When thou shalt be disposed to set me light,
And place my merit in the eye of scorn,
Upon thy side against myself I'll fight,
And prove thee virtuous¹, though thou art forsworn.
With mine own weakness being best acquainted,
Upon thy part I can set down a story
Of faults conceal'd, wherein I am attainted,
That thou in losing me shalt win much glory:
And I by this will be a gainer too;
For bending all my loving thoughts on thee,
The injuries that to myself I do,
Doing thee vantage, double-vantage me.
  Such is my love, to thee I so belong,
  That for thy right myself will bear all wrong.

当你有一天下决心瞧我不起，
用侮蔑的眼光衡量我的轻重，
我将站在你那边打击我自己，
证明你贤德，尽管你已经背盟。
对自己的弱点我既那么内行，
我将为你的利益捏造我种种
无人觉察的过失，把自己中伤；
使你抛弃了我反而得到光荣：
而我也可以借此而大有收获；
因为我全部情思那么倾向你，
我为自己所招惹的一切侮辱
既对你有利，对我就加倍有利。
　　我那么衷心属你，我爱到那样，
　　为你的美誉愿承当一切诽谤。