20Octoberоктября · 20-е октября
Жизнь человека только тогда разумна, когда она понимается, как исполнение долга, служение.
Human life is reasonable only when it is understood as the fulfillment of a duty, as service.
1. Одно только мы знаем несомненно, что нас ждет смерть. «Подобно ласточке, пролетевшей через комнату, жизнь человека». Мы приходим, неведомо откуда, и уходим, неизвестно куда. Непроницаемая тьма позади, густые тени впереди. Когда придет наше время, какое значение будет иметь для нас то, что мы ели вкусные кушанья или не ели, носили или не носили мягкие одежды, оставили большое состояние или не оставили никакого, пожинали лавры или были презираемы, считались учеными или невеждами, — сравнительно с тем, как мы употребили вверенный нам господином талант.
1. One thing only we know beyond doubt: that death awaits us. “Like a swallow that has flown through a room is the life of man.” We come, we know not whence, and go, we know not whither. Impenetrable darkness behind, thick shadows ahead. When our time comes, what importance will it have for us that we ate tasty dishes or did not, wore soft raiment or did not, left a great fortune or none at all, reaped laurels or were despised, were thought learned or ignorant — compared with how we have used the talent entrusted to us by the master?
From Social Problems · close to the original .
Henry George’s own wordsThe only thing certain to any of us is death. "Like the swallow darting through thy hall, such, O King, is the life of man ! " We come from where we know not ; we go — who shall say ? Impenetrable darkness behind, and gathering shades before.
What, when our time comes, does it matter whether we have fared daintily or not, whether we have worn soft raiment or not …
… whether we shall have reaped honors or been despised, have been counted learned or ignorant — as compared with how we may have used that talent which has been intrusted to us for the Master's service ?
Source text: archive.orgTolstoy’s own version · Путь жизниОдно только мы знаем несомненно, что нас ждет смерть. «Подобна ласточке, пролетевшей через комнату, жизнь человека». Мы приходим неведомо откуда и уходим неизвестно куда.
Source text: tolstoy.ruDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Social Problems (1883), ch. IX, First Principles, pp. 127–128 (New York: Doubleday & McClure, 1898).
Close, one continuous stretch, from 'The only thing certain to any of us is death' to 'the Master's service'. In the quoted simile Tolstoy leaves out 'such, O King' and makes 'thy hall' a room (пролетевшей через комнату); 'we go — who shall say?' becomes 'we go, no one knows where' (уходим, неизвестно куда); 'fared daintily' becomes 'ate tasty dishes' (ели вкусные кушанья); 'that talent which has been intrusted to us for the Master's service' becomes 'the talent entrusted to us by the master' (вверенный нам господином талант). George quotes, without naming it, the simile of the bird that flies through the king's hall from Bede's account of King Edwin's council (Ecclesiastical History II.13). The Jubilee list names S. D. Nikolaev's Russian of Social Problems («Общественные задачи», Posrednik, 1906), not found online. Tolstoy printed the passage again in The Path of Life. No printable, for the words left out of the simile.
Translation note. The talent entrusted by the master is that of the parable in Matthew 25:14–30.
2. Тот, кто признает луч божественной силы в мельчайших вещах мира, тот человек высокого понимания и высоких стремлений. Такой человек уважает себя и других и не пренебрегает ничтожными делами, но смотрит на них, как на проявления божеской силы.
2. He who recognizes a ray of divine power in the smallest things of the world is a man of high understanding and high aspirations. Such a man respects himself and others, and does not disdain trifling tasks, but looks on them as manifestations of the power of God.
The Persian Jalal al-Din Rumi [Abu’l-Fazl].
From Ain-i Akbari · reworded by Tolstoy .
What changed“True greatness,” which regards the performance of the minutiae of business “as an act of Divine worship,” becomes the man who sees a ray of divine power in the smallest things and who looks on trifling tasks “as manifestations of the power of God”: doing them as worship becomes seeing God’s power in them.
What Tolstoy read · The Sacred Anthology… aspirations who, without the help of others, recognises a ray of the divine power in the smallest things of the world ; who shapes his inward and outward character accordingly, and shows due respect to himself and to others.
