Ep. 21.1Cum istīs tibi esse negōtium iūdicās, dē quibus scrīpserās?Do you think you have trouble with those people about whom you had written? Ep. 21.1Maximum negōtium tēcum habēs;The greatest trouble you have is with yourself; Ep. 21.1tū tibi molestus es.you are a trouble to yourself. Ep. 21.1Quid velīs nescīs;You do not know what you want; Ep. 21.1melius probās honesta quam sequeris;you approve of what is honourable better than you follow it; Ep. 21.1vidēs, ubi sit posita fēlīcitās, sed ad illam pervenīre nōn audēs.you see where happiness is placed, but you do not dare to reach it. Ep. 21.1Quid sit autem, quod tē inpediat, quia parum ipse dispicis, dīcam.But what it is that hinders you, since you yourself hardly discern it, I shall tell you. Ep. 21.1Magna esse haec exīstimās, quae relictūrus es, et cum prōposuistī tibi illam sēcūritātem, ad quam trānsitūrus es, retinet tē huius vītae, ā quā recessūrus es, fulgor tamquam in sordida et obscūra cāsūrum.You think these things great which you are about to leave, and when you have set before yourself that freedom from care to which you are about to cross, the glitter of this life from which you are about to retire holds you back, as though you were going to fall into squalor and obscurity.
Ep. 21.2Errās, Lūcīlī;You are wrong, Lucilius; Ep. 21.2ex hāc vītā ad illam adscenditur.from this life one climbs up to that one. Ep. 21.2Quod interest inter splendōrem et lūcem, cum haec certam orīginem habeat ac suam ille niteat aliēnō, hoc inter hanc vītam et illam;The difference between glitter and light, since light has a sure source of its own and glitter shines with another's, is the difference between this life and that; Ep. 21.2haec fulgōre extrīnsecus veniente percussa est, crassam illī statim umbram faciet quisquis obstiterit;this life is struck by a gleam coming from outside, and whoever stands in its way will at once cast a thick shadow over it; Ep. 21.2illa suō lūmine inlūstris est.that life is illustrious by its own light. Ep. 21.2Studia tē tua clārum et nōbilem efficient.Your studies will make you famous and noble. Ep. 21.3exemplum Epicūrī referam.I shall cite the example of Epicurus. Ep. 21.3Cum Īdomeneō scrīberet et illum ā vītā speciōsā ad fidēlem stabilemque glōriam revocāret, rigidae tunc potentiae ministrum et magna trāctantem: "Sī glōria," inquit, "tangeris, notiōrem tē epistulae meae facient quam omnia ista, quae colis et propter quae coleris."When he was writing to Idomeneus and recalling him from a showy life to faithful and stable glory, Idomeneus being then a minister of a stern power and handling great affairs, he said: 'If you are touched by glory, my letters will make you better known than all those things which you court and for whose sake you are courted.' Ep. 21.4Numquid ergō mentītus est?Did he lie, then?
Ep. 21.4Quis Īdomenea nōsset, nisi Epicūrus illum litterīs suīs incidisset?Who would know Idomeneus, if Epicurus had not engraved him in his letters? Ep. 21.4Omnēs illōs megistānas et satrapās et rēgem ipsum, ex quō Īdomeneī titulus petēbātur, oblīviō alta suppressit.All those grandees and satraps, and the king himself, from whom Idomeneus derived his title, deep oblivion has buried. Ep. 21.4Nōmen Atticī perīre Cicerōnis epistulae nōn sinunt.Cicero's letters do not allow the name of Atticus to perish. Ep. 21.4Nihil illī prōfuisset gener Agrippa et Tiberius prōgener et Drūsus Caesar pronepōs;It would have done him no good to have Agrippa as son-in-law, Tiberius as grandson-in-law, and Drusus Caesar as great-grandson; Ep. 21.4inter tam magna nōmina tacērētur, nisi sibi Cicerō illum adplicuisset.among such great names he would be passed over in silence, had not Cicero attached him to himself. Ep. 21.5Profunda super nōs altitūdō temporis veniet, pauca ingenia caput exerent et in idem quandōque silentium abitūra oblīviōnī resistent ac sē diū vindicābunt.The deep tide of time will roll over us; a few talents will lift their heads, and though destined at some point to depart into the same silence, they will resist oblivion and long maintain their freedom.
Ep. 21.5Quod Epicūrus amīcō suō potuit prōmittere, hoc tibi prōmittō, Lūcīlī.What Epicurus could promise his friend, this I promise you, Lucilius. Ep. 21.5Habēbō apud posterōs grātiam, possum mēcum dūrātūra nōmina ēdūcere.I shall find favour with posterity; I can bring out with me names that will endure. Ep. 21.5Vergilius noster duōbus memoriam aeternam prōmīsit et praestat: "Fortūnātī ambō!Our Virgil promised two men eternal remembrance, and he makes it good: 'Fortunate pair! Ep. 21.5Sīquid mea carmina possunt.If my songs have any power, Ep. 21.5Nūlla diēs umquam memorī vōs eximet aevō, Dum domus Aenēae Capitōlī immōbile saxum Accolet imperiumque pater Rōmānus habēbit."no day shall ever take you from the memory of time, while the house of Aeneas dwells by the Capitol's immovable rock and the Roman father holds empire.' Ep. 21.6Quōscumque in medium fortūna prōtulit, quīcumque membra ac partēs aliēnae potentiae fuērunt, hōrum grātia viguit, domus frequentāta est, dum ipsī stetērunt;Whomever fortune has brought forward into public view, whoever have been the limbs and parts of another's power, their favour has flourished and their house has been thronged as long as they themselves stood; Ep. 21.6post ipsōs citō memoria dēfēcit.after them their memory has quickly failed.
