The Flea
           -- 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.

 
注意观察这只跳蚤，就会看到
你对我的拒绝显得多么渺小；
它首先吮吸我的血液，然后轮到你，
于是我们的血液在它的体内融为一体。
你知道，这根本谈不上是一种罪孽，
也不是羞耻或是失去少女的贞洁。
然而它没有求婚就尽情享受,
身体膨胀，对合而为一的血液过于迁就，
这一点啊，比我们的行为更胜一筹。

哦，停手，别伤害一只跳蚤中的三条性命，
我们在它体内几乎享受着比婚后更多的温情。
这只跳蚤就是你和我的共同形象，
这是我们的婚床和婚礼的殿堂；
尽管父母反对，你也不愿，我们依然相融，
并且隐居在黑玉色的活生生的墙壁之中。
尽管出于习惯你具有将我谋杀的用心，
可也不要再增添自杀和亵渎神灵
以及谋杀三条性命的三种罪行。

既然用无辜的血液将你的指甲染红，
这是一种多么残忍的出人意料的行动？
这只跳蚤究竟犯了什么样的罪孽，
无非是从你的身上吮吸了一滴血液？
而且你也以胜利者的口吻说过
你发现你我现在都没有变得更弱。
的确如此，那么，惧怕就显得毫无必要，
屈从于我，你的名誉也不会损失丝毫。
否则就虚度年华，如跳蚤之死也将你生命消耗。