The Clown turned his powdered face to the mirror."If to be fair is to be beautiful," he said, "who can compare with me in my white mask?""Who can compare with him in his white mask?" I asked Death beside me."Who can compare with me?" said Death, "for I am paler still.""You are very beautiful," sighed the Clown, turning his powdered face from the mirror.

Meaning: The timing of death cannot be treated as an appointment people can count on controlling. The calendar image expresses uncertainty about life’s duration, encouraging awareness of limits without making a prediction about any individual or demanding constant urgency.

Meaning: Death is imagined as unable to hear objections, so a protest cannot make it negotiate. The saying expresses mortality’s finality rather than a judgment about how someone should feel about loss.

Meaning: Death is named as a certainty against which other expectations seem less secure. The saying invites perspective on finite life, but it gives no information about anyone’s timing or circumstances and should not dismiss fear, grief or the value of present care.

Meaning: Death is possible at any age, while old age makes the end of life impossible to ignore. The contrast is a reminder of mortality.