Sonnet 14                                                                                十四行诗 14

If Thou Must Love Me, Let It Be for Nought                  你若爱我，就别为了什么

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning                                              伊丽莎白 芭蕾特 白朗宁

                                                                                                  Louisa Dai 译

If thou must love me, let it be for nought                               你若爱我，就别为了什么，
Except for love's sake only. Do not say                               只要是为爱而爱，不要讲：
'I love her for her smile—her look—her way                        “我爱她，她的笑靥、俏模样，
Of speaking gently,—for a trick of thought                          她的柔声细语，是那中了
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought                  我意的痴顽相思，带来了
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day'—                       某天感觉很是愉悦舒畅。”
For these things in themselves, Beloved, may                   亲爱的，这样的好事本当
Be changed, or change for thee,—and love, so wrought, 不会持久，或因你而变了。
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for                          爱是这样善变，也许没有；
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry,—                 不要爱我就拭干我泪腮。
A creature might forget to weep, who bore                        人会忘了哭泣，当她持有
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!                       你的抚慰，再失去你的爱！
But love me for love's sake, that evermore                         就为爱而爱我，从今往后，
Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.                       至死不渝，爱我不停下来。