Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,
But sad mortality o'er-sways their power,
How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,
Whose action is no stronger than a flower?
O, how shall summer's honey breath hold out
Against the wreckful siege of battering days,
When rocks impregnable are not so stout,
Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays?
O fearful meditation! where, alack,
Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid?
Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?
Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?
O, none, unless this miracle have might,
That in black ink my love may still shine bright.
既然銅、石、或大地、或無(wú)邊的海,
沒(méi)有不屈服于那陰慘的無(wú)常,
美,她的活力比一朵花還柔脆,
怎能和他那肅殺的嚴(yán)重抵抗?
哦,夏天溫馨的呼息怎能支持
殘暴的日子刻刻猛烈的轟炸,
當(dāng)巖石,無(wú)論多么么險(xiǎn)固,或鋼扉,
無(wú)論多堅(jiān)強(qiáng),都要被時(shí)光熔化?
哦,駭人的思想!時(shí)光的珍飾,
唉,怎能夠不被收進(jìn)時(shí)光的寶箱?
什么勁手能挽他的捷足回來(lái),
或者誰(shuí)能禁止他把美麗奪搶?
哦,沒(méi)有誰(shuí),除非這奇跡有力量:
我的愛(ài)在翰墨里永久放光芒。