The imagination of the poetess that your beauty is, and in the end, your poems will so accurately reflect the world that they will be mistaken for reality. By leaving markers of your own hand of who you are, you will live in honor forever in the memory of all men. Those of our time who have supported you will then appear as scholars, and those who have not as foolish or envious. However, I do not advise you to describe yourself, to tell of your beauty, your merits and all the rare qualities that are within you. No, I do not wish to impose such a thing on your modesty. Poetry has many more privileges. You will not need to talk about yourself to make yourself known to posterity. You just need to speak eloquently, and you will be fully known. Yes, Erinna, even if you use your pen only to criticize the ills of our time, encouragement will not be lacking. Consider again how weak and fleeting is the reputation based on beauty. Among this infinite number of beautiful women who undoubtedly lived in the centuries before our own, we have heard of only two or three at most. 
     
     And yet, in those same centuries, we see the glory of many men solidly attested by the writings they have left us. Erinna, make sure that time, old age and death only take roses from you and do not rob all your beauty. Triumph over these enemies that threaten all beautiful things. Show yourself capable of supporting the glory of femininity. Make it recognized to our common opponents that it is as easy for us to defeat them with the strength of our mind as with the beauty of our eyes. Display your judgment by despising the nonsense that customs could spread on your initiative. Offer to the whole world the beautiful works of your imagination, the noble exploits of your mind, the great results of your memory and the beautiful markers of your judgment. You alone have the advantage of restoring the glory of all women. So do not neglect my words, for if you refuse to follow me and you place all your glory in your beauty, you will weep in your lifetime the loss of that beauty. You will be spoken of as if you had lived in another age, and you will then realize that I was right to tell you today what I thought I had already expressed before in some of my verses:

                                          The lilies, the carnations, the roses,
                                      Their brightness rests in your eyes,
                                            But all this will fade,
                                 And you, completely, will be forgotten,
                   Unless, to defeat Fate and Destiny,
                        You embrace learning, an immortal shield.

                   
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