Words and Their Meanings

I began translating a couple of articles from Persian into English. I didn’t think that it would be such a challenging task till I started it. Even though I did a satisfactory job I still feel I need to work on my skills as a translator. I’m not a professional translator but I did it for a good cause. I find that choosing the right and the exact vocabulary to express a certain action or a feeling from one language to another proves to be difficult at times. Now, I have a new appreciation for people who do this on a daily basis. I appreciate the great job the translator of the War and Peace book by Tolstoy did to capture the drama and the actions of all these different characters. I fell in love with this book when I was in high school and I lose count of how many times I have read the book.

I have always been critical of most of the English books that are translated into Persian/Farsi. But now I will not be so quick to judge, except for those books that in some ways include the translator’s own ideas along with the authors work. You find these extra inputs by the translator in the self help and spiritual books. And I am always in awe of interpreters that simultaneously translate the speeches or dialogues.

The other day I came across these beautiful words of wisdom and I thought to share it with all of you. I wonder how it sounds in its original language and I am going to try translating it into Persian to see if I can capture its true meaning.


Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people's approval
and you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.

~ Tao Te Ching by Lao-tzu
Translation by S. Mitchell



Photo credit: Crescent Moon and Venus by Drew Sullivan (Ancient Starlight), APOD, NASA