岂能

Shall I, Wasting in Despair

Shall I, wasting in despair,

Die because a woman’s fair ?

Or make pale my cheeks with care

’Cause another’s rosy¹ are ?

Be she fairer than the day

Or the flowery meads in May,

If she thinks not well of me

What care I how fair she be ?

Shall my foolish heart be pined

’Cause I see a woman kind；

Or a well disposed nature

Joined with a lovely feature ?

Be she meeker², kinder than

Turtle-dove or pelican³,

If she be not so to me

What care I how kind she be ?

Shall a woman’s virtues⁴ move

Me to perish for her love ?

Or her well-deservings known

Make me quite forget mine own ?

Be she with that goodness blest

Which may merit name of best,

If she be not such to me,

What care I how good she be ?

’Cause her fortune seems so high,

Shall I play the fool and die ?

She that bears a noble mind

If not outward helps she find,

Thinks what with them he would do

Who without them dares her woo；

And unless that mind I see,

What care I how great she be ?

Great or good, or kind or fair,

I will ne’er the more despair；

If she love me, this believe,

I will die, ere she shall grieve；

If she slight me when I woo,

I can scorn and let her go,

For if she be not for me,

What care I for whom she be ?

岂能

岂能为一位美女赴死，

空耗我一生的时光？

岂能因牵挂那玫瑰般的容颜，

就让自己的面颊变得苍黄？

即使她娇媚胜过五月鲜花盛开的草原，

即使她灿烂有如阳光，

如果她对我并无情意，

我又何必管她有多漂亮？

岂能因看到一位女子的仁爱，

就让我失去理智念念不忘？

岂能因她的容貌仪态，

就让我盲目地心驰神往？

即使她比斑鸠温柔，

即使她比塘鹅慈祥，

如果她对我并非如此，

我又何必管她有多善良？

岂能因一位女子的德行，

就让我去为爱殉葬？

岂能因她有众人称道的名誉，

就让我自愧毫无声望？

即使她美德清纯，

即使她值得最高的赞扬，

如果她对我不以礼相待，

我又何必管她有多辉煌？

岂能因她高贵的身价，

就让我舍生忘死晕头转向？

她若有崇高的思想就该设身处地，

在人们的胸中燃起情感的希望，

有望的人才有信心，

无助的人谁有追求她的胆量？

除非我看清她的真心，

我又何必管她有多高尚？

高贵、辉煌，美丽、善良，

对这些我并未失望，

她如爱我便一切是真，

我宁死也不会让她悲伤；

如果她蔑视我的求婚，

那我就不屑再看她的模样，

既然她不属我，

她属何人我又何必放在心上？