But be contented¹: when that fell arrest
Without all bail² shall carry me away,
My life hath in this line some interest,
Which for memorial still with thee shall stay.
When thou reviewest this, thou dost review
The very part was consecrate³ to thee:
The earth can have but earth, which is his due;
My spirit is thine, the better part of me:
So then thou hast but lost the dregs of life,
The prey⁴ of worms, my body being dead,
The coward conquest of a wretch's knife,
Too base of thee to be remembered.
  The worth of that is that which it contains,
  And that is this, and this with thee remains⁵.

但是放心吧：当那无情的拘票
终于丝毫不宽假地把我带走，
我的生命在诗里将依然长保，
永生的纪念品，永久和你相守。
当你重读这些诗，就等于重读
我献给你的至纯无二的生命：
尘土只能有它的份，那就是尘土；
灵魂却属你，这才是我的真身。
所以你不过失掉生命的糟粕
（当我肉体死后），恶蛆们的食饵，
无赖的刀下一个怯懦的俘获，
太卑贱的秽物，不配被你记忆。
　　它唯一的价值就在它的内蕴，
　　那就是这诗：这诗将和它长存。