7

NOW is my love all ready forth to come,

Let all the virgins therefore well awayt,

And ye fresh boyes, that tend upon her groome

Prepare your selves, for he is comming strayt.

Set all your things in seemely good array

Fit for so joyfull day,

The joyfulst day that ever sunne did see.

Faire Sun, shew forth thy favourable ray,

Let thy lifull1 heat not fervent be

For feare of burning her sunshyny face,

Her beauty to disgrace2.

O fayrest Phoebus, father of the Muse3,

If ever I did honour thee aright,

Or sing the thing, that mote4 thy mind delight,

Doe not thy servants simple boone5 refuse,

But let this day, let this one day be myne,

Let all the rest be thine.

Then I thy soverayne prayses loud wil sing,

That all the woods shal answer, and theyr eccho ring.

注释：1.lifull：提神的。

2.disgrace：毁损，弄坏，弄糟。

3.Muse：斯宾塞通常情况下会同意公元前8世纪希腊诗人赫西奥德的说法，即将乔武视为文艺九缪斯的父亲。将阿波罗叫做她们的父亲可能说明斯宾塞受其他出处的影响，也有可能是因为斯宾塞有意修改传统的说法。

4.mote：可能。

5.boone：请求，恳求，恳请；要求，需要。