The righteous and the wise are in God's keeping; Love and hatred cannot be predicted from the road. One event comes to righteous and to wicked, To the clean and unclean, faithful and profane. A living dog is better than a dead lion; The living know that death will come. The dead no longer share the work beneath the sun; Their earthly memory fades from human thought. Go, eat your bread with gratitude and gladness; Drink your wine with a joyful heart. Wear clean garments, let your head be honored; Receive the person whom you love throughout your days. Whatever work is placed within your hands, Do it fully while your strength remains. There is no labor, planning, skill, or knowledge In the grave toward which our bodies move. The race is not secured by those most rapid; The battle is not always won by strength. Bread does not always reach the wisest, Nor riches only those who understand. Time and circumstance can meet us without warning, Like fish caught suddenly within a net. A poor wise man once saved a little city, Yet afterward the city forgot his name. Wisdom is better than weapons or power, Though one sinner can destroy much good.