Tafsiri ya "Ye Tradefull Merchants," Shairi la Edmund Spencer

Siku kadhaa zilizopita nilichapisha mashairi mawili ya Edmund Spencer katika blogu hii. Nilivutiwa na wazo la kuyatafsiri mashairi haya, ingawa magumu, ili kuchangamsha akili yangu na kujipima ufahamu wangu wa lugha.

Siku ile ile, nilijaribu kutafsiri "Ye Tradefull Merchant," tangu mwanzo hadi mwisho, halafu nikaamua kuiweka kando tafsiri yangu, kwa kuwa sikuridhika na namna nilivyotafsiri vipengele viwili vitatu. Leo, bila kutegemea wala kupangia, nimepata hamu ya kurekebisha vipengele hivyo.

Ninafahamu kwamba, kwa mujibu wa nadharia za tafsiri, tafsiri ni dhana tata. Kutafsiri ni sawa na kujaribu kukikamata kitu kinachoteleza sana. Kwa ujumla, tunajidanganya au tunadanganyana tunaposema tumetafsiri utungo wowote wa fasihi. Hata hivyo, kwa kuzingatia jadi yetu ya kujidanganya na kudanganyana, ninaleta tafsiri yangu ya "Ye Tradefull Merchants."

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YE TRADEFULL MERCHANTS (Edmund Spencer)

Ye tradefull merchants, that with weary toyle,
Do seeke most pretious things to make your gain,
And both the Indias of their treasures spoile,
What needeth you to seeke so farre in vaine?
For loe! my love doth in her selfe containe
All this worlds riches that may farre be found:
If saphyres, loe! her eies be saphyres plaine;
If rubies, loe! hir lips be rubies sound;
If pearles, hir teeth be pearls, both pure and round;
If yvorie, her forhead yvorie weene;
If gold, her locks are finest gold on ground;
If silver, her faire hands are silver sheene:
     But that which fairest is but few behold,
     Her mind, adornd with vertues manifold.

ENYI WAFANYA BIASHARA MAKINI

Enyi wafanya biashara makini, mnaomenyeka na kazi,
Mkitafuta vitu ghali kujipatia faida,
Na India zote mbili mwazipora utajiri wao,
Nini mnajisumbua kutafuta mbali kote huko?
Kwani, hakika, mpenzi wangu anao nafsini mwake,
Utajiri wote wa dunia upatikanao mbali huko:
Kama ni yakuti, lo! macho yake ni yakuti bayana;
Kama ni akiki, lo! midomo yake ni akiki murua;
Kama ni lulu, meno yake ni lulu, safi za mviringo;
Kama ni nakshi ya pembe ndovu, panda la uso wake linayo;
Kama ni dhahabu, nywele zake ni dhahabu bora ya ardhini;
Kama ni uzuri wa fedha, mikono yake ni mizuri hivyo:
     Lakini kilicho kizuri kabisa na wachache wanakiona,
     Ni akili yake, iliyojaa mema maridhawa.