O, how I faint when I of you do write,
Knowing a better spirit doth use your name,
And in the praise thereof spends all his might,
To make me tongue-tied, speaking of your fame!
But since your worth, wide as the ocean is,
The humble¹ as the proudest sail doth bear,
My saucy² bark inferior far to his
On your broad main doth wilfully³ appear.
Your shallowest help will hold me up afloat,
Whilst he upon your soundless deep doth ride;
Or being wreck'd, I am a worthless boat,
He of tall building and of goodly pride:
  Then if he thrive and I be cast away,
  The worst was this; my love was my decay.

哦，我写到你的时候多么气馁，
得知有更大的天才利用你名字，
他不惜费尽力气去把你赞美，
使我箝口结舌，一提起你声誉！
但你的价值，像海洋一样无边，
不管轻舟或艨艟同样能载起，
我这莽撞的艇，尽管小得可怜，
也向你茫茫的海心大胆行驶。
你最浅的滩濑已足使我浮泛，
而他岸岸然驶向你万顷汪洋；
或者，万一覆没，我只是片轻帆，
他却是结构雄伟，气宇轩昂：
　　如果他安全到达，而我遭失败，
　　最不幸的是：毁我的是我的爱。