A questão está relacionada a um soneto de William Shakespeare. No bloco superior, consta o texto original, escrito em língua inglesa do século XVII; na da direita, uma paráfrase deste soneto em inglês contemporâneo.
Texto original
My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head; I have seen roses damask’d, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks: I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
Paráfrase
My mistress’s eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips; If snow is white, then her breasts are a brownish gray; If hairs are like wires, hers are black and not golden. I have seen damask roses, red and white [streaked], But I do not see such colors in her cheeks; And some perfumes give more delight Than the horrid breath of my mistress. I love to hear her speak, but I know That music has a more pleasing sound. I’ve never seen a goddess walk; But I know that my mistress walks only on the ground. And yet I think my love as rare
As any woman who has been misrepresented by ridiculous comparisons.
(SHAKESPEARE, William. Soneto 130. Disponível em:
O sufixo -ess presente em goddess (l. 11) também ocorre em