DESIDERATA

Ostani miren sredi hrupa in hitenja
in pomni, kaksen mir ti lahko da tisina.
Do drugih bodi neuklonljiv, vendar prijazen.
Svojo resnico izrekaj tiho, a jasno.
Prisluhni tudi drugim, celo topim in nevednim;
tudi oni imajo svojo zgodbo.

Ogibaj se glasnih in napadalnih ljudi,
saj vznemirjajo duha. Ce se bos primerjal z drugimi,
utegnes postati necimern ali zagrenjen,
kajti zmeraj bodo boljsi ali slabsi od tebe.
Raje se veseli ob svojih dosezkih in nacrtih.

Hodi lastno pot. Ceprav je skromna,
je prava vrednota spremenljivega casa.
Bodi previden v poslovnih receh, kajti svet je poln zvijac.
Toda ne postani slep za vrlino;
mnogi vendarle sledijo visokim idealom
in junastva je povsod veliko.

Bodi kdor si. Se zlasti ne hlini custev
in ne bodi cinicen do ljubezni.
Ta je, ob vsej puscobi in praznini, vecna kakor trava.

Prijazno sprejemaj nasvete starosti,
prizanesljivo opuscaj navade mladosti.
Ohranjaj trdnega duha, da te obvaruje v nenadni nesreci,
a ne otezuj si duse z mracnimi predstavami.
Mnoge bojazni se rode v utrujenosti in samoti.
Neguj zdravo disciplino, a hkrati bodi blag s seboj.

Vedi, da si otrok vesolja, nic manj kakor drevesa in zvezde;
pravico imas biti tu. In, ce se zavedas ali ne,
vesolje se razvija v pravo smer.

Zato zivi v spravi z Bogom, kakrsnegakoli si ze predstavljas,
in ne glede na svoje zelje in dejanja
ohrani v kaosu sveta dusevni mir.
Kljub sleparstvu, tlaki in izgubljenim iluzijam
je svet se vedno lep.
Bodi previden. Skusaj biti srecen.

DESIDERATA

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember
what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible
without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to
others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are
vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with
others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there
will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy
your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however be
humble; it is a real possession in the changing of fortunes of
time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the
world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to
what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all
aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully
surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of
spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not
distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born
of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less then the
trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And
whether not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is
unfolding as it should

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you may conceive
him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations in the
noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all it's sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is
still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

Se vedno ni natancno znano, odkod izvira Desiderata. Razlicni viri navajajo naslednje moznosti:

- Iz rokopisa, najdenega v baltimorski cerkvi Old Saint Paul's Church, oznacenega z letnico 1692.

- Napisal naj bi jo Max Ehrmann leta 1927, leta 1948 pa jo je ponovno objavila njegova zena, Betty. Kljub tozbi je pisanje ostalo oznaceno za javno uporabo, in sicer leta 1975.

- Desiderata naj bi bila napisana v kamniten zidu zvonika cerkve St.Paul. Napisana naj bi bila v latinscini, zato so jo ljudje vedno prezrli. Max Ehrmann naj bi jo prvi prevedel iz latinscine v anglescino.

Meni osebno se zdi najbolj verjetna kombinacija vseh treh teorij, in sicer, da je bil to rokopis ali vklesano v kamniti steni, in sicr v latinscini. Max jo je prevedel prvi, in zelel, da je za javno uporabo. Po njegovi smrti je njegova zena vlozila tozbo in zahtevala avtorske pravice omenjenega zapisa zaradi financne kontrole pri prodaji.Proces se je koncal z zmago anglikanske cerkve, ki je s tem poskrbela, da zapis ostaja v javni uporabi za vse, ki jih zanima - kakor je zelel tudi Max, ko je prevedel in objavil Desiderato.

(It has been argued where exactly Desiderata came from, but these are a few rumored places I now of so far.)

- Found in Old Saint Paul's Church, Baltimore; Dated 1692.

- It was written by Max Ehrmann in 1927, and copyrighted in in 1948 by his widow, Betty. Through a lawsuit, it had been labeled Public Domain(anyone can use it) since 1975.

- Desiderata was printed in the stone wall of the bell tower of St. Paul's church, It was printed in latin and therfore was mostly ignored by the people. Max's contribution was that he was the first person to translate the latin into english and distribute to the congregation there. Max's widow had placed a copyright on the writing to gain a monetary control over its distribution afer his death. The lawsuit that was won by the anglcan church was to ensure that it remained in the public domain free to all who cared to read it, as it was intended when max first translated.