La plus courte façon
d’arriver à la gloire,
ce serait
de faire pour la conscience
ce que nous faisons pour la gloire.
*
[The shortest way
of attaining glory
[esteem, admiration;
or, if you will,
status, success, popularity]
would be to do for our conscience
what we do for glory.]
*
Le prix de âme
ne consiste pas
à aller haut,
mais
d’un pas ordonné.
Ce n’est pas
dans la grandeur
que s’exerce
la grandeur d’âme :
c’est dans
la médiocrité.
*
[The price of the soul
isn’t paid in going high,
[impressing everyone,
‘perfection’ and excellence in everything, etc.]
but going with a well-ordered step.
[human, your own;
alert and attentive
to its needs,
willing and ready
to pay its debts,
especially the small and inconvenient,
often embarrassing,
(because small and inconvenient;
or because small
and, in theory,
easily realizable
but, in practice,
actually very difficult
(more than the big ones)
because we recognize their smallness
but,
in the critical moments,
where we do the thing
or do not,
fear
and shame
menace
and overwhelm,
the small
too big for us,
the most important
the small things,
the most tempting
to forget
or ignore,
that make us live
or break us)
earning
whatever the cost
(at least as much at it can)
its peace
and calm;
gentle, patient, loving.]
Greatness of soul isn’t exercised in greatness
[popular, expensive exploits;
fame, fortune, celebrity, status, etc.]
but in mediocrity.
[small everyday human acts,
known and practiced,
experienced and faced,
lived
and struggled with
by all.]]
