O, lest the world should task you to recite
What merit lived in me, that you should love
After my death, dear love, forget me quite,
For you in me can nothing worthy prove;
Unless you would devise some virtuous lie,
To do more for me than mine own desert,
And hang more praise upon deceased I
Than niggard truth would willingly impart.
O, lest your true love may seem false in this
That you for love speak well of me untrue,
My name be buried where my body is,
And live no more to shame nor me nor you.
For I am shamed by that which I bring forth,
And so should you, to love things nothing worth.
啊,把我忘了吧,我的愛友,
我怕世人追問:我何德何才
讓你依然愛著我——在我死后?
你無法證明我的蕙質(zhì)何在,
除非你編造出善意的謊言,
對我的好處加以胡捧瞎吹,
給予你的亡友過分的夸贊,
遠遠超出事實許可的范圍。
啊,我怕人家會說你不真誠,
因為你把我贊美,言過其實;
愿我的名與身同埋一個墳,
免得這名活著,讓你我蒙恥。
我為自己寫的詩而感汗顏,
你愛不該愛的人,也該羞慚。