Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea,

But sad mortality o'er-sways their power,

How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea,

Whose action is no stronger than a flower?

O, how shall summer's honey breath hold out

Against the wreckful siege of battering days,

When rocks impregnable are not so stout,

Nor gates of steel so strong, but Time decays?

O fearful meditation! where, alack,

Shall Time's best jewel from Time's chest lie hid?

Or what strong hand can hold his swift foot back?

Or who his spoil of beauty can forbid?

O, none, unless this miracle have might,

That in black ink my love may still shine bright.

既然銅、石、或大地、或無邊的海，

沒有不屈服于那陰慘的無常，

美，她的活力比一朵花還柔脆，

怎能和他那肅殺的嚴重抵抗？

哦，夏天溫馨的呼息怎能支持

殘暴的日子刻刻猛烈的轟炸，

當巖石，無論多么么險固，或鋼扉，

無論多堅強，都要被時光熔化？

哦，駭人的思想！時光的珍飾，

唉，怎能夠不被收進時光的寶箱？

什么勁手能挽他的捷足回來，

或者誰能禁止他把美麗奪搶？

　　哦，沒有誰，除非這奇跡有力量：

　　我的愛在翰墨里永久放光芒。