5Januaryянваря · 5-е января
Один человек крикнет в наполненном народом здании: «Горим!» — и толпа бросается, и убиваются десятки, сотни людей.
Таков явный вред, производимый словом. Но вред этот не менее велик и тогда, когда мы не видим людей, пострадавших от нашего слова.
One person shouts “Fire!” in a building full of people — and the crowd stampedes, and dozens, hundreds of people are killed.
Such is the evident harm done by a word. But this harm is no less great when we do not see the people who have suffered from our word.
1. Рана, нанесенная огнестрельным оружием, еще может быть излечена, но рана, нанесенная языком, никогда не заживает.
1. A wound made by a firearm can still be healed, but a wound made by the tongue never heals.
From Tirukkural, ch. 13 · close to the original .
What Tolstoy read · Moncure D. Conway, The Sacred AnthologyThe wound burnt in by fire may heal ; but a wound burnt in by the tongue will never heal.
Source text: archive.orgIn English · W. H. Drew and J. Lazarus, 1885129. The wound which has been burnt in by fire may heal, but a wound burnt in by the tongue will never heal.
Source text: archive.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Tirukkural, ch. 13 (Self-control); taken from Conway's Sacred Anthology, Kural 129; Conway (1874) no. DCLXXXIII 'Self-control'.
Conway's sentence, faithfully, except that 'the wound burnt in by fire' becomes 'a wound from a firearm'. The saying is couplet 129 of the Tamil Kural (Drew and Lazarus's 1885 English has the same words), so 'Persian' is a mistake; in Conway the section before this one (no. DCLXXXII) is from the Persian Mainyo-i-Khard, and the margin of no. DCLXXXIII is illegible in the scan. The Tamil was not checked.
2. Кто не согрешает в слове, тот человек совершенный, могущий обуздать и всё тело. Вот мы влагаем удила в рот коням, чтобы они повиновались нам, и управляем всем телом их; вот и корабли, как ни велики они и как ни сильными ветрами носятся, небольшим рулем направляются, куда хочет кормчий; так и язык: небольшой член, но много делает. Посмотри, небольшой огонь как много вещества зажигает; и язык — огонь, прикраса неправды.
2. Whoever does not sin in word is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. See, we put bits in the mouths of horses so that they will obey us, and we guide their whole body; see, ships too, however great they are and however strong the winds that drive them, are steered by a small rudder wherever the helmsman wishes; so too the tongue: a small member, but it does much. Look how much matter a small fire sets alight; and the tongue is a fire, an adornment of unrighteousness.
From James · shortened by Tolstoy .
The Russian Bible (Synodal translation)Кто не согрешает в слове, тот человек совершенный, могущий обуздать и все тело.
Вот, мы влагаем удила в рот коням, чтобы они повиновались нам, и управляем всем телом их.
Вот, и корабли, как ни велики они и как ни сильными ветрами носятся, небольшим рулем направляются, куда хочет кормчий; …
… так и язык — небольшой член, но много делает. Посмотри, небольшой огонь как много вещества зажигает!
И язык — огонь, прикраса неправды; язык в таком положении находится между членами нашими, что оскверняет все тело и воспаляет круг жизни, будучи сам воспаляем от геенны.
Source text: ru.wikisource.orgIn English · King James Version, 1611If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things.
Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: …
Source text: gutenberg.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. James, 3:2–6.
The Synodal text, cut at both ends: it starts in the middle of verse 2 (without "for in many things we all offend") and stops in verse 6 at "прикраса неправды" (adornment of unrighteousness; KJV "a world of iniquity"), leaving out the rest of the verse (the tongue defiles the whole body, sets on fire the course of life, and is set on fire of hell). Between, word for word, with the verses run together by semicolons and «так и язык: небольшой член» for the Synodal dash.
Translation note. Tolstoy’s wording, from partway through verse 2 to partway through verse 6. Where he has «много делает», “does much”, the KJV has “boasteth great things”; for «прикраса неправды», “an adornment of unrighteousness”, it has “a world of iniquity” (the Greek kosmos means both “adornment” and “world”).
3. Когда услышишь, как люди говорят о порочности других людей, не разделяй их удовольствия. Когда услышишь о дурных делах людей, не дослушивай до конца и старайся забыть то, что услышал. Слушая же разговоры о добродетели людей, запоминай и рассказывай.
Делай так, и скоро ты так привыкнешь к этому, что когда услышишь о зле людей, то это будет для тебя так же больно, как если бы бранили тебя самого, и, когда сорвется у тебя с языка злое слово о ближнем, тебе будет это так же больно, как если бы ты сам ударил себя.
