Cineri gloria sera venit.
(Martial 1.25.8)

(It is a) late glory (that) comes to ashes.

(pron = KIH-neh-ree GLOH-ree-ah SAY-rah WAY-nit)

Comment: These are the words of Martial to another writer whom he urges to take
off the kid gloves, so to speak, and write the "good stuff" for intelligent
people who will appreciate it while he (the writer) is still alive. We all
know, he seems to say, that glory comes late to dead poets.

Because Martial's work is an epigram, and sometimes I miss just exactly how
deeply his tongue is inserted into his cheek, I hesitate to say too much more
about this line than this. It's a blunt way of saying, "Do your best work now,
because it's your best work." Perhaps you will be remembered well when you die.
Perhaps glory will come late to your memory, but, do your best work now and
enjoy what that brings.

Ashes don't get to enjoy much.