1. Time has taken the youth and innocence away,
My tears flowed down my cheeks.

2. I prepared myself for the days yet to come,
While my brethren passed away into death.

3. My heart is like the wings of a bird.
Tomorrow, I must face the bitterness of fate.

4. When I socialize with people,
The ruler is a master in taking, a slave in giving.

5. He asks people for favors yet grants them nothing.
His only concern is to take without realizing it.

6. A brother with a graceful disposition asked me
About my two companions, implying they're unequal.

7. I said one is a pig, the other a watchful dog.
The first is like people, the second has a loud bark.

8. Take the dog for what he has to offer.
He scares away the thief and guards the ruins.

9. Few are those whose fathers were virtuous
And whose mothers were praised.

10. Approach me, you will find me a true friend,
Generous when asked for advice.

11. I see you journeying through life endlessly,
Without rest, entertainment or song.

12. Leave this world and live in its shade.
Seeking worldly things brings nothing but harm.

13. Sometimes, provision comes without effort,
While the hard worker returns empty handed.

14. The demise of a person is caused by his own evil.
Few are those spared from the evil of demise.

15. People see me as a lion.
They say so deliberately, guided by their wisdom.

16. Be content with the portions the Distributor gives you.
A person perishes then becomes nothing but dust.

17. Oh you who suffers, be satisfied with your provision.
How little suffices you in your prolonged grief!

18. The soul finds peace when you make it feel secure.
The cure for worries is wine and music.

19. Begging suits the son of a shabby woman.
Brushing one's teeth is forbidden except after meals.