I pondered rather deeply, examining it all,
the deeds of wise and righteous, are totally enthralled,
how all things that confront them are vanity and wind.
Their fate is not entwined with their virtue or their sin.
—–
For everything that happens, the fate of everyone,
begins and ends with evil and madness till we’re done.
A dog alive is better than lions that have died.
The living know death’s coming, it’s no use to deny.
—–
The dead are gone forever, their memory is lost.
Their love and hate and envy have vanished into dust.
What happens ‘mong the living, they’ll never touch again.
Their knowing came to nothing except the end of pain.
———-
Image: Allegory of Virtue and Vice (Veronese) 1581-1640, https://www.museodelprado.es/
Source: Ecclesiastes 9:1-6
Text: David Alexander, 2022 CC BY-SA NC 4.0
Tune: Es Flog Ein Kleins Waldvögelein : Public Domain
Score: https://www.smallchurchmusic.com/Score_PDF/FromAllTheWinds-EsFlog.pdf
Audio: www.smallchurchmusic.com Used by Permission
Aboksu 