Ep. 21.6Ingeniōrum crēscit dignātiō nec ipsīs tantum honor habētur, sed quicquid illōrum memoriae adhaesit, excipitur.The esteem of men of talent grows, and not only is honour paid to them, but whatever has clung to their memory is welcomed. Ep. 21.7Nē grātīs Idomeneus in epistulam meam vēnerit) ipse eam dē suō redimet.So that Idomeneus may not have come into my letter for nothing, he shall pay for it out of his own funds. Ep. 21.7Ad hunc Epicūrus illam nōbilem sententiam scrīpsit, quā hortātur, ut Pythoclea locuplētem nōn pūblicā nec ancipitī viā faciat.It was to him that Epicurus wrote that famous saying, in which he urges him to make Pythocles rich, not by the common and hazardous road. Ep. 21.7"Sī vīs," inquit, "Pythoclea dīvitem facere, nōn pecūniae adiciendum, sed cupiditātī dētrahendum est."'If you want,' he says, 'to make Pythocles rich, you must not add to his money, but subtract from his desire.' Ep. 21.8Et apertior ista sententia est quam ut interpretanda sit, et disertior quam ut adiuvanda.This saying is both too plain to need interpreting and too eloquent to need help. Ep. 21.8Hoc ūnum tē admoneō, nē istud tantum exīstimēs dē dīvitiīs dictum;I warn you of this one thing, not to think that this was said only of riches; Ep. 21.8quōcumque trānstuleris, idem poterit.wherever you transfer it, it will have the same force.
Ep. 21.8Sī vīs Pythoclea honestum facere, nōn honōribus adiciendum est, sed cupiditātibus dētrahendum.If you want to make Pythocles honourable, you must not add to his honours, but subtract from his desires. Ep. 21.8Sī vīs Pythoclea esse in perpetuā voluptāte, nōn voluptātibus adiciendum est, sed cupiditātibus dētrahendum;If you want Pythocles to be in perpetual pleasure, you must not add to his pleasures, but subtract from his desires; Ep. 21.8sī vīs Pythoclea senem facere et inplēre vītam, nōn annīs adiciendum est, sed cupiditātibus dētrahendum.if you want to make Pythocles an old man and to fill up his life, you must not add to his years, but subtract from his desires. Ep. 21.9Hās vōcēs nōn est quod Epicūrī esse iūdicēs;There is no reason for you to judge that these sayings belong to Epicurus; Ep. 21.9pūblicae sunt.they are public property. Ep. 21.9Quod fierī in senātū solet, faciendum ego in philosophiā quoque exīstimō: cum cēnsuit aliquis, quod ex parte mihi placeat, iubeō illum dīvidere sententiam et sequor, quod probō.What is usually done in the senate, I think should be done in philosophy too: when someone has proposed a motion part of which I like, I bid him divide his motion, and I follow the part I approve.
Ep. 21.9Eō libentius Epicūrī ēgregia dicta commemorō, ut istīs, quī ad illum cōnfugiunt spē malā inductī, quī vēlāmentum ipsōs vitiōrum suōrum habitūrōs exīstimant, probem quōcumque ierint honestē esse vīvendum.I recall the excellent sayings of Epicurus all the more willingly so that I may prove to those who take refuge with him, led on by an evil hope, who think that they will have a cloak for their vices, that wherever they go they must live honourably. Ep. 21.10Cum adieris eius hortulōs et īnscrīptum hortulīs lēgeris "Hospes, hīc bene manēbis, hīc summum bonum voluptās est," parātus erit istīus domiciliī custōs hospitālis, hūmānus, et tē polentā excipiet et aquam quoque lārgē ministrābit et dīcet: "Ecquid bene acceptus es?"When you approach his little gardens and read the inscription on them, 'Stranger, here you will fare well; here pleasure is the highest good,' the keeper of that dwelling will be ready, hospitable and kindly, and will receive you with barley-meal and serve you water too in plenty and say: 'Have you been well entertained?' Ep. 21.10"Nōn inrītant," inquit, "hī hortulī famem, sed extinguunt.'These little gardens,' he says, 'do not provoke hunger, but quench it.
Ep. 21.10Nec maiōrem ipsīs pōtiōnibus sitim faciunt, sed nātūrālī et grātuītō remediō sēdant.Nor do they make thirst greater by the very drinks, but soothe it with a natural remedy that costs nothing. Ep. 21.10In hāc voluptāte cōnsenuī."In this pleasure I have grown old.' Ep. 21.11Dē hīs tēcum dēsīderiīs loquor, quae cōnsōlātiōnem nōn recipiunt, quibus dandum est aliquid, ut dēsinant.I am speaking to you of those desires which do not admit consolation, to which something must be given so that they may cease. Ep. 21.11Nam dē illīs extraōrdināriīs, quae licet differre, licet castīgāre et opprimere, hoc ūnum commonefaciam: ista voluptās nātūrālis est, nōn necessāria;For as to those extraordinary ones, which one may put off, may chastise and suppress, I shall remind you of this one thing: that pleasure is natural, not necessary; Ep. 21.11huic nihil dēbēs;to it you owe nothing; Ep. 21.11sī quid inpendis, voluntārium est.if you spend anything on it, it is voluntary. Ep. 21.11Venter praecepta nōn audit;The belly does not listen to precepts; Ep. 21.11poscit, appellat.it demands, it duns. Ep. 21.11Nōn est tamen molestus crēditor;Yet it is not a troublesome creditor; Ep. 21.11parvō dīmittitur, sī modo dās illī, quod dēbēs, nōn quod potes.it is sent away with little, if only you give it what you owe, not what you can.
Ep. 21.11Valē.Farewell.