I replied to say that the first part of the poem, translated slightly differently, forms the chorus to a brilliant song called The Booklovers by The Divine Comedy:

Happy the man, and happy he alone
who in all honesty can call today his own;
He who has life and strength enough to say
‘Yesterday’s dead & gone – I want to live today’

I’m not there yet. I’m working on it, but I can feel time running out on me.