How sweet and lovely dost thou make the shame
Which, like a canker in the fragrant¹ rose,
Doth spot the beauty of thy budding name!
O, in what sweets dost thou thy sins enclose!
That tongue that tells the story of thy days,
Making lascivious² comments on thy sport,
Cannot dispraise but in a kind of praise;
Naming thy name blesses an ill report.
O, what a mansion³ have those vices⁴ got
Which for their habitation chose out thee,
Where beauty's veil doth cover every blot,
And all things turn to fair that eyes can see!
  Take heed⁵, dear heart, of this large privilege;
  The hardest knife ill-used doth lose his edge.

耻辱被你弄成多温柔多可爱！
恰像馥郁的玫瑰花心的毛虫，
它把你含苞欲放的美名污败！
哦，多少温馨把你的罪过遮蒙！
那讲述你的生平故事的长舌，
想对你的娱乐作淫猥的评论，
只能用一种赞美口气来贬责：
一提起你名字，诬蔑也变谄佞。
哦，那些罪过找到了多大的华厦，
当它们把你挑选来作安乐窝，
在那儿美为污点披上了轻纱，
在那儿触目的一切都变清和！
　　警惕呵，心肝，为你这特权警惕；
　　最快的刀被滥用也失去锋利！