The other two, slight air and purging¹ fire,
Are both with thee, wherever I abide;
The first my thought, the other my desire,
These present-absent with swift motion slide.
For when these quicker elements are gone
In tender embassy of love to thee,
My life, being made of four, with two alone
Sinks down to death, oppress'd with melancholy;
Until life's composition be recured
By those swift messengers return'd from thee,
Who even but now come back again, assured
Of thy fair health, recounting it to me:
  This told, I joy; but then no longer glad,
  I send them back again and straight grow sad.

其余两种，轻清的风，净化的火，
一个是我的思想，一个是欲望，
都是和你一起，无论我居何所；
它们又在又不在，神速地来往。
因为，当这两种较轻快的元素
带着爱情的温柔使命去见你，
我的生命，本赋有四大，只守住
两个，就不胜其忧郁，奄奄待毙；
直到生命的结合得完全恢复
由于这两个敏捷使者的来归。
它们现正从你那里回来，欣悉
你起居康吉，在向我欣欣告慰。
　　说完了，我乐，可是并不很长久，
　　我打发它们回去，马上又发愁。