A woman's face with Nature's own hand painted

Hast thou, the master-mistress of my passion;

A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted

With shifting change, as is false women's fashion;

An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,

Gilding¹ the object whereupon it gazeth;

A man in hue², all 'hues³' in his controlling,

Much steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth.

And for a woman wert thou first created;

Till Nature, as she wrought⁴ thee, fell a-doting,

And by addition me of thee defeated,

By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.

But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure,

Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure.

你有副女人的脸，由造化亲手

塑就，你，我热爱的情妇兼情郎；

有颗女人的温婉的心，但没有

反复和变幻，像女人的假心肠；

眼睛比她明媚，又不那么造作，

流盼把一切事物都镀上黄金；

绝世的美色，驾御着一切美色，

既使男人晕眩，又使女人震惊。

开头原是把你当女人来创造：

但造化塑造你时，不觉着了迷，

误加给你一件东西，这就剥掉

我的权利--这东西对我毫无意义。

但造化造你既专为女人愉快，

让我占有，而她们享受，你的爱。