Who is it that says most? which can say more
Than this rich praise, that you alone are you?
In whose confine immured¹ is the store
Which should example where your equal grew.
Lean penury² within that pen doth dwell
That to his subject lends not some small glory;
But he that writes of you, if he can tell
That you are you, so dignifies³ his story,
Let him but copy what in you is writ,
Not making worse what nature made so clear,
And such a counterpart shall fame his wit,
Making his style admired every where.
  You to your beauteous blessings⁴ add a curse,
  Being fond on praise, which makes your praises worse.

谁说得最好？哪个说得更圆满
比起这丰美的赞词："只有你是你"？
这赞词蕴藏着你的全部资产，
谁和你争妍，就必须和它比拟。
那枝文笔实在是贫瘠得可怜，
如果它不能把题材稍事增华；
但谁写到你，只要他能够表现
你就是你，他的故事已够伟大。
让他只照你原稿忠实地直抄，
别把造化的清新的素描弄坏，
这样的摹本已显出他的巧妙，
使他的风格到处受人们崇拜。
　　你将对你美的祝福加以咒诅：
　　太爱人赞美，连美也变成庸俗。