Thy glass will show thee how thy beauties wear,
Thy dial how thy precious minutes waste;
The vacant leaves thy mind's imprint1 will bear,
And of this book this learning mayst thou taste.
The wrinkles which thy glass will truly show
Of mouthed graves will give thee memory;
Thou by thy dial's shady stealth mayst know
Time's thievish progress to eternity2.
Look, what thy memory can not contain
Commit to these waste blanks, and thou shalt find
Those children nursed, deliver'd from thy brain,
To take a new acquaintance of thy mind.
These offices, so oft as thou wilt3 look,
Shall profit thee and much enrich thy book.镜子将对你说朱颜如何消逝，
日规如何一秒秒耗去你的华年；
这白纸所要记录的你的心迹
将告诉你细细玩味下面的教言。
你的镜子所忠实反映的皱纹
将令你记起那张开口的墓地；
从日规上阴影的潜移你将认清，
时光走向永劫的悄悄的脚步。
看，把记忆所不可以保留的东西
交给这张白纸，在那里面你将
看见你精神的产儿遭到抚育，
使你重新认识你心灵的本相。
这类日课，只须你常拿来重温，
或有利于你，并丰富你的书本。