O, lest the world should task you to recite

What merit lived in me, that you should love

After my death, dear love, forget me quite,

For you in me can nothing worthy prove;

Unless you would devise some virtuous lie,

To do more for me than mine own desert,

And hang more praise upon deceased I

Than niggard truth would willingly impart:

O, lest your true love may seem false in this,

That you for love speak well of me untrue,

My name be buried where my body is,

And live no more to shame nor me nor you.

For I am shamed by that which I bring forth,

And so should you, to love things nothing worth.

哦，免得這世界要強逼你自招

我有什么好處，使你在我死后

依舊愛我，愛人呀，把我全忘掉，

因外我一點值得提的都沒有；

除非你捏造出一些美麗的謊，

過分為我吹噓我應有的價值，

把瞑目長眠的我阿諛和夸獎，

遠超過鄙吝的事實所愿昭示：

哦，怕你的真愛因此顯得虛偽，

怕你為愛的原故替我說假話，

愿我的名字永遠和肉體同埋，

免得活下去把你和我都羞煞。

　　因為我可憐的作品使我羞慚，

　　而你愛不值得愛的，也該愧赧。