Tu vero, sive aliquid habes, iam philosophare — unde enim scis an iam nimis habeas?
Tačiau užsiimk filosofija ir šiek tiek turėdamas, nes iš kur žinai, ar ne per daug jau turi?
Nay, your plan should be this: be a philosopher now, whether you have anything or not, — for if you have anything, how do you know that you have not too much already?
Non est ergo prius acquirendum: licet ad philosophiam etiam sine viatico pervenire.
Vadinasi, nieko nereikia įsigyti iš anksto: į filosofiją galima ateiti ir neturint kelionpinigių.
Therefore one should not seek to lay up riches first; one may attain to philosophy, however, even without money for the journey.
Istuc quoque ab Epicuro dictum est: “Si ad naturam vives, numquam eris pauper; si ad opiniones, numquam eris dives”. Exiguum natura desiderat, opinio immensum.
Taip pat ir šis Epikūro pasakymas: “Jei gyvensi pagal prigimtį, niekada nebūsi vargšas, jei pagal kitų nuomonę — niekada nebūsi turtingas”. Prigimčiai mažai tereikia, žmonių nuomonei — be galo daug.
This also is a saying of Epicurus: “If you live according to nature, you will never be poor; if you live according to opinion, you will never be rich.” Nature’s wants are slight; the demands of opinion are boundless.
Finem constitue quem transire ne possis quidem si velis; discedant aliquando ista insidiosa bona et sperantibus meliora quam assecutis. Si quid in illis esset solidi, aliquando et implerent; nunc haurientium sitim concitant.
Pasižymėk ribą, kurios nenorėtum peržengti, net jei ir galėtum. Tegu vieną kartą prasmenga tie pavojingi turtai, patrauklesni tiems, kurie jų siekia, negu tiems, kurie jų jau įsigijo. Jei juose būtų kokios nors tvirtybės, tai kartais žmogui jų užtektų, o dabar tik didina troškulį.
Fix a limit which you will not even desire to pass, should you have the power. At last, then, away with all these treacherous goods! They look better to those who hope for them than to those who have attained them. If there were anything substantial in them, they would sooner or later satisfy you; as it is, they merely rouse the drinkers’ thirst.
Subinde itaque, Lucili, quam multa sis consecutus recordare. Cum aspexeris quot te antecedant, cogita quot sequantur. Si vis gratus esse adversus deos et adversus vitam tuam, cogita quam multos antecesseris. Quid tibi cum ceteris? Te ipse antecessisti.
Neužmiršk, Liucilijau, kiek daug dalykų trokšti, o pamatęs, kiek žmonių tave pralenkė, pamąstyk, kiek jų atsiliko nuo tavęs. Jei nori būti dėkingas dievams ir savo gyvenimui, mąstyk apie tai, kiek daug jų pralenkei. Ar tau rūpi kiti? Tu pralenkei pats save.
Therefore continually remind yourself, Lucilius, how many ambitions you have attained. When you see many ahead of you, think how many are behind! If jou would thank the gods, and be grateful for your past life, you should contemplate how many men you have outstripped. But what have you to do with the others? You have outstripped yourself.
Scitote tam bene hominem culmo quam auro tegi.
Žinokite, kad po šiaudiniu stogu žmogui nė kiek ne blogiau negu po auksiniu.
Understand that a man is sheltered just as well by a thatch as by a roof of gold.
Magnus ille est qui fictilibus sic utitur quemadmodum argento, nec ille minor est qui sic argento utitur quemadmodum fictilibus; infirmi animi est pati non posse divitias.
Didis yra tas, kuris naudojasi moliniais indais tarsi sidabriniais. Ne mažesnis ir tas, kuris sidabriniais indais naudojasi tarsi moliniais. Silpnos dvasios tas, kuris nesugeba pakęsti turto.
He is a great man who uses earthenware dishes as if they were silver; but he is equally great who uses silver as if it were earthenware. It is the sign of an unstable mind not to be able to endure riches.
Nullum bonum adiuvat habentem nisi ad cuius amissionem praeparatus est animus.
Joks turtas neteikia džiaugsmo šeimininkui, jei šis širdyje nepasiruošęs jo prarasti.
No good thing renders its possessor happy, unless his mind is reconciled to the possibility of loss.
Quis sit divitiarum modus quaeris? primus habere quod necesse est, proximus quod sat est.
Klausi, kokia turtų riba? Žemiausia — turėti tai, kas būtiniausia, aukščiausia — tai, ko pakanka.
Do you ask what is the proper limit to wealth? It is, first, to have what is necessary, and, second, to have what is enough.