I grant thou wert not married to my Muse
And therefore mayst without attaint o'erlook
The dedicated¹ words which writers use
Of their fair subject, blessing² every book
Thou art as fair in knowledge as in hue,
Finding thy worth a limit past my praise,
And therefore art enforced to seek anew
Some fresher stamp of the time-bettering days
And do so, love; yet when they have devised
What strained touches rhetoric³ can lend,
Thou truly fair wert truly sympathized
In true plain words by thy true-telling friend;
  And their gross painting might be better used
  Where cheeks need blood; in thee it is abused.

我承认你并没有和我的诗神
结同心，因而可以丝毫无愧恧
去俯览那些把你作主题的诗人
对你的赞美，褒奖着每本诗集。
你的智慧和姿色都一样出众，
又发觉你的价值比我的赞美高，
因而你不得不到别处去追踪
这迈进时代的更生动的写照。
就这么办，爱呵，但当他们既已
使尽了浮夸的辞藻把你刻划，
真美的你只能由真诚的知己
用真朴的话把你真实地表达；
　　他们的浓脂粉只配拿去染红
　　贫血的脸颊；对于你却是滥用。