THE FLEA.
by John Donne

MARK but this flea, and mark in this,
How little that which thou deniest me is ;
It suck'd me first, and now sucks thee,
And in this flea our two bloods mingled be.
Thou know'st that this cannot be said
A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead ;
    Yet this enjoys before it woo,
    And pamper'd swells with one blood made of two ;
    And this, alas ! is more than we would do.

O stay, three lives in one flea spare,
Where we almost, yea, more than married are.
This flea is you and I, and this
Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is.
Though parents grudge, and you, we're met,
And cloister'd in these living walls of jet.
    Though use make you apt to kill me,
    Let not to that self-murder added be,
    And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.

Cruel and sudden, hast thou since
Purpled thy nail in blood of innocence?
Wherein could this flea guilty be,
Except in that drop which it suck'd from thee?
Yet thou triumph'st, and say'st that thou
Find'st not thyself nor me the weaker now.
'Tis true ; then learn how false fears be ;
Just so much honour, when thou yield'st to me,
Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee.

跳蚤
看呀，这只跳蚤，叮在这里，
你对我的拒绝多么微不足道；
它先叮我，现在又叮你，
我们的血液在它体内溶和；
你知道这是不能言说的
罪恶、羞耻、贞操的丢失，
它没有向我们请求就得到享受，
饱餐了我们的血滴后大腹便便，
这种享受我们无能企及。

住手，一只跳蚤，三条生命啊，
它的身体不只是见证我们的婚约。
还是你和我，我们的婚床，婚姻的殿堂；
父母怨恨，你不情愿，我们还是相遇，
并躲藏在黝黑的有生命的墙院里。
尽管你会习惯地拍死跳蚤，
千万别，这会杀了我，也增加你的自杀之罪，
杀害三条生命会亵渎神灵。

多么残忍，你毫无犹豫
用无辜的鲜血染红自己的指甲？
它不过吸了你一滴血
罪不至死啊？
你却以胜利者的口吻说
你我并没有因失血而有些虚弱；
的确，担心不过是虚惊一场：
接受我的爱，
你的名誉不会有丝毫损失，
就象跳蚤之死不会让你的生命有所损失。