If,de R Kipling

Tot rascolind prin emailuri vechi am recitit o traducere a minunatului poem If de Rudyard Kipling, inceputa de un fost coleg de serviciu dar primita de la un alt fost coleg de serviciu cu care am pastrat legatura si care spune ca a ameliorat-o. Am sa public intai varianta in engleza (nu inainte de a multumicelor doi pt bucuria ce mi-au facut-o) gasita aici, apoi traducerea. O colectie completa a poemelor lui Kipling se afla aici.

If

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 lied 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 imposters 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!

DACA

(Traducere libera dupa „If” de Rudyard Kipling)

Daca poti capul sa-ti pastrezi, când toti in preajma ta
Si-l pierd, iar ei te-nvinuesc, ca tu poti calm sa fi;
De poti incredrea-ti pastra, când multi se indoiesc de ea
Dar, de parerea lor tu, sincer, totusi cont sa tii...

De poti s-astepti si asteptând nu obosesti,
Sau, când mintit fiind tu poti ca sa nu minti nicicând;
Când te urasc in sinea lor, tu poti pe ei sa nu-i urasti
Si, totusi, sa nu pari prea bun, prea intelept, prea blând...

De poti visa dar visele stapân nu-ti sunt,
De poti gândi dar gândurile nu-ti sunt tel;
Daca in viata ta apar Triumf sublim, Dezastru crunt
Si poti trata in liniste, acesti doi impostori, la fel...

Daca rezisti s-auzi, cu calm, cele de tine spuse
Rastalmacite de excroci, facute nada pentru prosti;
Daca poti suporta agoniselile-ti distruse
Si-ncoviat, te indrepti si poti din nou sa le cladesti...

Daca facând un maldar din toti banii
Tu poti sa-i risti pe-o carte sau p-un zar si când pierzând
Poti sa pornesti de la inceput, dând inapoi toti anii
Dar, despre toate astea nu vei sufla nici un cuvânt...

Daca poti nervul, fibra sa-ti fortezi
Sa-ti mai slujeasca când pare ca nu mai exista
Nici pic de energie, dar inca poti sa-ti incordezi
Vointa, care-ti spune: continua, rezista...

Daca, vorbind multimii, integritatea-ti poti feri
Sau, printre marii zilei nu-ti pierzi drumu-ti modest, ocult;
Daca dusmanii rai sau prieteni dragi nu te mai pot rani,
Daca iubestii toti oamenii la fel, pe nimenea prea mult...

De poti simti curgând neiertator minutul
Cu pretul celor saizeci de secunde, batai de metronom,
Va fi al tau ce te-nconjoara, al tau intreg pamântul
Si mai presus de toate, sa sti, vei fi un OM.