For they have said, reasoning with themselves, but not right: The time of our life is short and tedious, and in the end of a man there is no remedy, and no man hath been known to have returned from hell:

Reason they offer, yet reason all amiss. Their hearts tell them, So brief our time here, so full of discomfort, and death brings no remedy! Never a man yet made good his title to have come back from the grave!

Dixerunt enim cogitantes apud se non recte: Exiguum et cum tædio est tempus vitæ nostræ, et non est refrigerium in fine hominis, et non est qui agnitus sit reversus ab inferis.

For we are born of nothing, and after this we shall be as if we had not been: for the breath in our nostrils is smoke: and speech a spark to move our heart,

Whence came we, none can tell; and it will be all one hereafter whether we lived or no. What is our breath, but a passing vapour; what is our reason, but a spark that sets the brain whirling?

Quia ex nihilo nati sumus, et post hoc erimus tamquam non fuerimus. Quoniam fumus flatus est in naribus nostris, et sermo scintilla ad commovendum cor nostrum:

Which being put out, our body shall be ashes, and our spirit shall be poured abroad as soft air, and our life shall pass away as the trace of a cloud, and shall be dispersed as a mist, which is driven away by the beams of the sun, and overpowered with the heat thereof:

Quench that spark, and our body is turned to ashes; like a spent sigh, our breath is wasted on the air; like the cloud-wrack our life passes away, unsubstantial as the mist yonder sun disperses with its ray, bears down with its heat.

qua extincta, cinis erit corpus nostrum, et spiritus diffundetur tamquam mollis aër; et transibit vita nostra tamquam vestigium nubis, et sicut nebula dissolvetur quæ fugata est a radiis solis, et a calore illius aggravata.

And our name in time shall be forgotten, and no man shall have any remembrance of our works.

Time will surely efface our memory, and none will mark the record of our doings.

Et nomen nostrum oblivionem accipiet per tempus, et nemo memoriam habebit operum nostrorum.

For our time is as the passing of a shadow, and there is no going back of our end: for it is fast sealed, and no man returneth.

Only a passing shadow, this life of ours, and from its end there is no returning; the doom is sealed, and there is no acquittal.

Umbræ enim transitus est tempus nostrum, et non est reversio finis nostri: quoniam consignata est, et nemo revertitur.

Come therefore, and let us enjoy the good things that are present, and let us speedily use the creatures as in youth.

Come then (they say), let us enjoy pleasure, while pleasure is ours; youth does not last, and creation is at our call;

Venite ergo, et fruamur bonis quæ sunt, et utamur creatura tamquam in juventute celeriter.

Let us fill ourselves with costly wine, and ointments: and let not the flower of the time pass by us.

of rich wine and well spiced take we our fill. Spring shall not cheat us of her blossoming;

Vino pretioso et unguentis nos impleamus, et non prætereat nos flos temporis.

Let us crown ourselves with roses, before they be withered: let no meadow escape our riot.

crown we our heads with roses ere they wither; be every meadow the scene of our wanton mirth.

Coronemus nos rosis antequam marcescant; nullum pratum sit quod non pertranseat luxuria nostra:

Let none of us go without his part in luxury: let us everywhere leave tokens of joy: for this is our portion, and this our lot.

Share we the revels all alike, leave traces everywhere of our joyous passing; no part or lot have we but this.

nemo nostrum exsors sit luxuriæ nostræ. Ubique relinquamus signa lætitiæ, quoniam hæc est pars nostra, et hæc est sors.

Let us oppress the poor just man, and not spare the widow, nor honour the ancient grey hairs of the aged.

Helpless innocence shall lie at our mercy; not for us to spare the widow, to respect the venerable head, grown white with years.

Opprimamus pauperem justum, et non parcamus viduæ, nec veterani revereamur canos multi temporis:

But let our strength be the law of justice: for that which is feeble, is found to be nothing worth.

