Seneca (to Paulinus) · Complete work
VIII
VIII of 20. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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1. Mirari soleo cum uideo aliquos tempus petentes et eos qui rogantur facillimos; illud uterque spectat propter quod tempus petitum est, ipsum quidem neuter: quasi nihil petitur, quasi nihil datur. Re omnium pretiosissima luditur; fallit autem illos, quia res incorporalis est, quia sub oculos non uenit ideoque uilissima aestimatur, immo paene nullum eius pretium est.
2. Annua, congiaria homines carissime accipiunt et illis aut laborem aut operam aut diligentiam suam locant: nemo aestimat tempus; utuntur illo laxius quasi gratuito. At eosdem aegros uide, si mortis periculum propius admotum est, medicorum genua tangentes, si metuunt capitale supplicium, omnia sua, ut uiuant, paratos impendere! Tanta in illis discordia affectuum est!
3. Quodsi posset quem-admodum praeteritorum annorum cuiusque numerus proponi, sic futurorum, quomodo illi qui paucos uiderent superesse trepidarent, quomodo illis parcerent! Atqui facile est quamuis exiguum dispensare quod certum est; id debet seruari diligentius quod nescias quando deficiat.
4. Nec est tamen quod putes illos ignorare quam cara res sit: dicere solent eis quos ualdissime diligunt paratos se partem annorum suorum dare: dant nec intellegunt: dant autem ita ut sine illorum incremento sibi detrahant. Sed hoc ipsum an detrahant nesciunt; ideo tolerabilis est illis iactura detrimenti latentis.
5. Nemo restituet annos, nemo iterum te tibi reddet. Ibit qua coepit aetas nec cursum suum aut reuocabit aut supprimet; nihil tumultuabitur, nihil admonebit uelocitatis suae: tacita labetur. Non illa se regis imperio, non fauore populi longius proferet: sicut missa est a primo die, curret, nusquam deuertetur, nusquam remorabitur. Quid fiet? Tu occupatus es, uita festinat; mors interim aderit, cui uelis nolis uacandum est.
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from all 20 chapters and 106 sections of the Latin for fidelity, Senecan compression, modern clarity, and cadence.
1. I often marvel when I see some men asking for time and others the most ready to grant it: each looks to the thing for which time is asked, not to the time itself: as if nothing were asked, nothing given. The most precious of all things is played with; and it deceives them because it is incorporeal, because it does not come under the eyes, and therefore is rated cheapest — no, has almost no price at all.
2. Yearly gifts and doles men receive most gladly, and on them they spend labor or service or diligence: no one rates time; they use it more loosely, as if gratis. But see the same men in sickness, if the peril of death is brought near, touching the knees of physicians; if they fear a capital sentence, ready to spend everything, that they may live! So great is the discord of their feelings!
3. But if the number of each man's past years could be set out as the years to come are — how they would tremble who saw few remaining, how they would spare them! Yet it is easy to dispense even a little of what is certain; that must be kept more carefully of which you do not know when it will fail.
4. Nor think they do not know how dear a thing it is: they are used to say to those they love best that they are ready to give part of their years: they give, and do not understand; and they give so as to take from themselves without those years' increase. But whether they are taking from themselves they do not know: therefore the loss of a hidden hurt is bearable to them.
5. No one will give back the years; no one will restore you to yourself again. Life will go as it began, and will neither call back nor check its course; nothing will it do in tumult, nothing will it warn of its swiftness: silently it will glide by. It will not extend itself further at a king's command, nor at the people's favor: as it was sent forth from the first day, it will run — never turning aside, never delaying. What will happen? You are busy; life hurries; meanwhile death will be there, and you must find time for him, whether you will or no.
Mouseia
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from all 20 chapters and 106 sections of the Latin.
1. I'm always amazed when I see some people asking for time and others happily granting it: each watches what the time is being asked FOR, not the time itself — as if nothing is being asked, nothing given. The most precious thing there is gets played with. It fools them because it can't be seen, so it gets valued at almost nothing.
2. People love receiving yearly allowances and gifts, and work hard for them. Nobody values time — they use it carelessly, like it's free. But watch the same person when illness threatens, grabbing the doctor's knees; when a death sentence looms, ready to spend everything to live! What a war inside them!
3. If each man's past years could be laid out beside the years ahead, imagine how they'd tremble, seeing how few are left — how carefully they'd spend them! It's easy to be careful with something small and certain. You should guard most carefully the thing that could run out at any moment.
4. And they do know how precious it is: they tell the people they love most that they'd gladly give them part of their years. They give it — and don't realize they're cutting it from themselves. But taking years from yourself without noticing makes the loss easy to bear.
5. Nobody will give the years back. Nobody will return you to yourself. Life moves on as it began, never reversing, never slowing. It won't make a scene; it won't announce its speed; it slips by in silence. It won't stretch out for a king's command or the people's favor. As it set off on the first day, so it runs — no detours, no delays. So what happens? You're busy. Life races. Then death shows up — and you'll have to make time for him whether you like it or not.