My Sweetest Lesbia

Thomas Campion

My sweetest Lesbia, let us live and love,

And though the sager sort our deeds reprove,

Let us not weigh them.

Heaven’s great lamps do dive

Into their west, and straight again revive,

But soon as once set is our little light,

Then must we sleep one ever-during night.

If all would lead their lives in love like me,

Then bloody swords and armor should not be;

No drum nor trumpet peaceful sleeps should move,

Unless alarm came from the camp of love.

But fools do live, and waste their little light,

And seek with pain their ever-during night.

When timely death my life and fortune ends,

Let not my hearse be vexed with mourning friends,

But let all lovers, rich in triumph, come

And with sweet pastimes grace my happy tomb;

And Lesbia, close up thou my little light,

And crown with love my ever-during night.

親愛的萊絲比亞

托馬斯?坎皮恩

親愛的萊絲比亞，

不要理會正人君子的責怪;

你我活在世上，

就是為了相愛。

照亮大地的太陽匆匆西墜，

夜晚過后總會重現光彩;

但是愛的微光一旦隕落，

我們將長夜永眠不再醒來。

如果世人都像我一樣有愛，

那人間就不會遭受戰火兵災;

沒有戰鼓號角攪擾寧靜的睡夢，

只有愛的海洋濤聲彭湃。

可是世上總有愚人，

寧愿將愛的微光毀壞;

他們苦苦追求，

想要長夜永眠不再醒來。

當我在人間的行程到時做好安排，

參加葬禮的朋友不必悲哀;

讓充滿愛心的人們來慶賀勝利，

讓我的墳頭只有休閑歡快;

還有萊絲比亞，

我心中的最愛，

將我的微光最后收起，

讓愛伴我長夜永眠不再醒來。