In the old age black was not counted fair,

Or if it were, it bore not beauty's name;

But now is black beauty's successive heir,

And beauty slander'd with a bastard shame:

For since each hand hath put on nature's power,

Fairing the foul with art's false borrow'd face,

Sweet beauty hath no name, no holy bower,

But is profaned, if not lives in disgrace.

Therefore my mistress' brows are raven black,

Her eyes so suited, and they mourners seem

At such who, not born fair, no beauty lack,

Slandering creation with a false esteem:

Yet so they mourn, becoming of their woe,

That every tongue says beauty should look so.

在遠古的時代黑并不算秀俊，

即使算，也沒有把美的名掛上；

但如今黑既成為美的繼承人，

于是美便招來了侮辱和誹謗。

因為自從每只手都修飾自然，

用藝術的假面貌去美化丑惡，

溫馨的美便失掉聲價和圣殿，

縱不忍辱偷生，也遭了褻瀆。

所以我情婦的頭發黑如烏鴉，

眼睛也恰好相襯，就像在哀泣

那些生來不美卻迷人的冤家，

用假名聲去中傷造化的真譽。

　　這哀泣那么配合她們的悲痛，

　　大家齊聲說：這就是美的真容。