When I have seen by Time's fell hand defaced

当我看到时间的毒手损毁了

The rich proud cost of outworn buried age,

那久远尘封年代的富贵堂皇，

When sometime lofty towers I see down-razed

看到昔日巍峨的塔楼都已倾颓，

And brass eternal slave to mortal rage;

不朽的铜也屈服于致命的凶狂；

When I have seen the hungry ocean gain

Advantage on the kingdom of the shore,

当我看到贪得无厌的海洋

And the firm soil win of the wat'ry main,

侵吞着岸上的王国的领地，

Increasing store with loss, and loss with store;

坚强的土壤也向海域扩张，

When I have seen such interchange of state,

有得也有失，有损也有益；

Or state itself confounded to decay,

Ruin hath taught me thus to ruminate,

当我看到这反复更迭的世势，

That Time will come and take my love away.

甚或这世界本身都沦落消陨，

  This thought is as a death, which cannot choose

废墟的教训使我这样去深思：

  But weep to have that which it fears to lose.

时间终将前来带走我的爱人。

想到这好似死亡，不由我舍取，

只能泣怜着所有，唯恐会失去。