3. When you hear people talk of the depravity of others, do not share their pleasure. When you hear of people’s bad deeds, do not listen to the end, and try to forget what you have heard. But when you listen to talk of people’s virtue, remember it and tell it to others.
Do this, and you will soon grow so used to it that when you hear of the evil in people, it will hurt you as much as if you yourself were being reviled, and when a spiteful word about your neighbor slips from your tongue, it will hurt you as much as if you had struck yourself.
From Moncure D. Conway, The Sacred Anthology · reworded by Tolstoy .
What changedAdds “do not listen to the end, and try to forget what you have heard,” and a closing lesson: a spiteful word about one’s neighbor hurts “as if you had struck yourself.”
From an Eastern language’s own wordsOn hearing persons talk of man's wickedness, par take not their pleasure.
On hearing men speak of the virtues of mankind, approve, follow, and rejoice therein.
On hearing of the wickedness of mankind, let it be to you as thorns penetrating the back.
Then the heart will never cease thinking thereon, and the feet never cease walking in the right path.
Source text: archive.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Moncure D. Conway, The Sacred Anthology (London, Trübner, 1874), no. CCCCXXXI 'Mankind', Conway p. 284; margin 'Chinese', with an author's name read by the scan as 'Kang-Tsze Chow'.
Built on three of Conway's sentences: 'on hearing persons talk of man's wickedness, partake not their pleasure'; 'on hearing men speak of the virtues of mankind, approve, follow, and rejoice therein' (Tolstoy: 'remember it and tell it'); and 'on hearing of the wickedness of mankind, let it be to you as thorns penetrating the back', which becomes the promise that hearing of evil will hurt 'as if you yourself were abused'. Tolstoy adds 'do not listen to the end and try to forget it' and the last clause (an evil word about a neighbour will hurt like striking yourself); he drops slander and flattery, the rejoicing over good men and good principles, and the garland of flowers. Conway's source is marked only 'Chinese' with a name the scan garbles; it was not identified.
4. К спорам прислушивайся, но в споры не вмешивайся. Храни тебя бог от запальчивости и горячки, хотя бы даже в малейшем выражении. Гнев везде неуместен, а больше всего в деле правом, потому что затемняет и мутит его.
4. Listen to disputes, but do not meddle in them. God keep you from vehemence and heat, even in the slightest expression. Anger is out of place everywhere, and most of all in a just cause, because it darkens and muddies it.
From Выбранные места из переписки с друзьями · shortened by Tolstoy .
Original · RussianК спорам прислушивайся, но в них не вмешивайся.
Храни тебя Бог от запальчивости и горячки, хотя бы даже в малейшем выражении. Гнев везде неуместен, а больше всего в деле правом, потому что затемняет и мутит его.
Вспомни, что ты человек не только немолодой, но даже и весьма в летах.
Source text: ru.wikisource.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Выбранные места из переписки с друзьями (1847), XI. «Споры» (из письма к Л***, 1844), Letter XI, second half.
Two passages of the letter, joined. Tolstoy leaves out the three sentences between them, in which Gogol praises his correspondent's planned essay and asks him to write it in calm moments, and writes "in disputes" for Gogol's "in them". The rest is word for word. Gogol's advice is to a man "well on in years", whom anger makes ridiculous to the young; the Circle drops that frame and makes the counsel general. No public-domain English translation of the letter was found.
5. Я сказал: буду я наблюдать за путями моими, чтобы не согрешать мне языком моим, буду обуздывать уста мои, доколе нечестивый предо мною.
5. I said: I will watch over my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will bridle my mouth while the wicked man is before me.
From Psalms · close to the original .
The Russian Bible (Synodal translation)Я сказал: буду я наблюдать за путями моими, чтобы не согрешать мне языком моим; буду обуздывать уста мои, доколе нечестивый предо мною.
Source text: ru.wikisource.orgIn English · King James Version, 1611I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
Source text: gutenberg.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Psalms, Psalm 38:2 in the Russian (Septuagint) numbering; KJV Psalm 39:1.
The Synodal text word for word, with a comma for its semicolon. The Russian Psalter counts this psalm as 38 and its heading as verse 1, so verse 2 is the KJV's 39:1.
Translation note. The Russian Bible numbers the Psalms as the Septuagint does and counts the heading as verse 1; the KJV has this verse as Psalm 39:1.
Бойся быть нарушителем единения людей, вызвав в них словами недобрые чувства друг против друга.
Beware of breaking the union among people by arousing in them, with your words, unkind feelings against one another.
Translation note. The Jubilee text breaks the italics at the comma; the English sets the line as one.
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