True greatness, in spiritual and in worldly matters, does not shrink from the minutiae of …
… but regards their performance as an act of divine worship.
Source text: archive.orgIn English · H. Blochmann, 1873He is a man of high understanding and noble aspirations who, without the help of others, recognizes a ray of the Divine power in the smallest things of the world ; who shapes his inward and outward character accordingly, and shews due respect to himself and to others.
True greatness, in spiritual and in worldly matters, does not shrink …
… but regards their performance as an act of Divine worship.
Source text: archive.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Ain-i Akbari, Book I, Ain 1, The Household; Conway (1874), p. 102, no. CLXVIII, Worship, margin 'Abulfazl. A.C. 1595. Ab.'.
The first paragraph of Conway's 'Worship' (no. CLXVIII), which is the opening of Abu'l-Fazl's Ain-i Akbari, Book I, Ain 1, in Blochmann's English (Conway's list of authorities names Blochmann's translation), with the two sentences between the first and 'True greatness…' left out. The margin beside it reads 'Abulfazl. A.C. 1595.'; 'Second Divan of Jelâleddîn Rûmi' is the margin of no. CLXVI on the facing page, and 'Persian Tradition' that of no. CLXVII, so the signature «Персидский Джелаледин Руми» was taken from the wrong margins. Tolstoy turns the first sentence around («Тот, кто признает луч божественной силы в мельчайших вещах мира, тот человек высокого понимания и высоких стремлений»), leaves out 'without the help of others' and 'who shapes his inward and outward character accordingly', and joins the second sentence to the first man: 'True greatness, in spiritual and in worldly matters, does not shrink from the minutiae of business, but regards their performance as an act of divine worship' becomes «Такой человек … не пренебрегает ничтожными делами, но смотрит на них, как на проявления божеской силы» (such a man does not disdain trifling matters but looks on them as manifestations of divine power): the act of worship becomes a manifestation of divine power. Blochmann notes that the phrase was one Akbar often used. The Persian text (Blochmann's edition, Bibliotheca Indica, 1867–77) was not found in a searchable copy. Not in Thoughts of Wise Men (1903).
3. Добродетель есть служение, которое обязан совершать человек самому себе. Если бы не было ни неба, ни бога, управляющего миром, добродетель была бы все-таки обязательным законом жизни. Знать, что справедливо, и исполнять это, в этом и обязанность и преимущество человека.
3. Virtue is a service that man is bound to render to himself. If there were neither heaven nor a God who governs the world, virtue would still be the binding law of life. To know what is just and to do it: in this lies both the obligation and the privilege of man.
From The Iliad of the East: A Selection of Legends Drawn from Valmiki's Sanskrit Poem, the Ra… · reworded by Tolstoy .
What changed“It is man’s privilege to know the Right and follow it” becomes “To know what is just and to do it: in this lies both the obligation and the privilege of man”: Tolstoy adds the duty to Richardson’s privilege.
What Tolstoy read · The Sacred AnthologyVirtue is a service man owes himself ; and though there were no heaven, nor any God to rule the world, it were not less the binding law of life.
It is man's privilege to know the right and follow it.
Source text: archive.orgThe Ramayana’s own wordsVirtue is a service man owes himself, and though there were no Heaven, nor any God to rule the world, it were not less the binding law of life.
It is man's privilege to know the Right and follow it.
Source text: archive.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. The Iliad of the East: A Selection of Legends Drawn from Valmiki's Sanskrit Poem, the Ramayana (1870), ch. IX, The Death of Jatayu, p. 149; Conway (1874), pp. 340–341, no. DLVI, Virtue, margin 'Hindu. Ramayana. "The Iliad of the East." (Richardson.)'.
