The Fourth Stage of Life

A husband and wife, together,
Who have crossed seventy years,
Remain deeply concerned for each other,
Their hearts filled with love and fears.

Their days pass in a single thought:
Who will depart from this world first?
And after I am gone from here,
Who will care for my beloved?

“If I could leave this world first,
After living so long by his side,
How wonderful it would be—
I would depart as a happily married bride.”

“If I could leave before her,
While she is still here with me,
Her comforts would never diminish,
She would live peacefully and happily.”

Apart from each other, who else
Could care for us with such devotion?
Who could offer such affection,
Such tenderness and deep emotion?

By God’s grace, we are blessed,
Together for so many years.
We can still travel hand in hand,
Despite the passage of time and years.

Pairs are surely made in heaven,
Blessed by parents from the start.
Crossing every challenging moment,
They move forward, heart to heart.

We enjoy the privileges of seniority,
Both in government and private spheres.
It feels as though in this lifetime,
We’ve won a victory beyond compare.

Knowing that the final hour draws near,
They live with an unspoken fear.
At the slightest sign of illness,
They rush to the doctor without delay.

Their hands and feet may tremble,
Their heads may shake with age,
Yet the longing to remain alive
Still burns within them like a flame.

The fear of death grows stronger
In this transient world of ours.
Living and dying a little every day,
We spend our remaining hours.

— Vidya