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 virtuous, 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。