Might shall be our right, weakness count for proof of worthlessness.

sit autem fortitudo nostra lex justitiæ; quod enim infirmum est, inutile invenitur.

Let us therefore lie in wait for the just, because he is not for our turn, and he is contrary to our doings, and upbraideth us with transgressions of the law, and divulgeth against us the sins of our way of life.

Where is he, the just man? We must plot to be rid of him; he will not lend himself to our purposes. Ever he must be thwarting our plans; transgress we the law, he is all reproof, depart we from the traditions of our race, he denounces us.

Circumveniamus ergo justum, quoniam inutilis est nobis, et contrarius est operibus nostris, et improperat nobis peccata legis, et diffamat in nos peccata disciplinæ nostræ.

He boasteth that he hath the knowledge of God, and calleth himself the son of God.

What, would he claim knowledge of divine secrets, give himself out as the son of God?

Promittit se scientiam Dei habere, et filium Dei se nominat.

He is become a censurer of our thoughts.

The touchstone, he, of our inmost thoughts;

Factus est nobis in traductionem cogitationum nostrarum.

He is grievous unto us, even to behold: for his life is not like other men’s, and his ways are very different.

we cannot bear the very sight of him, his life so different from other men’s, the path he takes, so far removed from theirs!

Gravis est nobis etiam ad videndum, quoniam dissimilis est aliis vita illius, et immutatæ sunt viæ ejus.

We are esteemed by him as triflers, and he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness, and he preferreth the latter end of the just, and glorieth that he hath God for his father.

No better than false coin he counts us, holds aloof from our doings as though they would defile him; envies the just their future happiness, boasts of a divine parentage.

Tamquam nugaces æstimati sumus ab illo, et abstinet se a viis nostris tamquam ab immunditiis, et præfert novissima justorum, et gloriatur patrem se habere Deum.

Let us see then if his words be true, and let us prove what shall happen to him, and we shall know what his end shall be.

Put we his claims, then, to the proof; let experience shew what his lot shall be, and what end awaits him.

Videamus ergo si sermones illius veri sint, et tentemus quæ ventura sunt illi, et sciemus quæ erunt novissima illius.

For if he be the true son of God, he will defend him, and will deliver him from the hands of his enemies.

If to be just is to be God’s son indeed, then God will take up his cause, will save him from the power of his enemies.

Si enim est verus filius Dei, suscipiet illum, et liberabit eum de manibus contrariorum.

Let us examine him by outrages and tortures, that we may know his meekness and try his patience.

Outrage and torment, let these be the tests we use; let us see that gentleness of his in its true colours, find out what his patience is worth.

Contumelia et tormento interrogemus eum, ut sciamus reverentiam ejus, et probemus patientiam illius.

Let us condemn him to a most shameful death: for there shall be respect had unto him by his words.

Sentenced let him be to a shameful death; by his own way of it, he shall find deliverance.

Morte turpissima condemnemus eum; erit enim ei respectus ex sermonibus illius.

These things they thought, and were deceived: for their own malice blinded them.

So false the calculations that are blinded by human malice!

Hæc cogitaverunt, et erraverunt: excæcavit enim illos malitia eorum.

And they knew not the secrets of God, nor hoped for the wages of justice, nor esteemed the honour of holy souls.

The secret purposes of God they might not fathom; how should they foresee that holiness is requited, how should they pass true award on a blameless life?

Et nescierunt sacramenta Dei: neque mercedem speraverunt justitiæ, nec judicaverunt honorem animarum sanctarum.

For God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him.

God, to be sure, framed man for an immortal destiny, the created image of his own endless being;

Quoniam Deus creavit hominem inexterminabilem, et ad imaginem similitudinis suæ fecit illum.

But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world:

but, since the devil’s envy brought death into the world,

Invidia autem diaboli mors introivit in orbem terrarum:

And they follow him that are of his side.

they make him their model that take him for their master.

imitantur autem illum qui sunt ex parte illius.