O, how much more doth beauty beauteous seem

By that sweet ornament which truth doth give!

The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem

For that sweet odour which doth in it live.

The canker-blooms have full as deep a dye

As the perfumed tincture of the roses,

Hang on such thorns and play as wantonly

When summer's breath their masked buds discloses:

But, for their virtue only is their show,

They live unwoo'd and unrespected fade,

Die to themselves. Sweet roses do not so;

Of their sweet deaths are sweetest odours made:

And so of you, beauteous and lovely youth,

When that shall fade, my verse distills your truth.

哦，美看起來要更美得多少倍，

若再有真加給它溫馨的裝潢！

玫瑰花很美，但我們覺得它更美，

因為它吐出一縷甜蜜的芳香。

野薔薇的姿色也是同樣旖旎，

比起玫瑰的芳馥四溢的姣顏，

同掛在樹上，同樣會搔首弄姿，

當夏天呼息使它的嫩蕊輕展：

但它們唯一的美德只在色相，

開時無人眷戀，萎謝也無人理；

寂寞地死去。香的玫瑰卻兩樣；

她那溫馨的死可以釀成香液：

　　你也如此，美麗而可愛的青春，

　　當韶華雕謝，詩提取你的純精。