老陳的blog~

1. choose two of your favorite Henry Howard, earl of Surry's poems and translate them into modern English.

Th'Assyrians' king, in peace with foul desire

Translation:

The Assyrians' king, when in peace, he stained his royal  heart with his dirty desires.

in war, which should make his noble hearts burning,

the defeated surrender because the lack of martial art.

the power of swords after kisses seemed strange,

and his shield was harder than his lady's side;

from glutton feasts to soldiers' diet, a change,

his helmet was far more heavier than a garland.

he who scarcely maintain the name of manhood,

soak himself in the laziness and the womanish delight,

with a weak spirit , impatient of pain,

when he had lost his honor and right

( proud, in the time of wealth; scared with fear in the storms)

he murdered himself to show some  manful deed.

Martial, the things for attain

Translation:

Martial is the means to reach happpiness,

I find: the riches would left with no pain.

the frutiful ground, the quiet mind;

Friends are equal with no malice and no quarrel;

there's no government and no burden of rulet

the healthy life without disease.

the family of long duration.

The average diet without delicate fare;

the wisdom would join with simplicity;

the night releaseed all care

and where the wine cannot rule;

The virtue wife who is wise without any fighting.

such sleep as may charm away the night;

satisfies with your own estate;

neither wish for death nor afraid of its coming.

2.Express the feelings of your favorite Henry Howard, earl of Surry's poems. 

Though I just translated two of Henry Howard's poems above,

still, I don't get the idea of the poems.

all I have is just a vague idea of my uncertainty of the poem.

I sort of understand the first poem was about a king's corrupting with his noble characters

and the second  praises the advantage of martial,

 I truly hope that we don't have to translate these poems for our finals,

unless there are corret translations be released to us.

Or all that translation will be meaningless since no one could translate

the poems a hundred percent correct.