Death and the Woodcutter

Fable by Jean De La Fontaine Collection The FablesThemes Death, Fear, SadnessPeriod 17th century

A poor Woodcutter, all covered with branches,
Beneath the weight of the bundle as well as of the years,
Groaning and bent, walked with heavy steps,
And tried to reach his smoke-filled hut.
At last, no longer able to bear the effort and the pain,
He sets down his bundle, he thinks of his misfortune.
What pleasure has he had since he came into the world?
Is there a poorer man on this round globe?
Sometimes no bread, and never any rest.
His wife, his children, the soldiers, the taxes,
The creditor, and the forced labor
Complete the portrait of a wretched man.
He calls on death, she comes without delay,
Asks him what must be done.
It is, he says, to help me
Reload this wood; you will not tarry long.
Death comes to cure all things;
But let us not move from where we are.
Rather suffer than die,
Such is the motto of men.

Jean de La Fontaine

Translation generated by Poésies 123 with assistance from the deepseek-chat artificial-intelligence model.

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