Vreme trece, vreme vine,
Toate-s vechi si noua toate;
Ce e rau si ce e bine
Tu te-ntreaba si socoate;
Nu spera si nu ai teama,
Ce e val, ca valul trece;
De te-ndeamna, de te cheama'
Tu ramii la toate rece.

Multe trec pe dinainte,
In auz ne suna multe,
Cine tine toate minte
Si ar sta sa le asculte?...
Tu aseaza-te deoparte,
Regasindu-te pe tine,
Cind cu zgomote desarte
Vreme trece, vreme vine.

Nici incline a ei limba
Recea cumpan-a gindirii
Inspre clipa ce se schimba
Pentru masca fericirii,
Ce din moartea ei se naste
Si o clipa tine poate;
Pentru cine o cunoaste
Toate-s vechi si noua toate.

Privitor ca la teatru
Tu in lume sa te-nchipui;
Joace unul si pe patru,
Totusi tu ghici-vei chipu-i,
Si de plinge, de se cearta,
Tu in colt petreci in tine
Si-ntelegi din a lor arta
Ce e rau si ce e bine.

Viitorul si trecutul
Sunt a filei doua fete,
Vede-n capat inceputul
Cine stie sa le-nvete;
Tot ce-a fost ori o sa fie
In prezent le-avem pe toate
Dar de-a lor zadarnicie
Te intreaba si socoate.

Caci acelorasi mijloace
Se supun cite exista,
Si de mii de ani incoace
Lumea-i vesela si trista;
Alte masti, aceeasi piesa,
Alte guri, aceeasi gama,
Amagit atit de-adese
Nu spera si nu ai teama.

Nu spera cind vezi miseii
La izbinda facind punte,
Te-or intrece nataraii,
De ai fi cu stea in frunte;
Teama n-ai, cata-vor iarasi
Intre dinsii sa se plece,
Nu te prinde lor tovaras:
Ce e val, ca valul trece.

Cu un cintec de sirena,
Lumea-ntinde lucii mreje;
Ca sa schimbe-actorii-n scena,
Te momeste in virteje;
Tu pe-alaturi te stercoara,
Nu baga nici chiar de seama,
Din cararea ta afara
De te-ndeamna, de te cheama.

De te-ating, sa feri in laturi,
De hulesc, sa taci din gura;
Ce mai vrei cu-a tale sfaturi
Daca stii a lor masura;
Zica toti ce-or vrea sa zica,
Treaca-n lume cine-o trece;
Ca sa nu-ndragesti nimica,
Tu ramii la toate rece.

Tu ramii la toate rece,
De te-ndeamna, de te cheama;
Ce e val, ca valul trece,
Nu spera si nu ai teama;
Tu te-ntreaba si socoate
Ce e rau si ce e bine;
Toate-s vechi si noua toate:
Vreme trece, vreme vine.

Glossa

Time goes by, time comes along,
All is old and all is new;
What is right and what is wrong,
You must think and ask of you;
Have no hope and have no fear,
Waves that rise can never hold;
If they urge or if they cheer,
You remain aloof and cold.

To our sight a lot will glisten,
Many sounds will reach our ear;
Who could take the time to listen
And remember all we hear?
Keep aside from all that patter,
Seek yourself, far from the throng
When with loud and idle clatter
Time goes by, time comes along.

Nor forget the tongue of reason
Or its even scales depress
When the moment, changing season,
Wears the mask of happiness -
It is born of reason's slumber
And may last a wink as true:
For the one who knows its number
All is old and all is new.

Be as to a play, spectator,
As the world unfolds before:
You will know the heart of matter
Should they act two parts or four;
When they cry or tear asunder
From your seat enjoy along
And you'll learn from art to wonder
What is right and what is wrong.

Past and future, ever blending,
Are the twin sides of same page:
New start will begin with ending
When you know to learn from age;
All that was or be tomorrow
We have in the present, too;
But what's vain and futile sorrow
You must think and ask of you;

For the living cannot sever
From the means we've always had:
Now, as years ago, and ever,
Men are happy or are sad:
Other masks, same play repeated;
Diff'rent tongues, same words to hear;
Of your dreams so often cheated,
Have no hope and have no fear.

Hope not when the villains cluster
By success and glory drawn:
Fools with perfect lack of luster
Will outshine Hyperion!
Fear it not, they'll push each other
To reach higher in the fold,
Do not side with them as brother,
Waves that rise can never hold.

Sounds of siren songs call steady
Toward golden nets, astray;
Life attracts you into eddies
To change actors in the play;
Steal aside from crowd and bustle,
Do not look, seem not to hear
From your path, away from hustle,
If they urge or if they cheer;

If they reach for you, go faster,
Hold your tongue when slanders yell;
Your advice they cannot master,
Don't you know their measure well?
Let them talk and let them chatter,
Let all go past, young and old;
Unattached to man or matter,
You remain aloof and cold.

You remain aloof and cold
If they urge or if they cheer;
Waves that rise can never hold,
Have no hope and have no fear;
You must think and ask of you
What is right and what is wrong;
All is old and all is new,
Time goes by, time comes along.

Gloss

Time will come and time will fly,
All is old, but new in kind;
What is right and what is wry
You should ponder in your mind;
Don't be Hope's or Terror's thrall;
Wave-like things like waves shall pass;
Should they urge or should they call,
Keep as cool as ice or glass.

Many sounds our ears will touch,
Much - before our eyes - will glisten;
Who can bear in mind so much
And to all is fain to listen?
Finding your own self anew
You should loftily stand by,
Even though with vain ado
Time will come and time will fly.

Nor should reason's icy scales
Bend their needle, out of measure,
To'ards the moment with swift sails
Fleetingly disguised as pleasure,
Which is born out of its knell,
- Just for moments, you may find;
To whoever knows it well,
All is old, but new in kind.

In the world's dramatic show,
Deem yourself a looker-on:
Should some men feign joy or woe,
Their true face you'll read anon;
Should they weep or insults dart-
Inwardly rejoicing, lie,
Sifting out from all their art
What is right and what is wry.

Both the future and the past
Are but sides of the same page;
In beginnings, ends are cast
For whoever can be sage;
All that was or e'er will be
In the present we can find;
But as to its vanity,
You should ponder in your mind.

For no matter what appears
By the same means will be swirled.
And for many thousand years,
Mirth and grief have ruled the world;
Other masks - the play's the same;
Other lips - the same tune all;
Duped too often, you keep game:
Don't be Hope's or Terror's thrall.

Have no hope if rogues you see
Soft tongued when victorious;
Fools may top your apogee -
Though you be most glorious;
Never fear, they'll try again
One another to outclass;
Hurry not to join them then;
Wave-like things like waves shall pass.

Siren songs - meant to encage -
Are the nets the world unfurls;
Just to change the cast on stage
It will lure you into whirls;
From temptations stay away;
You should never heed at all
Those who'd lead your ship astray
Should they urge or should they call.

Give their touch a wide, wide birth;
Hold your tongue if they blaspheme;
Since you know what they are worth,
What could your advise redeem?
Let them say whate'er they like:
Never mind whom they surpass;
Lest you should endear some tyke,
Keep as cool as ice or glass.

Keep as cool as ice or glass,
Should they urge or should they call;
Wave-like things like waves shall pass,
Don't be Hope's or Terror's thrall;
You should ponder in your mind
What is right and what is wry;
All is old, but new in kind;
Time will come and time will fly.