They told me you had been to her,

and mentioned me to him:

She gave me a good character,

but said I could not swim.

 

He sent them word I had not gone

(We know it to be true):

If she should push the matter on,

what would become of you?

 

I gave her one, they gave him two,

you gave us three or more;

they all returned from him to you,

though they were mine before.

 

If I or she should chance to be

involved in this affair,

he trusts to you to set them free,

exactly as we were, 

 

My notion was that you had been,

 (Before she had this fit)

an obstacle that came between Him, 

and ourselves and it.

 

Don't let him know she liked them best,

for this must ever be.

A secret, kept from all the rest,

between yourself and me.

 

他們告訴我，你先是對她，

然後又對他談到了我：

她對我大加讚譽，

但卻說我不會游泳。

 

他讓他們捎話，說我沒去

(我們知道確實如此)：

假如她接著幹下去，

你又會變成什麼樣子？

 

我給她一個，他們給他一雙，

你給我們三個或更多；

它們都從他那裡歸於你手，

儘管它們原本屬於我。

 

假如我和她竟然捲入

這種事情，

他請你給與解脫，

就跟我們過去一樣，

 

我的想法就是你那樣子，

(就在她寫下這段之前)

你在他和我們之間，

早已成了難越的屏障。

 

切勿告訴他，她最喜歡他們，

這必須永遠是個秘密。

也切勿告訴其他人，

只在你我之間。