英文
VIII
Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly?
Sweets with sweets war not, joy delights in joy.
Why lov'st thou that which thou receiv'st not gladly,
Or else receiv'st with pleasure thine annoy?
If the true concord of well-tuned sounds,
By unions married, do offend thine ear,
They do but sweetly chide thee, who confounds
In singleness the parts that thou shouldst bear.
Mark how one string, sweet husband to another,
Strikes each in each by mutual ordering;
Resembling sire and child and happy mother
Who, all in one, one pleasing note do sing;
Whose speechless song being many, seeming one,
Sings this to thee: “Thou single wilt prove none.”
中文
8
你犹如音乐，为何闻乐悲怀？
甜不与甜对峙，笑乐在笑中，
招你不快之物，你因何而爱？
你因何乐意接受你的哀痛？
如果各种音符配合在一起，
构成和谐，反而让你不快活，
这音符定会对你婉言指斥，
怪你因独身而将职分推脱。
一根弦与另一根，犹如夫妻，
听，它们应和时何等的谐和；
父亲、孩子和母亲，也是如此，
三者合为一体，才唱出好歌。
他们无词的歌都异口同声
对你唱：“独身只会断绝生命。”
