Don’t mourn your luck that’s failing now, work gone wrong, your plans all proving deceptive — don’t mourn them uselessly. As one long prepared, and graced with courage, say goodbye to her, the Alexandria that is leaving. Above all, don’t fool yourself, don’t say it was a dream, your ears deceived you: don’t degrade yourself with empty hopes like these.

What shall become of us without any barbarians? Those people were a kind of solution.

And if you can't shape your life the way you want, at least try as much as you can not to degrade it.

Have Ithaka always in your mind. Your arrival there is what you are destined for. But don't in the least hurry the journey.

Of what's to come the wise perceive things about to happen. Sometimes during moments of intense study their hearing's troubled: the hidden sound of things approaching reaches them, and they listen reverently, while in the street outside the people hear nothing whatsoever.

Body, remember not only how much you were loved, not only the beds you lay on, but also those desires glowing openly in eyes that looked at you, trembling for you in voices.

When you set out on your journey to Ithaca, pray that the road is long, full of adventure, full of knowledge.