I grant thou wert not married to my Muse
And therefore mayst without attaint o'erlook
The dedicated words which writers use
Of their fair subject, blessing every book
Thou art as fair in knowledge as in hue,
Finding thy worth a limit past my praise,
And therefore art enforced to seek anew
Some fresher stamp of the time-bettering days
And do so, love; yet when they have devised
What strained touches rhetoric can lend,
Thou truly fair wert truly sympathized
In true plain words by thy true-telling friend;
  And their gross painting might be better used
  Where cheeks need blood; in thee it is abused.

我承认你并没有和我的诗神
结同心，因而可以丝毫无愧恧
去俯览那些把你作主题的诗人
对你的赞美，褒奖着每本诗集。
你的智慧和姿色都一样出众，
又发觉你的价值比我的赞美高，
因而你不得不到别处去追踪
这迈进时代的更生动的写照。
就这么办，爱呵，但当他们既已
使尽了浮夸的辞藻把你刻划，
真美的你只能由真诚的知己
用真朴的话把你真实地表达；
他们的浓脂粉只配拿去染红
贫血的脸颊；对于你却是滥用。