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The Chart

Behold the chart where
the winds and ports and all the shores are marked!
Merchants and pirates both go by sea:
the first for profit and the second for booty.
And in a flash they are rich or ruined—
sometimes even overnight,
since nothing can be so devastating
to us as Fortune at sea.

The Guide

With the star of the compass tempered
by a magnet to point north,
[sailors] can see precisely where the prow of the ship points:
and if it goes off-course,
the helmsman can straighten it every time
if he steers with a sound mind.
He stands above at the stern to command
the way they should go, from point to point.

The Sails

They pull the rigging lower or higher
depending on whether the wind is temperate or strong.
When it switches from one wind to another,
there must be sharp-witted people
to turn [the ship]: if they make a mistake
they may suddenly be in danger of death.
When sailing, it is necessary
above all to be swift and vigilant.