Is it for fear to wet a widow's eye

That thou consumest thyself in single life?

Ah! if thou issueless shalt hap¹ to die.

The world will wail² thee, like a makeless wife;

The world will be thy widow and still weep

That thou no form of thee hast left behind,

When every private widow well may keep

By children's eyes her husband's shape in mind.

Look, what an unthrift in the world doth spend

Shifts but his place, for still the world enjoys it;

But beauty's waste hath in the world an end,

And kept unused, the user so destroys it.

No love toward others in that bosom³ sits

That on himself such murderous shame commits.

是否因为怕打湿你寡妇的眼，

你在独身生活里消磨你自己？

哦，如果你不幸无后离开人间，

世界就要哀哭你，像丧偶的妻。

世界将是你寡妇，她永远伤心

你生前没给她留下你的容貌；

其他的寡妇，靠儿女们的眼睛，

反能把良人的肖像在心里长保。

看吧，浪子在世上的种种浪费

只换了主人，世界仍然在享受；

但美的消耗在人间将有终尾：

留着不用，就等于任由它腐朽。

这样的心决不会对别人有爱，

既然它那么忍心把自己戕害。