Expert: Maria - 9/9/2009

Question
Maria,

Marcus Aurelius has always been a very favorite philosopher of mine, and there is one quote of his in particular that I would like to know if you could translate. It goes like this: "When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." I greatly appreciate your service! Thank you very much, in advance!

Answer
Hello,

first of all I have to tell you that Marcus Aurelius who was Roman Emperor from 161 to his death in 180 AD, knew Greek language besides Latin, which was his mother tongue, and  wrote his diary just in Greek.

In this diary  entitled “Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν” (Greek letters), i.e. “Τŕ eis heautón” in Latin transliteration [literally "Thoughts  addressed to himself"], which is nothing but a series of meditations  he wrote for his self-improvement, the sentence  you quote is just spelled in Greek, i.e. “Πυνθάνου εὐθὺς ἐξ ὕπνου γενόμενος ὅτι  τὸ ζῆν, νομίζειν, πνεῖν, τέρπεσθαι, ἐρᾶν,  μεγάλα  δῶρα εἰσὶν”.

Here’s its translation into Latin:

“Cum mane e somno experrectus es, memento  vitam donum esse pretiosum, sicut spirare, cogitare, gaudere, amare”.

Best regards,
Maria
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Note that:

-When you arise in the morning = Cum mane e somno experrectus  es/ εὐθὺς ἐξ ὕπνου γενόμενος

-think = memento / Πυνθάνου

-of what a precious privilege = donum ..pretiosum / ὅτι… μεγάλα  δῶρα

-it is = esse /εἰσὶν

-to be alive = vitam/ τὸ ζῆν

-to breathe = sicut spirare /πνεῖν

-to think= cogitare/ νομίζειν

-to enjoy= gaudere/ τέρπεσθαι

-to love = amare/ ἐρᾶν