- English translation
Whether someone strives hard or not, nobody takes anything from this world at death.
- Literal wording
The one who ran and the one who walked both left this world with nothing.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying sets energetic striving beside the absence of striving, then places both before the same end: neither person departs with worldly possessions. It frames material gain as something that remains behind when life ends.
It may serve as a sober reflection on the limits of worldly acquisition. However differently people pursue their livelihoods or fortunes, death removes the practical distinction of what each person was able to retain from the world.
- When it is used
It may be used as a reflective remark in connection with death, emphasizing that worldly possessions do not accompany a person beyond life.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Whether someone strives hard or not, nobody takes anything from this world at death.