Not even the best of artists has any conception
that a single marble block does not contain within its excess,
and that is only attained by the hand that obeys the intellect.

The pain I flee from and the joy I hope for
are similarly hidden in you, lovely lady,
lofty and divine; but, to my mortal harm,
my art gives results the reverse of what I wish.

Love, therefore, cannot be blamed for my pain,
nor can your beauty, your hardness, or your scorn,
nor fortune, nor my destiny, nor chance.
If you hold both death and mercy in your heart at the same time,
and my lowly wits, though burning,
cannot draw from it anything but death.

(Sonnet 151, 米开朗基罗,作于约1538-44,老米关于柏拉图艺术理论的最重要最著名的作品之一.)

即使最优秀的艺术家,
也不理解这样一种思想.
大理石块的肌体,
并不能被它的外壳包藏.
只有遵顺天意的雕凿,
才能除去冗余的遮掩,
揭示它本来的模样.

可爱的女郎,
你高贵,圣洁的外表,
就象大理石块的外壳,
掩藏了我想得到的欢乐,
和要避免的忧伤.
然而愚钝笨拙,
让我失去快乐却收获忧伤.

那么,
我怎能为了痛而责怪爱!
又怎能责怪你的美丽我的命运,
你的无情和我的无份!
如果你的心中,
同时藏着慈悲和死亡,
以我的愚钝和笨拙,
即使心狂似火,
也只能获取死亡!

(译者对诗中"死亡"和"慈悲"的理解,分别代表拒绝和接受.从爱人的视角,拒绝一份感情就意味着感情的死亡,而"慈悲"的女士会不忍拒绝.)

诗歌中的女士, 老米素描中的Vittoria Colonna: