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 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 wilt look,

　　Shall profit thee and much enrich thy book.

　　镜子将告诉你朱颜怎样消逝，

　　日规怎样一秒秒耗去你的华年;

　　这白纸所要记录的你的心迹

　　将教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坟墓;

　　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，把记忆所不能保留的东西

　　交给这张白纸，在那里面你将

　　看见你精神的产儿受到抚育，

　　使你重新认识你心灵的本相。

　　这些日课，只要你常拿来重温，

　　将有利于你，并丰富你的书本。