nær dauða en lífi

Etymology
From nær (meaning "closer") + dauða (meaning "[to] death"), the dative singular of dauði (meaning "death") + en (meaning "than") + lífi (meaning "[to] life"), the dative singular of líf. Meaning "closer [to] death than [to] life".

Idiom

 * 1)  meaning that one is closer to death than life