How do I love thee

  -  Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

    我如何爱你

- 伊丽莎白•勃朗宁夫人

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

my soul can reach,

when feeling out of sight

for the ends of Being and ideal Grace.

I love thee to the level of every day's

most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.

I love thee with a passion put to use

in my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

with my lost saints,

I love thee with the breath,

smiles, tears, of all my life!

and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.    

我怎样爱你？我来数一数：

我的爱的高和深和广远，

好像我灵魂飞到的九天与黄泉，

去探索生命的奥妙，和上帝的恩典。

我的爱，像一天里不间断的

生活中平静的需求 - 在白天，夜晚，

无条件地，我爱你，有如人类对正义的追求那么不勉强

纯洁地，我爱你，好似拒绝他人的奉承那般地纯洁 

强烈地，我爱你，和昔日剧痛与童年激情那样的强烈

我爱你，像似乎失去了的对往日偶像的那种热爱

我爱你，一切气息、眼泪和微笑，都是为了爱你

若上帝愿意，我的爱，唯有在我死后，才能够比现在还要深！