Moral Letters to Lucilius Section 25

Haec, mi Lucili, tractemus, his formemus animum. Hoc est sapientia, hoc est sapere, non disputatiunculis inanibus subtilitatem vanissimam agitare. Tot quaestiones fortuna tibi posuit, nondum illas solvisti; iam cavillaris? Quam stultum est, cum signum pugnae acceperis, ventilare. Remove ista lusoria arma; decretoriis opus est. Dic, qua ratione nulla animum tristitia, nulla formido perturbet, qua ratione hoc secretarum cupiditatium pondus effundam. Agatur aliquid.

Voilà, cher Lucilius, les sujets à méditer ; voilà ce qui doit nourrir notre âme. Voilà la sagesse, voilà être sage au lieu de s’épuiser en subtilités creuses sur de vaines et puériles discussions. Le sort t’a mis en face de tant de problèmes ! Tu n’as pu encore les résoudre, et tu chicanes avec des mots ! Ô folie ! Quand le signal de combattre est donné, tu t’escrimes contre les vents ! Écarte ces fleurets, il te faut des armes de guerre. Dis comment j’empêcherai que ni tristesse ni peur ne troublent mon âme, comment je la purgerai des secrètes convoitises qui lui pèsent. Trouve moyen d’agir.

It is with such problems as these, my dear Lucilius, that we should deal, by such problems that we should mould our minds. This is wisdom, this is what being wise means - not to bandy empty subtleties in idle and petty discussions. Fortune has set before you so many problems - which you have not yet solved - and are you still splitting hairs? How foolish it is to practise strokes after you have heard the signal for the fight! Away with all these dummy-weapons; you need armour for a fight to the finish. Tell me by what means sadness and fear may be kept from disturbing my soul, by what means I may shift off this burden of hidden cravings. Do something!