1. If you wake up from a night without committing grave sins
Then do not fret over minor faults, my friend

2. Your neighbor's insults cannot harm you
If he reviles you for trivial things

3. Watch your words before those who walk away
For you cannot take back what you have uttered

4. Like an archer cannot reclaim an arrow he shot
Once it has flown beyond his grasp

5. If you oppose people, always be on guard
No good comes from being unwatchful

6. Who does not compromise in many matters
Will be bitten by fangs and trampled under hooves

7. You see people as creations, but eyes have their share
And none can grasp the intricacies of things

8. Like the water of the sea, its taste you cannot stand
Yet its sight makes every onlooker marvel

9. A man of virtue and wisdom walks erect
Not forceful among the people, but upright

10. An eyelid worn by lengthy wakefulness
Blinks slowly like one with severed veins

11. He lives with his eyes, not grasping what is beyond reach
Like one chasing birds upon his feet

12. Waging war without wealth, like one boldly diving
Into the sea without skill as a swimmer

13. Seeking affection from one who does not love him
Like one who makes excuses without cause

14. Offering excuses, he is blamed
Like a trustee who cannot provide in plenty

15. When traveling, mind your praise, and know
That flattery from riders is a passenger's share

16. Oblige their requests, and say you ransom
Yourself for those who scorn the unkempt

17. If you have wealth, use it to do good
And lift the name of those in graves

18. For I have seen wealth perish, while its name lasts
Like shade that protects from the raging heat