Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms

Believe me, if all those endearing young charms,

Which I gaze on so fondly today,

Were to change by tomorrow and fleet in my arms,

Live fairy-gifts fading away

Thou wouldst still be adored, as this moment thou art,

Let thy loveliness fade as it will;

And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart

Would entwine itself verdantly still.

It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,

And thy cheeks unprofaned by a tear,

That the fervor and faith of a soul can be known,

To which time will but make thee more dear.

No, the heart that has truly loved never forgets,

But as truly loves on to the close:

As the sunflower turns on her god when he sets

The same look which she turned when he rose.

托马斯·摩尔（1779 – 1852）

相信我，即使你……

相信我，即使你所有可人的青春魅力，

那此刻令我目光痴迷的魅力，

黎明前便走向终穷，飞逝于我的怀中；

即使天赐的仙姿玉质，渐渐褪去生动，

我仍会爱你，正如此刻你是我的珍宠，

纵使消退的是你妩媚的花容；

我的心愿意时刻紧贴着你那落英残红，

用我满怀的青翠紧紧地簇拥。

而绝不是，因你正当青春，齿皓颜朱，

双颊还尚未被眼泪亵渎玷污，

才博得一颗心如此炙热和忠诚的爱慕，

时间只会让你更加珍贵如珠。

是的，一向真诚爱你的心会始终守候，

还会真诚地爱到生命的尽头：

如太阳初升时，葵花追随日神的笑脸，

待到日落黄昏，仍会舒展同样的容颜。