Farewell! thou art too dear for my possessing,
And like enough thou know'st thy estimate:
The charter of thy worth gives thee releasing;
My bonds in thee are all determinate.
For how do I hold thee but by thy granting?
And for that riches where is my deserving?
The cause of this fair gift in me is wanting,
And so my patent back again is swerving¹.
Thyself thou gavest, thy own worth then not knowing,
Or me, to whom thou gavest it, else mistaking;
So thy great gift, upon misprision growing,
Comes home again, on better judgment² making.
  Thus have I had thee, as a dream doth flatter,
  In sleep a king, but waking no such matter.

再会吧！你太宝贵了，我无法高攀；
显然你也晓得你自己的声价：
你的价值的证券够把你赎还，
我对你的债权只好全部作罢。
因为，不经你批准，我怎能占有你？
我哪有福气消受这样的珍宝？
这美惠对于我既然毫无根据，
便不得不取消我的专利执照。
你曾许了我，因为低估了自己，
不然就错识了我，你的受赐者；
因此，你这份厚礼，既出自误会，
就归还给你，经过更好的判决。
　　这样，我曾占有你，像一个美梦，
　　在梦里称王，醒来只是一场空。