Love is my sin and thy dear virtue¹ hate,
Hate of my sin, grounded on sinful loving:
O, but with mine compare thou thine own state,
And thou shalt find it merits not reproving;
Or, if it do, not from those lips of thine,
That have profaned² their scarlet³ ornaments
And seal'd false bonds of love as oft as mine,
Robb'd others' beds' revenues of their rents.
Be it lawful⁴ I love thee, as thou lovest those
Whom thine eyes woo as mine importune⁵ thee:
Root pity in thy heart, that when it grows
Thy pity may deserve to pitied be.
  If thou dost seek to have what thou dost hide,
  By self-example mayst thou be denied!

我的罪咎是爱，你的美德是憎，
你憎我的罪，为了我多咎的爱：
哦，你只要比一比你我的实情，
就会发觉责备我多么不应该。
就算应该，也不能出自你嘴唇，
因为它们亵渎过自己的口红，
劫夺过别人床弟应得的租金，
和我一样屡次偷订爱的假盟。
我爱你，你爱他们，都一样正当，
尽管你追求他们而我讨你厌。
让哀怜的种子在你心里暗长，
终有天你的哀怜也得人哀怜。
　　假如你只知追求，自己却吝啬，
　　你自己的榜样就会招来拒绝。