Sonnet 77

WAS it a dreame, or did I see it playne?

A goodly table of pure yvory,

All spred with juncats1, fit to entertayne,

The greatest Prince with pompous roialty.

Mongst which, there in a silver dish did ly,

Two golden apples of unvalewd2 price:

Far passing those which Hercules3 came by,

Or those which Atalanta4 did entice;

Exceeding sweet, yet voyd of sinfull vice5,

That many sought, yet none could ever taste;

Sweet fruit of pleasure brought from paradice:

By love himself, and in his garden plaste.

Her brest that table6 was, so richly spredd;

My thoughts the guests, which would thereon have fedd.

注释：1.juncats：美味。

2.unvalewd：极贵重的，无价的。

3.Hercules：大力神赫克里斯有十二项任务要完成，其中第十一项任务就是获取赫斯佩里得斯圣园里的金苹果。

4.Atalanta：阿塔兰忒。古希腊神话中一位善于疾走的女猎手，伊阿索斯国王的女儿。她向女神发誓终身不嫁，可他父亲希望她结婚。对婚姻和男人没有兴趣的阿塔兰忒于是同意来一场赛跑招亲，赢得比赛的求婚者将与她结婚，输了就得被杀死。国王同意了女儿的条件。许多年轻人都因为情不自禁的诱惑而死。直到希波墨涅斯出现。希波墨涅斯向爱神阿佛洛狄忒求助，爱神便给了他三颗金苹果让希波墨涅斯丢，当阿塔兰忒捡苹果时，就会减缓速度。那些苹果都是不可抗拒的，所以每当阿塔兰忒超过希波墨涅斯，他就把一颗滚到她的前面，让她追着跑，就这样，希波墨涅斯赢了赛跑。

5.sinfull vice：这里暗指禁果。偷食禁果被视作人类的原罪及一切其他罪恶的开端。

6.brest that table：爱人的酥胸是象牙。这个意象的灵感源于《旧约-雅歌》第五章第十四节经文：“祂的身体[如同]雕刻的象牙，周围镶嵌蓝宝石。（“身体”应译作“心肠”，和第五章第四节中的“心肠”是同字。意即主也是有感情的。