There is no man after all

Who does not strive for reputation

And pursue after gain,

Taking care of businesses and trades.

When men are rich,

Then others go to them; going to them,

They thus put themselves

Beneath their superiors.

In that inferior position

They do honour to them as nobler

Than themselves. However,

By taking that inferior position

And doing honour to them

Is not always the way

To prolong their lives and

To secure the rest of their bodies

And the satisfaction of their minds.

But how come that I know that

This is so? Even if the richest man

Had the dignity of the world's winner,

And all the wealth of it

Were in his both pockets,

He would not be beyond the reach

Of evils and misfortunes. . .

This is how I know that this is so.