Thy glass will show thee how thy beauties wear,
Thy dial how thy precious minutes waste;
The vacant leaves thy mind's imprint 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 eternity.
Look what thy memory cannot contain,
Commit to these waste blanks, and thou shalt find
Those children nursed, deliver'd from thy brain,
These offices, so oft as thou wilt look,
Shall profit thee and much enrich thy book.
翻译：
镜像会告诉你，红颜如何老去，
日晷如何消耗你，珍贵的英年；
纸页将记录下，你心灵的轨迹，
这里面所含学问，值得你把玩；
镜里将真实显示，敞口的墓穴，
那些皱纹会给你，这样的理念；
从日晷阴影的潜移，你就知道，
时光是如何悄然，行进至永远；
有什么是，你记忆无法保留的，
交给这些日志，让你以后翻看；
这些管护你大脑记忆的，纸页，
会像久违春风，吹进你的心田。
这些日常事务，若是司空见惯；
将会极大添加、丰富你的书典。
