Hij geeft de ochtend sfeer en warme gloed
Dat alles doet hij met zijn stem
Het enige wat ik goed ken van hem
Zijn stemgeluid is fris en fit
de i ’s zijn hoog en scherp, hij zit
misschien een beetje puntig in zijn vel ?
Verzint hij, op het laatst nog,
een mooie Shakespeare-yell ?
Hij is explosief, nucleair, gedreven, vurig,
welbespraakt, grappig, driftig, ongedurig,
opgewekt, vindingrijk, doorzettend, vastberaden,
persoonlijk, mannelijk, beslist, een belezen sonnetten-gade
Consciëntieus leest hij de gedichten voor
legt uit hoe Shakespeare de passie beleeft
Hoewel ik, du moment, tot de ex-lovers behoor
Begrijp ik goed waarom William de verliefdheid
zo beschreven heeft
All right “some guy ” , 106 verzen zijn er nog te gaan
In mijn eentje ga ik daar, denkelijk, niet meer aanstaan
Eind zomer/herfst brandde hier jouw New Yorkse vuur
Schonk jij me jouw liefde voor
de Engels/Amerikaanse cultuur
Ciao guy, gracias, jij hebt gedaan dus jij bestaat !
en by the way…… houd me op de hoogte wanneer je
weer eens iemand slaat (….)
( This is a Dutch light verse for Some Guy…… because we love you ! )
October 26th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Hey, here’s my best shot at translating Azoeqi’s poem from the Dutch!!
7 days the guy still remains with me
then he stops and I swear
I will miss him every morning
Day 48 is the last time
Over the past 41 days
I have bread to butter and tea
he is a great pleasure to know and
He is here sociably in my cozy bed
I will explain a somewhat slight difference to you
I only need the bread with butter for myself,
and he never ate it, thus invited, not a bit
nor drank he even a single cup tea
He is (not) however flesh and blood
He gives the morning atmosphere
and a warm glow that everything he does with his voice
The only thing I know well of him
His voice is fresh and fit
the i ’s are high and sharp, he is
maybe a little pointed (in his sheet/in its cut down?)?
He rejects, in the last still,
a beautiful Shakespeare yell?
He is explosive, nuclear, driven, passionate, well-spoken, funny, passionate, fidgety, resurrected, resourceful, strengthening, determination, personal, male, certainly, definitely intellectual a well-sonnetten meeting
Conscientiously he reads the poems,
he explains how Shakespeare lived to experience passion
Although I, du moment, the ex-lover’s good I well understand why
William has described this way as love
All right “some guy”, 106 verses are still to go on my own
I go there, think progressively, not more like late summer / autumn burned here your New York
fire you gave me your love for the Anglo / American culture
Ciao guy, gracias, you’ve done is so you!
and by the way … … notify me when you hit someone again
…
If anyone can improve the translation, let me know!
Some Guy
November 7th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
some guy you speak dutch?!
how tha fuck did you translate that?
puntig in zijn vel is hard to translate pointy in his skin is what it literally means.
the common expression is hij zit lekker in zijn vel or he feels good about himself. lekker is an ice cold beer on a hot day, great sex, a hot babe, or anything you think of, chocolate cake when you have the munchies is lekker so literally: he sits deliciously in his skin. you this writer feels might be ‘pointy in your skin’
verzint hij down to sh yell
means
will he invent at the last moment a beautiful sh yell?
hoewel = although (du moment may be dit moment or at this moment) i belong to the ex-lovers, I well understand why shakespeare wrote about being in love the way he did.
some guy this a a love poem about an ex-lover (ie. you and your readings). i’ll give it a try when i have the mind for it and pick up the nuances and subtleties your translation misses. I think it’s sweet in the dude-iest possible way.
william s.