On the Trial of Death and its Various Occurrences

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A single, dreadful law presses upon all mortals:
Death comes swiftly—uncertain in time yet not to be escaped.Volume 41 of the Opera Omnia reads "metuenda" (to be feared). However, older copies such as the Tractatus de arte bene vivendi beneque moriendi read "fugienda" (to be escaped), which is a better logical fit given the rest of the poem.

The rising and traveling sun bestows life;
And likewise, when it sets, it brings to nothing that which was nothing before.

Thus it gives, and thus it takes—repeatedly it extends and withdraws;
All things given by the circling sun, it takes away of its own accord.

For those born of woman, the law is set: to exist, but also to depart;
Nothing under the sun is fixed to endure.

For those born of woman, going alone step by step along the path,
Treacherous death is our companion, striving to ensnare us.

Death, gnawing all things, watches over our steps,
And it does not let any moving thing in this world exist for long.

Every day we fall; in living, the sisters' threadReference to the Three Fates of Greek mythology. is often worn down,
With hostile Atropos severing it.

One death comes naturally, another by accident;
A single life carries a thousand means of death.

As a ship on the sea is tossed about by countless surges,
So is life carried off, troubled by various evils:

By waves or disease, by flames, slaughter, poison, or war;Literally, "Mars," the Roman god of war.
Hunger, heat, cold, and anxiety all bring harm.

Who then, amid such great perils, could say "I shall be alive tomorrow,"
When one sees how often death seems to cruelly strike?

It is not right, as I see it, to place confidence in untrustworthy life,
In which there is no guarantee, except the certainty of death.

Imagine that you behold someone dying, yet you grumble:
For you are called to a similar punishment someday.

Imagine that you behold a body gnawed by worms:
Behold, that affliction is coming for you with the same bite.

Indeed, a terrible scourge is this whole shortening of days,
In which the one same toil and sorrow will overwhelm you.

All that comes into existence follows the earth and returns to its source;
The flower wilts, the shadow flees, all that is born perishes.

I consider nothing long that is confined by an uncertain end;
Perhaps tomorrow is the last day for me.

Brief is this present day, for perhaps it is the boundary of my life—
Alas! A day to be feared.

And also a dreadful day, since the time for earning meritLatin: "meta merendi." is closed to me:
That day—a terrible or joyful day.

Alas! Whoever thinks his days are long is mistaken.
For no one is a full day of life secure.

In vain do I say "days." Let no mention be made of days,
Since no day stands firm, nor is there a single hour of rest.

Extend the hope of long life as it pleases you;
From nothingness, it will soon return to nothing, and profits nothing.

There have been thousands of men, thousands upon thousands;
Their bodies rotted in the earth, their fame left without a name.

But it remains to receive a suitable, merited reward:
The best for virtues, and suffering for vices.

Behold the fearful judgment before so great a Judge
Who takes note—and that dreadful day will come.

Therefore be anxious, be afraid, collect yourself, set your mind in order;
Live prepared to die, make ready to receive your just recompense.

While it is allowed and length of life is given, relinquish these things
For the heavenly homeland, where the day is without end.
The course of that day is not like this day.
God Himself is that day, our final rest.