XCIX

The forward violet thus did I chide:

“Sweet thief, whence didst thou steal thy sweet that smells,

If not from my love's breath? The purple pride

Which on thy soft cheek for complexion dwells

In my love's veins thou hast too grossly dyed.”

The lily I condemned for thy hand,

And buds of marjoram had stol'n thy hair;

The roses fearfully on thorns did stand,

One blushing shame, another white despair;

A third, nor red nor white, had stol'n of both,

And to his robbery had annexed thy breath;

But, for his theft, in pride of all his growth

A vengeful canker ate him up to death.

More flowers I noted, yet I none could see

But sweet or color it had stol'n from thee.

99[1]

我如此斥责傲慢的紫罗兰：

“若不是偷自我爱人的呼吸，

好贼子，你哪来如此的香妍？

留驻你嫩颊上的那抹艳丽

一定浸染过我爱人的血液。”

我还谴责百合盗取你的手，

墨角兰已对你的须发行劫；

刺茎上的玫瑰在瑟瑟颤抖，

红的由于害羞，白的因绝望。

不红不白的，贼手伸得更远，

而且偷盗了你呼出的气息；

正当它蓬勃而生，得意非凡，

蛀虫出来报仇，置它于死地。

　　世间美艳的鲜花，可谓多多，

　　不盗你而具香色，我未见过。

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[1] 这首诗有十五行，押韵格式是“ababa cdcd efef gg”。