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Tão rápido quanto cresces, assim fenecerás
Em um dos teus de quem te despedes;
E o sangue novo que aos mais novos concedes
Poderás chamar de teu quando deixares a juventude.
Aqui reside a sabedoria, a beleza e o progresso;
Sem isto, há loucura, velhice e decrepitude.
Se todos se importassem, o tempo cessaria,
E em três tempos do mundo ele se despediria.
Deixemos aqueles que a Natureza não preservou,
Duros, amorfos e rudes, morrer sem filhos.
Àqueles a quem ela concedeu a graça, deu mais ainda;
Cujo presente abundante mais deverias prezar;
Ela te esculpiu como símbolo e, por isso,
Mais deverias produzir para não feneceres.

 

As fast as thou shalt wane, so fast thou growest
In one of thine, from that which thou departest;
And that fresh blood which youngly thou bestow’st
Thou mayst call thine when thou from youth convertest.
Herein lives wisdom, beauty and increase:
Without this, folly, age and cold decay:
If all were minded so, the times should cease
And threescore year would make the world away.
Let those whom Nature hath not made for store,
Harsh featureless and rude, barrenly perish:
Look, whom she best endow’d she gave the more;
Which bounteous gift thou shouldst in bounty cherish:
She carved thee for her seal, and meant thereby
Thou shouldst print more, not let that copy die.

Notes

wane (1): decline; age.

one of thine (2): a child.

youngly (3): in your youth.

convertest (4): change.

Herein (5): In marriage and children.

threescore year (8): sixty years.

would make the world away (9): would be the end of the world (due to lack of population).

for store (9): for breeding.

barrenly (10): without children.