O, how I faint when I of you do write,

Knowing a better spirit doth use your name,

And in the praise thereof spends all his might,

To make me tongue-tied, speaking of your fame!

But since your worth, wide as the ocean is,

The humble as the proudest sail doth bear,

My saucy bark inferior far to his

On your broad main doth wilfully appear.

Your shallowest help will hold me up afloat,

Whilst he upon your soundless deep doth ride;

Or being wreck'd, I am a worthless boat,

He of tall building and of goodly pride:

Then if he thrive and I be cast away,

The worst was this; my love was my decay.

哦，我写到你的时候多么气馁，

得知有更大的天才利用你名字，

他不惜费尽力气去把你赞美，

使我箝口结舌，一提起你声誉！

但你的价值，像海洋一样无边，

不管轻舟或艨艟同样能载起，

我这莽撞的艇，尽管小得可怜，

也向你茫茫的海心大胆行驶。

你最浅的滩濑已足使我浮泛，

而他岸岸然驶向你万顷汪洋；

或者，万一覆没，我只是片轻帆，

他却是结构雄伟，气宇轩昂：

　　如果他安全到达，而我遭失败，

　　最不幸的是：毁我的是我的爱。