1. By Your life, this world is no abode to stay
Death's abode suffices as the home to decay

2. So love not this world, my brother, for you see
The world's lover tried with utmost suffering

3. Its sweetness mixed with bitterness
Its comfort mixed with misery

4. So walk not a day fancily bedecked
When you were made of clay and water

5. How few accept from God with gratitude
How few accept His judgement and find peace

6. Great bounties God on us bestowed
Great kindness, grace, and gifts He did endow

7. Nor is time one day unchanging in its course
Nor are the youth's days everquite the same

8. Now a day of woe and hardship,
Now a day of joy and ease

9. Nor do I gain from what I did not hope
Nor attains all I hoped or wished to gain

10. Wondrous is time's caprice and guile
Time's caprice did all ties of kinship mar

11. Time's caprice all bonds did sever
Time's caprice all clarity did blur

12. When a friend slips to non-existence
His remoteness and distance pain me ever

13. Graves of nobles I visit, no glory lies there
Once lords of grace, all honour dies there

14. Each a cousin did befriend, now aloof
Each an intimate, now uncouth

15. I sought, but no escape from death found I
All cures fail against mortality

16. The youth's soul joys in his growth
But all growth leads to decay

17. Many ransomed were not saved
No kinsman their freedom paid

18. Before you two abodes, O man of regret
One permanence and bliss, the other sorrow and upset

19. You're made for one of two ends, so do not sleep
But between hope and fear your vigil keep

20. Mankind bears evil, else no company they'd share
But God cloaked it in gowns for them to wear