(Hey young brother, hey young brother,
I'd like you to do me a little favour..)

You saw sagacious Solomon,
And you know what became of him.
To him, complexities seemed plain
But he cursed the hour that gave birth to his bad self.

He saw that everything was vain;
How great, how wise was Solomon.
The world however did not wait,
Just observed what followed on.
It was the wisdom, that brought him to that state;
Sweet wisdom, that brought him to that state.
It was only wisdom, that brought him to that state,
So how fortunate the man with none...

You saw courageous Caesar next,
You know what he let himself become.
They deified him in his life,
And had him murdered just the same.
As they raised the fatal knife,
How loud he cried: and you!
The world however did not care;
Just observed, carried on.
It was courage that brought him to that state,
It was courage that brought him to this state.
Raw courage that brought him to that state;
Well I might say, how fortunate the man with none.
(Could say.)

You heard of honest Socrates;
He was a man who never lied.
They weren't so grateful as you might think,
The rulers fixed to have him tried.
They handed him the poisoned drink,
How honest was our people's son.
This world however dit not choose to wait,
Just observed what followed on.
It was his honesty that brought him to that state,
Sweet honesty that brought him to that state.
Sweet honesty that brought him to that state;
How fortunate the man with some.

Here you can see the respectable folk,
They all keep to God's own laws.
So far he has not taken heed.
You who sit safe and sound indoors
Help to relieve our bitter needs.
How virtuously we had begun;
The world however will never wait,
Just observes to carry on.
It's fear of God that brought us to this state,
It is the love of God that will take us home.
It is the fear of God that brought us to this state;
How fortunate the man with no fear
Got no fear.

(How fortunate the man with no fear)
(You got nothing, that's what you got)
(Got wisdom, got courage, got honesty, you got the fear)

sitenote:
The lyric has been written by Bertolt Brecht in 1940. The version of Dead Can Dance has a totally different atmosphere and is much slower.