That thou art blamed shall not be thy defect,

For slander's mark was ever yet the fair;

The ornament of beauty is suspect,

A crow that flies in heaven's sweetest air.

So thou be good, slander doth but approve

Thy worth the greater, being woo'd of time;

For canker vice the sweetest buds doth love,

And thou present'st a pure unstained prime.

Thou hast pass'd by the ambush of young days,

Either not assail'd or victor being charged;

Yet this thy praise cannot be so thy praise,

To tie up envy evermore enlarged:

If some suspect of ill mask'd not thy show,

Then thou alone kingdoms of hearts shouldst owe.

你受人指摘，并不是你的瑕疵，

因为美丽永远是诽谤的对象；

美丽的无上的装饰就是猜疑，

像乌鸦在最晴朗的天空飞翔。

所以，检点些，谗言只能更恭维

你的美德，既然时光对你钟情；

因为恶蛆最爱那甜蜜的嫩蕊，

而你的正是纯洁无瑕的初春。

你已经越过年轻日子的埋伏，

或未遭遇袭击，或已克服敌手；

可是，对你这样的赞美并不足

堵住那不断扩大的嫉妒的口：

　　若没有猜疑把你的清光遮掩，

　　多少个心灵的王国将归你独占。