Farewell! thou art too dear for my possessing,
And like enough thou know'st thy estimate:
The charter of thy worth gives thee releasing;
My bonds in thee are all determinate.
For how do I hold thee but by thy granting?
And for that riches where is my deserving?
The cause of this fair gift in me is wanting,
And so my patent back again is swerving.
Thyself thou gavest, thy own worth then not knowing,
Or me, to whom thou gavest it, else mistaking;
So thy great gift, upon misprision growing,
Comes home again, on better judgment making.
Thus have I had thee, as a dream doth flatter,
In sleep a king, but waking no such matter.
再會吧!你太寶貴了,我無法高攀;
顯然你也曉得你自己的聲價:
你的價值的證券夠把你贖還,
我對你的債權只好全部作罷。
因為,不經(jīng)你批準,我怎能占有你?
我哪有福氣消受這樣的珍寶?
這美惠對于我既然毫無根據(jù),
便不得不取消我的專利執(zhí)照。
你曾許了我,因為低估了自己,
不然就錯識了我,你的受賜者;
因此,你這份厚禮,既出自誤會,
就歸還給你,經(jīng)過更好的判決。
這樣,我曾占有你,像一個美夢,
在夢里稱王,醒來只是一場空。