Dēnique tantō opere in dubiīs trepidāre perīclīs
quae mala nōs subigit vītāī tanta cupīdō?
certē equidem fīnis vītae mortālibus adstat
nec dēvītārī lētum pote, quīn obeāmus.
praetereā versāmur ibīdem atque īnsumus usque1080
nec nova vīvendō prōcūditur ūlla voluptās;
sed dum abest quod avēmus, id exsuperāre vidētur
cētera; post aliud, cum contigit illud, avēmus
et sitis aequa tenet vītāī semper hiantīs.
posteraque in dubiōst fortūnam quam vehat aetās,1085
quidve ferat nōbīs cāsus quīve exitus īnstet.
nec prōrsum vītam dūcendō dēmimus hīlum
tempore dē mortīs nec dēlībāre valēmus,
quō minus esse diū possīmus forte perēmptī.
proinde licet quod vīs vīvendō condere saecla,1090
mors aeterna tamen nihilō minus illa manēbit,
nec minus ille diū iam nōn erit, ex hodiernō
lūmine quī fīnem vītāī fēcit, et ille,
mēnsibus atque annīs quī multīs occidit ante.
notes
1076-1094: The book concludes with some final thoughts on the inevitability of death, some of which have been discussed in detail earlier in book three.
Line 1079: pote (the neuter singular adjective, but implying pote est) modifies letum devitari "that death be avoided is not possible"; quin "but indeed"; the object of obeamus is suggested by letum. Another possibility is to take nec vetari pote [est] as a verb phrase whose subject is quin letum obeamus: "there's no reason we would not meet death; this is not possible to be avoided" (so Leonard and Smith).
Line 1087: vitam ducendo "by leading life", i.e., "by living."
Line 1090: quot the manuscripts have quod.
Line 1093: et here as if quam.