If my dear love were but the child of state,

It might for Fortune's bastard be unfather'd'

As subject to Time's love or to Time's hate,

Weeds among weeds, or flowers with flowers gather'd.

No, it was builded far from accident;

It suffers not in smiling pomp, nor falls

Under the blow of thralled discontent,

Whereto the inviting time our fashion calls:

It fears not policy, that heretic,

Which works on leases of short-number'd hours,

But all alone stands hugely politic,

That it nor grows with heat nor drowns with showers.

To this I witness call the fools of time,

Which die for goodness, who have lived for crime.

假如我的爱只是权势的嫡种，

它就会是命运的无父的私生子，

受时光的宠辱所磨折和播弄，

同野草闲花一起任人们采刈。

不呀，它并不是建立在偶然上；

它既不为荣华的笑颜所转移，

也经受得起我们这时代风尚

司空见惯的抑郁、愤懑的打击：

它不害怕那只在短期间有效、

到处散播异端和邪说的权谋，

不因骄阳而生长，雨也冲不掉，

它巍然独立在那里，深思熟筹。

　　被时光愚弄的人们，起来作证！

　　你们毕生作恶，却一死得干净。