Devouring¹ Time, blunt thou the lion's paws,

And make the earth devour² her own sweet brood;

Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger's jaws³,

And burn the long-lived phoenix⁴ in her blood;

Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleets,

And do whate'er thou wilt⁵, swift-footed Time,

To the wide world and all her fading sweets;

But I forbid thee one most heinous⁶ crime:

O, carve not with thy hours my love's fair brow,

Nor draw no lines there with thine antique pen;

Him in thy course untainted do allow

For beauty's pattern to succeeding men.

Yet, do thy worst, old Time: despite thy wrong,

My love shall in my verse ever live young.

饕餮的时光，去磨钝雄狮的爪，

命大地吞噬自己宠爱的幼婴，

去猛虎的颚下把它利牙拔掉，

焚毁长寿的凤凰，灭绝它的种，

使季节在你飞逝时或悲或喜；

而且，捷足的时光，尽肆意地摧残

这大千世界和它易谢的芳菲；

只有这极恶大罪我禁止你犯：

哦，别把岁月刻在我爱的额上，

或用古老的铁笔乱画下皱纹：

在你的飞逝里不要把它弄脏，

好留给后世永作美丽的典型。

但，尽管猖狂，老时光，凭你多狠，

我的爱在我诗里将万古长青。