My love is strengthened, though more weak in seeming;
I love not less, though less the show appear.
That love is merchandized whose rich esteeming
The owner's tongue doth publish everywhere.
Our love was new, and then but in the spring,
When I was wont to greet it with my lays,
As Philomel in summer's front doth sing,
And stops her pipe in growth of riper days.
Not that the summer is less pleasant now
Than when her mournful hymns did hush the night,
But that wild music burdens every bough,
And sweets grown common lose their dear delight.
Therefore like her, I sometime hold my tongue,
Because I would not dull you with my song.
我的愛貌似減弱,其實加強,
愛的表達少了,但真情如故;
倘若愛被相愛者到處傳揚,
愛就成了買賣,與商品無殊。
我們初次相愛,正好在陽春,
我喜歡用我的歌將愛頌揚,
就像夜鶯在初夏時節(jié)長吟,
到晚夏就停止了她的歌唱——
并非此時的夏天風光不美,
遠不及她長夜哀聲的夏初,
而是群鳥聒噪使枝頭受累,
美蕙變得庸俗,失去了歡愉。
我因此要學夜鶯不再歌唱,
免得唱得太多,反惹你心煩。