Who is it that says most? which can say more
Than this rich praise, that you alone are you?
In whose confine immured is the store
Which should example where your equal grew.
Lean penury within that pen doth dwell
That to his subject lends not some small glory;
But he that writes of you, if he can tell
That you are you, so dignifies his story,
Let him but copy what in you is writ,
Not making worse what nature made so clear,
And such a counterpart shall fame his wit,
Making his style admired every where.
You to your beauteous blessings add a curse,
Being fond on praise, which makes your praises worse.
谁说得最好？哪个说得更圆满
比起这丰美的赞词："只有你是你"？
这赞词蕴藏着你的全部资产，
谁和你争妍，就必须和它比拟。
那枝文笔实在是贫瘠得可怜，
如果它不能把题材稍事增华；
但谁写到你，只要他能够表现
你就是你，他的故事已够伟大。
让他只照你原稿忠实地直抄，
别把造化的清新的素描弄坏，
这样的摹本已显出他的巧妙，
使他的风格到处受人们崇拜。
你将对你美的祝福加以咒诅：
太爱人赞美，连美也变成庸俗。