Rama's words after Sita is carried off, in Richardson's retelling of the Ramayana, as Conway prints them (no. DLVI, 'Virtue'). Tolstoy takes the first two sentences of the speech close: 'Virtue is a service man owes himself; and though there were no heaven, nor any God to rule the world, it were not less the binding law of life.' In the third he adds a word: 'It is man's privilege to know the right and follow it' becomes «Знать, что справедливо, и исполнять это, в этом и обязанность и преимущество человека» (to know what is just and do it, in this is both the duty and the privilege of man): «обязанность» (duty) is his. Richardson's book is 'a selection of legends drawn from' Valmiki and retells freely; no verse of Valmiki answering this speech was identified, and the words are hers. She wrote in English, but Tolstoy added to them, so the site prints his version (ruling 1). Not in Thoughts of Wise Men (1903).
4. Сходясь с человеком, думай не о том, чем он может быть полезен тебе, а о том, чем ты можешь служить ему.
4. When you meet people, think not of what use they can be to you, but of how you can serve them.
5. Нам дан несомненный закон всех действий наших, и действия по этому закону не могут быть ни остановлены, ни стеснены никакой властью. Исполнение этого закона возможно в тюрьме и под угрозой истязаний и смерти.
5. We have been given an unquestionable law for all our actions, and actions in accordance with this law can be neither stopped nor constrained by any power. The fulfillment of this law is possible in prison, and under the threat of torture and death.
6. Ясно то, что моя жизнь в этом божьем мире имеет значение не самостоятельное, но служебное. Ясно, что в плотском смысле нам предстоит быть побежденными и предстоит умереть; это видят наши глаза, об этом говорит наш разум, об этом свидетельствует вся природа; таков закон жизни божьего мира, так угодно богу. И человек, который достиг этого понимания, мало-помалу, по мере уяснения этой простой истины, всё больше и больше теряет охоту бороться и враждовать с людьми за блага своей плотской жизни, за блага этого, как оказывается, чужого, временного и жестокого владыки.
6. It is clear that my life in this world of God’s has a significance not of its own, but of service. It is clear that in the fleshly sense we are destined to be defeated and destined to die; our eyes see this, our reason tells us this, all nature bears witness to this; such is the law of life in God’s world, so it pleases God. And the man who has reached this understanding, little by little, as this simple truth grows clearer to him, loses more and more the wish to struggle and be at enmity with people for the goods of his fleshly life, for the goods of this master who, as it turns out, is alien, temporary, and cruel.
Buka.
From Кому служить? · close to the original .
Original · RussianСлишком ясно то, что моя жизнь в этом божьем мире имеет значение не самостоятельное, но служебное.
Слишком ясно то, что в плотском эгоистическом смысле нам предстоит быть побежденными и предстоит умереть; …
И человек, который достиг этого понимания, мало по малу, по мере уяснения истины, теряет охоту бороться и враждовать с людьми за благо своей плотской жизни, за благо этого, как оказывается чужого, временного и жестокого владыки.
Source text: archive.orgDetails
The words shown were found, word for word, in the saved source text. Кому служить? (printed Burgas, then Moscow, 1920), p. 110 or thereabouts of the Moscow printing (between the printed page numbers 105 and 111, which the scan loses in between), directly after the sentence of 4-19.5.
Arkhangelsky's three sentences, closely. Tolstoy writes «Ясно» (it is clear) twice for «Слишком ясно» (it is all too clear), drops «эгоистическом» (egoistic) from «в плотском эгоистическом смысле» (in the carnal, egoistic sense), and adds «этой простой» (this simple) to «истины» and «всё больше и больше» (more and more) to «теряет охоту» (loses the wish); «за благо» (for the good) becomes «за блага» (for the goods). Arkhangelsky goes on with the unjust steward of Luke 16, who, knowing his master would dismiss him, lost the wish to serve his master's gain; Tolstoy stops before it. Tolstoy printed the passage again in На каждый день (7 April, no. 6). The 1920 text is dated 1906, and Tolstoy read the work in manuscript (Jubilee vol. 42 commentary), so a difference may be the author's later revision. The scan's OCR is quoted with its errors. No English translation is known.
Ищите только для себя доброй, согласной с волею бога жизни — и вы исполните вполне предназначенное вам служение.
Seek for yourselves only a good life, one in accord with the will of God — and you will fully perform the service appointed for you.
Tolstoy TodayТолстой сегодня · tolstoytoday.org/october/20