Seneca Epistle One: The Value Of Time

Front 1

Seneca Lucilio Suo Salutem. Ita fac, mi Lucili: vindica te tibi , et tempus quod adhuc aut auferebatur aut subripiebatur aut excidebat collige et serva. Persuade tibi hoc sic esse ut scribo: quaedem tempora eripiuntur nobis, quaedem subducuntur, quaedem effluunt.

Back 1

Seneca sends his greetings to his friend Lucilius. Behave in this way, my dear Lucilius, set yourself free for your own sake, and time, which up till now, has either been taken away or stolen or slipped away, gather and preserve. Persuade yourself that this is just as I say: some moments are taken from us, some are taken secretly and some flutter away.

Front 2

Turpissima tamen est iactura quae per neglegentiam fit. Et si volueris adtendere, magna pars vitae elabitur male agentibus, maxima nihil agentibus, tota vita aliud agentibus.

Back 2

The ugliest type of loss, however, is through neglect. And if you are willing to pay close attention, a large part of life passes away while we are doing bad deeds, the greatest part while we are doing nothing, and the whole of our life while we are doing something other than we should.

Front 3

Quem mihi dabis qui aliquod pretium tempori ponat, qui diem aestimet, qui intellegat se cotidie mori? In hoc enim fallimur, quod mortem prospicimus: magna pars eius iam praeteriit; quidquid aetatis retro est mors tenet.

Back 3

What man can you show me who places any value on his time, who values the day, who understands that he is dying every day? For in this we are mistaken, when we look forward to death; a large part of this has now already passed; whatever time has passed is held by death.

Front 4

Fac ergo, mi Lucili, quod facere te scribis, omnes horas conplectere; sic fiet ut minus ex crastino pendeas, si hodierno manum inieceris. Dum differtur vita transcurrit.

Back 4

Therefore, my dear Lucilius, do as you say you do that you embrace every hour; so it will be that you will depend less on tomorrow, if you hold today in hand. While we delay, life rushes past.

Front 5

Omnia, Lucili, aliena sunt, tempus tantum nostrum est; in huius rei unius fugacis ac lubricae possessionem natura nos misit, ex qua expellit quicumque vult.

Back 5

All things, Lucilius, belong to another, only time is ours; nature gave us the possession of this one thing that is fleeting and slippery, from which anyone who wants to, can take it from us.

Front 6

Et tanta stultitia mortalium est ut quae minima et vilissima sunt, certe reparabilia, inputari sibi cum inpetravere patiantur, nemo se iudicet quicquam debere qui tempus accepit, cum interim hoc unum est quod ne gratus quidem potest reddere.

Back 6

And so great is the stupidity of men that they allow the worst and cheapest things, which are certainly replaceable, to be charged to their account, when they have been obtained; but no one judges themselves to owe anything when he receives time, when, in the mean time, this is the one thing not even a grateful man can repay.

Front 7

Interrogabis fortasse quid eos faciam qui tibi ista praecipio. Fatebor ingenue: quod apud luxuriosum sed diligentem evenit, ratio mihi constat inpensae.

Back 7

Perhaps you will ask what I do, I who advise you in this way. I will speak frankly: the account of my expenses stands as what comes about in the case of free but careful spending.

Front 8

Non possum dicere nihil perdere, sed quid perdam et quare et quemadmodum dicam; causas paupertatis meae reddam. Sed evenit mihi quod plerisque non suo vitio ad inopiam redactis: omnes ignoscunt, nemo sucurrit.

Back 8

I cannot say that I waste nothing, but what I do waste, I can say why and in what way ; and I can tell you the causes of my poverty. But what has happened to me is what has happened to so many people who are reduced to poverty by no fault of their own: everyone forgives them, but no one helps them.

Front 9

Quid ergo est? non puto pauperem cui quantulumcumque superest sat est; tu tamen malo serves tua, et bono tempore incipies.

Back 9

Therefore, how is it? It is this: I do not regard a man as poor, however little he has left, it is enough; I advise you, however, to protect what is yours; and you should begin in good time.

Front 10

Nam ut visum est maioribus nostris, 'sera parsimonia in fundo est'; non enim tantum minimum in imo sed pessimum remanet. Vale.

Back 10

For, as was understood by our ancestors, 'it is too late to be frugal when you reach the bottom of the cask'; for not only what remains at the bottom is very little but of a poor quality. Goodbye.