Shakespeare's 'black is beautiful' sonnet gets Indigenous translation
Most of the time, Australian panel show Q&A is frustrating, but every once in a while something magical happens.
Monday night, it was Nyungar actor Kylie Farmer's rendition of a Bard sonnet that took many Twitter user's breath away.
The language enthusiast recited Shakespeare's "Sonnet 127" in Nyungar, which is primarily spoken by the Noongar people.
You May Also Like
While Farmer translated the poem into Nyungar, fellow actor and writer Kate Mulvany translated the passage in English at the Sydney Opera House for the live show.
As Farmer put it, it's a passage in which the playwright was "lobbying for the beauty in the blackness."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Read the full passage below:
In the old age black was not counted fair, Or if it were, it bore not beauty’s name. But now is black beauty’s successive heir, And beauty slandered with a bastard shame. For since each hand hath put on nature’s pow'r, Fairing the foul with art’s false borrowed face, Sweet beauty hath no name, no holy bow'r, But is profaned, if not lives in disgrace. Therefore my mistress' eyes are raven black, Her eyes so suited, and they mourners seem At such who, not born fair, no beauty lack, Sland'ring creation with a false esteem. Yet so they mourn, becoming of their woe, That every tongue says beauty should look so.
Jerico Mandybur is the editor of Mashable Australia. Previously, she worked as a digital editor at SBS, Oyster Mag, MTV and ASOS. Tweet her at @jerico_m.
