O, that you were yourself! but, love, you are

No longer yours than you yourself here live:

Against this coming end you should prepare,

And your sweet semblance¹ to some other give.

So should that beauty which you hold in lease

Find no determination: then you were

Yourself again after yourself's decease,

When your sweet issue your sweet form should bear.

Who lets so fair a house fall to decay,

Which husbandry in honour might uphold

Against the stormy gusts² of winter's day

And barren rage of death's eternal cold?

O, none but unthrifts! Dear my love, you know

You had a father: let your son say so.

哦，但愿你是你自己，但爱呀，你

终非你有，当你不再活在世上：

对这将临的日子你得要准备，

快交给别人你那俊秀的肖像。

这样，你所租赁的朱颜就永远

不会有满期；于是你又将变成

你自己，当你已经离开了人间，

既然你儿子保留着你的倩影。

谁肯让一座这样的华厦倾颓，

如果小心地看守便可以维护

它的光彩，去抵抗隆冬的狂吹

和那冷酷的死神无情的暴怒？

哦，除非是浪子；我爱呀，你知道

你有父亲；让你儿子也可自豪。