Hmm, I just wanted to translate another joke that I like a lot, and I got surprised how different meaning certain expressions can have in different languages.
The expression in Polish is "lezec na lozu smierci" which literally means "to lie on the bed of death". It is a commonly used euphemism for "to be dying/to be about to die".
Interestingly, in English "bed of death" is a term for "diminished sexual activity in long term relationship".