The blossoms of our youth will fade,
To be replaced by fruits of our work on Earth;
In time those too shall rot, and we will rot with them,
As corpses in the ground must.
Yet life is not to be forgotten as a dream,
But to be cherished as the only chance to win.
To win not kingdoms or the love of men,
But that which is called wisdom by the wise.
To suffer with the world its days of life,
Know its pleasures and its pains as your own.

The seven deadly days stand at my door,
And every breath comes with a pain in my heart,
But there comes a time when blades no longer cut,
When leaves fall freely from the tree of life.
Wake up, eat of your food, and drink another's wine,
Give lies, steal, and sleep well at night.
To live so simply when one must die to me is good,
To live so well when one knows death to me is wisdom.

Wake up yourself, and see truth before you,
Think of yourself and of your thoughts;
Then, think of another's loves and hatreds.
Give teaching, even when you cannot teach a fool,
Take all that can be taken from a moment,
And when time comes, leave content.

What other teaching can you ask of this young fool, my love?
I can but fill my belly, dream and ....
To me, the words I said are sweet and wise,
Each ringing as a golden bell;
But truth is far above these empty words,
As stars are above our sinful Earth.
My one, in you I see the many,
I see the way, I see the truth.
So, teaching I will lay aside,
To lay a while by your side.