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Hello dear readers! Rudyard Kipling is a famous British poet and writer.
He created «The Commandment», a poem that has not lost its relevance to this day. It looks like a parting word, or maybe a motto that gives strength to move on no matter what.
The commandment was dedicated to the son of the author, but, despite this, it will be useful for the female sex. Literally a few paragraphs will help you understand how it is worth living and what values to rely on, so that you can safely be called a Human!
Original version of the poem
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being song about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise.
If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think — and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build’em up with worn out tools.
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And — which is more — you’ll be a Man, my son!
Translation of Marshak «If»
Oh, if you are calm, not at a loss,
When they lose their heads around
And if you stayed true to yourself,
When your best friend doesn’t believe in you
And if you know how to wait without worry,
You won’t lie to answer a lie
You will not be spiteful, becoming a target for everyone,
But you can’t call yourself a saint either.
And if you own your passion
And it is not she who dominates you,
And you will be firm in luck and misfortune,
Which, in essence, has one price,
And if you’re ready for that word
Yours turns into a trap a rogue,
And, having suffered a wreck, you can again —
Without the former forces — to resume their work.
And if you are capable of all that has become
Are you accustomed to, put on the table,
To lose everything and start all over again
Not regretting what you have acquired,
And if you can, heart, nerves, veins
So start to rush forward,
When forces change over the years
And only the will says: «Hold on!» —
And if you can be yourself in the crowd,
Keep in touch with the people in the presence of the king
And, respecting any opinion,
Do not bow the chapters before the rumor,
And if you measure the distance
For seconds, starting on a long run, —
The earth is yours, my boy, property,
And what’s more, you’re human!
Translation of Lozinsky «The Commandment»
Rule over a crowd of distraught,
You who swear by the confusion for everyone
Believe in myself, in spite of the universe,
And little faith let their sin;
Even if the hour has not struck, wait without getting tired
Let liars lie, do not condescend to them;
Learn to forgive and do not seem to forgive,
Generous and wise friend.
Know how to dream without becoming a slave to dreaming,
And to think, thought not to deify;
Matter Dating success and a curse,
Not forgetting that their voice is deceitful;
Stay quiet when your same word
Cripples a rogue to catch fools
When all life is ruined, and again
You must re-create with all the basics.
Be able to put in joyful hope
At stake is all that is gained with difficulty,
All to lose and become a beggar, as before,
And never regret that;
Be able to force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve, when in your chest
For a long time everything is empty, everything burned down.
And only Will says: “Go!”
Stay simple, conversing with kings,
Stay honest while talking to the crowd;
Be direct and firm with enemies and with friends,
Let everything in its own time, considered to be with you;
Fill the meaning of every moment
Hours and days of relentless running
Then you will take the whole world as a possession,
Then, my son, you’re the man!
Translation of Kornilov «When»
When in the midst of strife and doubt
Everyone lost the ground from under their feet,
And you, under a hail of accusations,
The only one who could believe in himself…
When you were able to wait patiently
He did not respond to malice with low malice;
When everyone lied, did not dare to lie
And praise yourself for virtue;
When you conquered your dream
Made thoughts turn in the direction,
Met calmly joy and trouble,
Having comprehended their changeable essence.
When deception and machinations of rogues
You endured imperturbably
And after the crash was ready again
Get down to business with all your might…
When luck fell on you
And you, deciding to risk winning,
I lost everything, but did not blame fate,
And immediately set off on a new path;
When it seemed that there was no passion in the soul
And the sick heart will freeze,
And there’s nothing to burn
Only your will shouted: «Forward!»
Be it a king, be it a commoner,
You spoke to them respectfully;
Everyone reckoned with you, but not one
I did not create an idol from you;
And, if creating and creating,
You filled your age with eternal meaning,
Then, without a doubt, the whole Earth is yours
And you, my son, are a worthy Man!
History of occurrence
As you can see, there are many translation options for this poem. And not all are listed here, if you wish, you can find about five more versions. But there is a difference between them.
All the writers who undertook to convey Rudyard’s thoughts in Russian have a colloquial intonation. That is, everyday and understandable to every reader.
Only Lodzki changed the style a little, which looks like an edification, a prayer worth knowing by heart. And not just to know, but also to adhere to every line, as if you really have a biblical commandment in front of you.
As already mentioned, Kipling created this verse in 1895 for his son. Who, unfortunately, died in 1915 in the war. The father, until his death, could not come to terms with this terrible loss. He seemed to have lost the meaning of life, the joy that disappeared with John.
thinking
This poem touches on human foundations and principles. What helps to make decisions in difficult situations and not betray oneself, maintaining one’s individuality, regardless of the circumstances.
It also motivates not to succumb to manipulation and not to take unreasonable, and, all the more, rash risks. Even if a huge number of people provokes.
It is worth listening to your desires and remember that the material is not stable. Why prioritizing money is the wrong choice.
Rudyard insists that attention should be paid to the process of self-development. You need to overcome your own limitations and not be afraid to sacrifice something valuable for the sake of loved ones and loved ones.
Endow your every act with meaning and strive to give it analysis, so you will better know yourself, your character.
Completion
The commandment prompts reflection, helping to become more conscious and developed spiritually and morally. Share your thoughts in the comments, what responded to you, seemed understandable and close. And what is the opposite is not yet clear, but you would like to pause on it and think.
Take care of yourself and, of course, stay «People»!
The material was prepared by a psychologist, Gestalt therapist, Zhuravina Alina