Love is my sin and thy dear virtue hate,
Hate of my sin, grounded on sinful loving:
O, but with mine compare thou thine own state,
And thou shalt find it merits not reproving;
Or, if it do, not from those lips of thine,
That have profaned their scarlet ornaments
And seal´d false bonds of love as oft as mine,
Robb´d others´ beds´ revenues of their rents.
Be it lawful I love thee, as thou lovest those
Whom thine eyes woo as mine importune thee:
Root pity in thy heart, that when it grows
Thy pity may deserve to pitied be.
If thou dost seek to have what thou dost hide,
By self-example mayst thou be denied!
我的罪咎是爱,你的美德是憎,
你憎我的罪,为了我多咎的爱:
哦,你只要比一比你我的实情,
就会发觉责备我多么不应该。
就算应该,也不能出自你嘴唇,
因为它们亵渎过自己的口红,
劫夺过别人床弟应得的租金,
和我一样屡次偷订爱的假盟。
我爱你,你爱他们,都一样正当,
尽管你追求他们而我讨你厌。
让哀怜的种子在你心里暗长,
终有天你的哀怜也得人哀怜。
假如你只知追求,自己却吝啬,
你自己的榜样就会招来拒绝。