Thy glass will show thee how thy beauties wear,
镜子会向你昭示衰减的风韵，
Thy dial how thy precious minutes waste;
日幕会向你指出飞逝的青春，
The vacant leaves thy mind's imprint will bear,
这空白册页留有你心灵的轨迹，
And of this book this learning mayst thou taste.
你会从中细味妙谛相伴的人生。
The wrinkles which thy glass will truly show
镜里的皱纹丝丝，可数可辨，
Of mouthed graves will give thee memory;
让你时时记得开口的墓门。
Thou by thy dial's shady stealth mayst know
凭借日晷你心知星横斗转，
Time's thievish progress to eternity.
世间的脚步正蹒跚地走向永恒。
Look, what thy memory can not contain
看，凡不能长驻你头脑的东西，
Commit to these waste blanks, and thou shalt find
都可以在这些空白的纸上留存。
Those children nursed, deliver'd from thy brain,
你会看到你头脑哺育出的儿女，
To take a new acquaintance of thy mind.
又再次魂交你自已的心灵。
These offices, so oft as thou wilt look,
你若能常对明镜看日晷、写心声，
Shall profit thee and much enrich thy book.
自会受益匪浅，这手册也价值倍增。
