Log in

View Full Version : Help translating Emerson in Sanskrit


mgmoore808
Jun 28, 2012, 08:14 PM
Sorry for a lengthy post, but I appreciate your help! Here it goes.

I'm looking to translate a phrase from Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay 'Self Reliance.'
In latin, the quote reads: "Ne te quaesiveris extra."
Literally this translates, "do not seek outside yourself." or translated contextually "seek within."

Prefacing this request by disclosing that I don't have a great understanding of how spoken or written sanscrit works in terms of grammar. Particularly when translating from english, or latin for that matter. I do understand that sanskrit 'words' can be matched against the translated phrase in the same order for a direct transliteration. However, I am trying to avoid a translation that will read awkwardly if a native speaker were to read it.

Using some of the translation tools, I have worked out these bits:

Seek within: मार्गति नि (verb adverb, per this sites dictionary)
Do not seek outside yourself: दो नोत सीक ओउत्सिदे यौर्सेल्फ़ (straight translation from Sanskrit translation. English to Sanskrit translation. English to Sanskrit converter transliteration software. Unicode Sanskrit Editor to type in Sanskrit. Word processor software. (http://www.tamilcube.com/translate/sanskrit.aspx))

My question is, given my objective of not obtaining an awkwardly transliterated phrase, which is the best way to write the phrase? If there is a better way to write it that makes sense from the perspective of a native reader or speaker, I would prefer that route.

Regardless, I can't read it, but I think the script is beautiful, and would want to honor it by getting the properly translated phrase (in case I ran across someone who does know how to read it (I don't want to look stupid :-) ).

Thank you in advance for your help.

Greg