Dost hold Time's fickle glass, his sickle, hour;
Who hast by waning grown, and therein show'st
Thy lovers withering as thy sweet self grow'st;
If Nature, sovereign mistress over wrack,
As thou goest onwards, still will pluck thee back,
She keeps thee to this purpose, that her skill
May time disgrace and wretched minutes kill.
Yet fear her, O thou minion of her pleasure!
She may detain, but not still keep, her treasure:
Her audit, though delay'd, answer'd must be,
And her quietus is to render thee.
你,小乖乖,時光的無常的沙漏
和時辰(他的小鐮刀)都聽你左右;
你在虧缺中生長,并昭示大眾
你的愛人如何雕零而你向榮;
如果造化(掌握盈虧的大主宰),
在你邁步前進時把你挽回來,
她的目的只是:賣弄她的手法
去丟時光的臉,并把分秒扼殺。
可是你得怕她,你,她的小乖乖!
她只能暫留,并非常保,她的寶貝!
她的賬目,雖延了期,必須清算:
要清償債務(wù),她就得把你交還。