How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)

How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)

Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1806 - 1861

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 candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the 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.

黍黎释译

我怎样地爱你？让我逐一细算。

我爱你尽我的心灵所能及到的深邃、宽广、和高度

－－正象我探求玄冥中上帝的存在和深厚的神恩。

我爱你的程度，就象日光和烛焰下那每天不用说得的需要。

我不加思虑地爱你，就象男子们为正义而斗争；

我纯洁地爱你，象他们在赞美前低头。

我爱你以我童年的信仰；

我爱你以满怀热情，就象往日满腔的辛酸；

我爱你，抵得上那似乎随着消失的圣者而消逝的爱慕。

我爱你以我终生的呼吸，微笑和泪珠

－－假使是上帝的意旨，那么，我死了我还要更加爱你！

---

《How do I love thee》（我是多么爱你？）是一首著名的十四行爱情诗，由英国诗人伊丽莎白·芭蕾特·布朗宁(Robert Browning的妻子)所写，也是整个维多利亚时代最美丽的爱情商籁体诗，诗句表达了真爱和深爱。