Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion's paws,
And make the earth devour her own sweet brood;
Pluck the keen teeth from the fierce tiger's jaws,
And burn the long-lived phoenix in her blood;
Make glad and sorry seasons as thou fleets,
And do whate'er thou wilt, swift-footed Time,
To the wide world and all her fading sweets;
But I forbid thee one most heinous crime:
O, carve not with thy hours my love's fair brow,
Nor draw no lines there with thine antique pen;
Him in thy course untainted do allow
For beauty's pattern to succeeding men.
Yet, do thy worst, old Time: despite thy wrong,
My love shall in my verse ever live young.
饕餮的時光,去磨鈍雄獅的爪,
命大地吞噬自己寵愛的幼嬰,
去猛虎的顎下把它利牙拔掉,
焚毀長壽的鳳凰,滅絕它的種,
使季節(jié)在你飛逝時或悲或喜;
而且,捷足的時光,盡肆意地摧殘
這大千世界和它易謝的芳菲;
只有這極惡大罪我禁止你犯:
哦,別把歲月刻在我愛的額上,
或用古老的鐵筆亂畫下皺紋:
在你的飛逝里不要把它弄臟,
好留給后世永作美麗的典型。
但,盡管猖狂,老時光,憑你多狠,
我的愛在我詩里將萬古長青。