How can I then return in happy plight,

That am debarr'd the benefit of rest?

When day's oppression is not eased by night,

But day by night, and night by day, oppress'd?

And each, though enemies to either's reign,

Do in consent shake hands to torture me;

The one by toil, the other to complain

How far I toil, still farther off from thee.

I tell the day, to please them thou art bright

And dost him grace when clouds do blot the heaven:

So flatter I the swart-complexion'd night,

When sparkling stars twire not thou gild'st the even.

But day doth daily draw my sorrows longer

And night doth nightly make grief's strength seem stronger.

那么，我怎么能夠喜洋洋歸來，

既然得不著片刻身心的安息？

當白天的壓逼入夜并不稍衰，

只是夜繼日、日又繼夜地壓逼？

日和夜平時雖事事各不相下，

卻互相攜手來把我輪流挫折，

一個用跋涉，一個卻呶呶怒罵，

說我離開你更遠，雖整天跋涉。

為討好白天，我告它你是光明，

在陰云密布時你將把它映照。

我又這樣說去討黑夜的歡心：

當星星不眨眼，你將為它閃耀。

但天天白天盡拖長我的苦痛，

夜夜黑夜又使我的憂思轉兇。