Akira The Don - That Which Is Not For The Purpose lyrics

Continue to act thus, my dear Lucilius
Set yourself free for your own sake
Gather and save your time which till
Lately has been forced from you
Or filched away
Or merely slipped from your hands
Make yourself believe the truth of my words
That certain moments are torn from us
Some are gently removed
And that others glide beyond our reach
And that others glide beyond our reach
The most disgraceful kind of loss
Is due to carelessness
Furthermore, if you will pay close heed
To the problem you will find
The largest portion of our life passes
While we are doing ill
A goodly share while we are doing nothing

And the whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose


The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose

What man can you show me who
Places any value on his time
Who reckons the worth of each day
Who understands that he is dying daily
For we are mistaken when we
Look forward to death
The major portion passed already
The years behind us are
In death's hands therefore
Do as you write me that you're doing
Hold every hour in your grasp
Lay hold of today's task
And you will not need to
Depend so much upon tomorrow's
While we are postponing life speeds by
Nothing, Lucilius, is ours except time
We were entrusted by nature With the
Ownership of this single thing so
Fleeting and slippery anyone who will
Can oust us from possession

And the whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose

What fools these mortals be
They allow the cheapest and
Most useless things
Which can easily be replaced to
Be charged in the reckoning
And after they've acquired them never
Regard themselves in debt
When they have received some
Of that precious commodity
Time and yet time is the one loan
Which even a grateful recipient cannot repay
You may desire to know how I who
Preach to you so freely am practicing
I confess frankly
My expense account balances as
You would expect from
One who is free handed but careful
I cannot boast that I waste nothing but I can
At least tell you what I am wasting
And the cause and matter of the loss I can
Give you two reasons why I'm a poor man

And the whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose

My situation, however is the same as that
Of many who are reduced
To slender needs Through no
Fault of their own everyone forgives them
But no one comes to their rescue
What is the state of things then? It's this
I do not regard a man as poor
If the little which remains is enough for him
I advise you
However to keep what's really yours and
You cannot begin too early
For as our ancestors believed it's
Too late to spare
When you reach the dregs of the cask
Of that which remains at
The bottom the amount
Is slight and the quality is vile farewell
(Farewell, Farewell)

And the whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose

The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose
The whole while we are doing that
Which is not to the purpose