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[a]when the guardians of the house tremble
    and the strong men are bent over,
and the women who grind the meal
    cease working because they are few in number,
and those who look through the windows
    realize that their eyesight is failing;
when the doors to the street are shut
    and the sound of grinding begins to fade,
when one waits to hear the chirping of a bird,
    but all the songbirds are silent;
when one is afraid of heights
    and is concerned about dangers on the streets.

And You Return to Your Eternal Home

Remember him—when the almond tree blossoms
    and the grasshopper is sluggish
    and desire is no longer stirred,
and you return to your eternal home
    while the mourners assemble in the streets.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 12:3 The usual interpretation is this: the guardians: the hands; the strong men: the legs; the grind[ers] . . . and those who look through the windows: the teeth and eyes; the doors: the lips; grinding: the mouth. Next there is reference to the failure of hearing; the blossoming of the almond tree: white hair; the grasshopper: sexual vigor.

when the keepers of the house tremble,
    and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
    and those looking through the windows grow dim;
when the doors to the street are closed
    and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
    but all their songs grow faint;(A)
when people are afraid of heights
    and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
    and the grasshopper drags itself along
    and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home(B)
    and mourners(C) go about the streets.

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