Sonnet 20

IN vaine I seeke and sew^[1] to her for grace,

And doe myne humbled hart before her poure:

The whiles her foot she in my necke doth place,

And tread my life downe in the lowly floure^[2].

And yet the lyon, that is lord of powre,

And reigneth ouer euery beast in field:

In his most pride disdeigneth to devoure

The silly lambe that to his might doth yield^[3].

But she, more cruell and more saluage wylde,

Then either lyon or the lyonesse:

Shames not^[4] to be with guiltlesse bloud defylde,

But taketh glorie in her cruelnesse.

Fayrer then fairest, let none euer say,

That ye were blooded in a yeelded pray^[5].

[1] sew:請(qǐng)求。

[2] floure:地板，地面。

[3] yield:以前人們認(rèn)為獅子是高尚的動(dòng)物。戀人把自己比作傻乎乎的羔羊。

[4] not:不害臊的。

[5] pray:只有糟糕的捕獵者才會(huì)殺死一個(gè)已經(jīng)投降的獵物。