Marcus Aurelius in Translation

I started with this quote from Marcus Aurelius.

“Once dismiss the view you take, and you are out of danger. Who then, is hindering such dismissal?”

via Staniforth, Maxwell. Marcus Aurelius Meditations. Pengiun Books, London, UK: 1964.

“Throw out your mis-perceptions and you’ll be fine. (And who’s stopping you from throwing them out?)”

via Hays, Gregory. Mediation: Marcus Aurelius. Orion Books, London, UK: 2003.

“Overboard with opinion and thou art safe ashore. And who is there prevents thee from throwing it overboard?”

via Haines, C.R. Marcus Aurelius. Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA: 1916, 1930.

“XXV. What a small portion of vast and infinite eternity it is, that is allowed unto every one of us, and how soon it vanisheth into the general age of the world: of the common substance, and of the common soul also what a small portion is allotted unto us: and in what a little clod of the whole earth (as it were) it is that thou doest crawl. After thou shalt rightly have considered these things with thyself; fancy not anything else in the world any more to be of any weight and moment but this, to do that only which thine own nature doth require; and to conform thyself to that which the common nature doth afford.

Excerpt From: Emperor of Rome Marcus Aurelius. “Meditations.” Book 12, #25

Really does point out the problems with translations. The more amusing part, to me, the 1964 Penguin translation, not always favorite, but in this example? I like it best.

The Loeb Classical Library is usually a favorite, as well, sort of standard, “Go-to” text for me, but then, after all these years, the little green books have always been around.

There’s a piece of this passage, though, and I can’t locate the allusion at this moment, ery Zen-like message. From a meditation.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius – iRead Series – i-mobilize, inc.

As always a free version is hosted on astrofish.net right here.

Marcus Aurelius Book 12, 25

#meditations