"When you stand face to face with the powerful, always think about who gave these people their power? And what can they do against you? Can they take your goods, your freedom, or your life? And then what? A tiny microbe, a contagious bacterium, can take your life, as fragile and ephemeral as the life of an insect. Nay, even the mightiest lord has no real power over your soul and is therefore powerless if you are just and he is unjust. He can do nothing against thee but find thee in sin, and he is just. Think not, therefore, what you will say to the great lord, how you will behave; think only that you are free as long as you are righteous, and the great lord is powerless against your righteousness.
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Author
Márai SándorAll Translations
All Translations
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When you stand face to face with the powerful, always think about who gave these people their power? And what can they do against you? Can they take your goods, your freedom, or your life? And then what? A tiny microbe, a contagious bacterium, can take your life, as fragile and ephemeral as the life of an insect. Nay, even the mightiest lord has no real power over your soul and is therefore powerless if you are just and he is unjust. He can do nothing against thee but find thee in sin, and he is just. Think not, therefore, what you will say to the great lord, how you will behave; think only that you are free as long as you are righteous, and the great lord is powerless against your righteousness.
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Mikor a hatalmasokkal állasz szemközt, gondolj mindig arra, kitől kapták ezek az emberek hatalmukat? S mit is tehetnek ellened? Elvehetik javaidat, szabadságod vagy életedet? És aztán? Parányi mikroba, fertőző baktérium is elveheti életed, mely törékeny és mulandó, mint a rovarok élete. Nem, a leghatalmasabb úrnak sincs igazi hatalma lelked fölött, s ezért tehetetlen, ha te igazságos vagy, s ő igazságtalan. Csak akkor tehet ellened valamit, ha téged bűnben talál, s ő igazságos. Ezért ne arra gondolj, mit mondasz majd a nagy úrnak, hogyan viselkedel; csak arra gondolj, hogy szabad vagy, amíg igazságos vagy, s a nagy úr tehetetlen igazságod ellen.
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Când stai față în față cu cei puternici, gândește-te întotdeauna cine le-a dat acestor oameni puterea lor? Și ce pot face ei împotriva ta? Îți pot lua bunurile, libertatea sau viața? Și apoi ce? Un mic microb, o bacterie contagioasă, îți poate lua viața, la fel de fragilă și efemeră ca viața unei insecte. Nu, chiar și cel mai puternic stăpân nu are nicio putere reală asupra sufletului tău și, prin urmare, este neputincios dacă tu ești drept și el este nedrept. El nu poate face nimic împotriva ta decât să te găsească în păcat, iar el să fie drept. Prin urmare, nu te gândi la ce îi vei spune marelui stăpân, cum te vei comporta; gândește-te doar că ești liber atâta timp cât ești drept, iar marele stăpân este neputincios împotriva dreptății tale.
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