Taking a historical excursus, it is good to notice that

Some great masters of olden time, such as Confucius,

For instance, summarizing his life, confessed himself

That at the age of 15 years old he set his heart/mind

On learning to only determine the method of research;

At 30 he firmly took his stand, making himself assure

Of living guidelines and the main direction to follow;

At 40 he had no delusions regarding the aim of his life;

At 50 he realized his fate thru obtaining Heaven's way;

At 60 his ears became attuned to follow Heaven’s will;

And at 70 he acted in accordance with his heart’s desire

Without overstepping the bounds of law and regularity.

Thus, the human lifespan can correlatively be divided

Into two key periods: before the age of 40 and after 50,

As long as the ten years between are the most dramatic

In realizing one’s destiny and in following then its call.

Speaking modern language, one generation is about 30

When a man marries to have his heir. At 30 he gains

A foothold to stand firmly on his worked out principles;

At 40 he has no misleads; at 50 he realises precisely

His predetermination which Heaven bestows on him.

Similarly, the true man is he who delights in Heaven

And understands his own destiny. As for the ‘destiny,’

It is the mapped out design for one’s living schedule

Which is brought to a person by the quartet of Heaven,

Earth, father and mother of one’s own. It is not what

Is fixed once and for all, as there are always at least

Two possible ways to follow: one of the ways is life,

Another is death, but there is no ‘fatalism,’ not at all,

As there are surely many other aspects and impacts

To be brought into the manuscript entitled ‘Lifespan’

Which is written and often rewritten by each of us