Gran lima es el sufrimiento, y para mucha luz el padecer tinieblas

English translation: Suffering is a great leveller, and out of darkness comes great light

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Gran lima es el sufrimiento, y para mucha luz el padecer tinieblas
English translation:Suffering is a great leveller, and out of darkness comes great light
Entered by: Eliza Ariadni Kalfa

15:06 Oct 3, 2017
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Religion
Spanish term or phrase: Gran lima es el sufrimiento, y para mucha luz el padecer tinieblas
"Gran lima es el sufrimiento, y para mucha luz el padecer tinieblas", decía Juan de la Cruz.

I can't seem to find this quote by St John of the Cross in English anywhere online, and I'm having trouble coming up with a similar tone in English. Anyone care to give it a go? Thanks!
Eliza Ariadni Kalfa
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:25
Suffering is a great leveller, and out of darkness comes great light
Explanation:
Cf. Death the leveller.
"Life is a great leveller."

Leveller (US leveler)
NOUN 1. A person or thing that levels something.
I think this is closer to the meaning of "lima", as a file is something which smoothes off rough edges, i.e. it makes things label, evens them up.

NB: I haven't given so much thought to the second part of the phrase, which I think should actually be posted as a separate query...-

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Note added at 46 mins (2017-10-03 15:52:37 GMT)
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Sorry. Dragon typo: "label" sould read "level"...

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Note added at 47 mins (2017-10-03 15:53:49 GMT)
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And "should" is missing an "h", as I typed it in a hurry...
Why is there no "edit" button for kudoz afterthoughts?

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Note added at 16 hrs (2017-10-04 07:24:57 GMT)
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= figuratively smoothes off rough edges, as in in Charles quoted definition from 1783: "el último pulimiento, retoque ò emienda, que se da a qualquier obra,... "
Selected response from:

neilmac
Spain
Local time: 10:25
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2Suffering is a great leveller, and out of darkness comes great light
neilmac
3 +1suffering is a great forger of character, and enduring darkness will show you great light
patinba
4abandonment is a steel file and the endurance of darkness leads to great light
Andrew Wallace
4one has to struggle through darkness to discover the light at the end of the tunnel
Barbara Cochran, MFA


Discussion entries: 12





  

Answers


18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
suffering is a great forger of character, and enduring darkness will show you great light


Explanation:
To start the ball rolling

The Inheritance of God's Blessing: The Heritage of Christian Values
https://books.google.com.ar/books?isbn=1412212456
Marvin R. McKim - 2003 - ‎Reference
It was written that suffering forges character within a person. John, in speakingwith Abraham,recalled how his brothers, and Margaret Reed, and he had endured ...
Is God Cruel? - Quora
https://www.quora.com/Is-God-cruel
Look humans we are selfish, so God allowing suffering forges character, and makes you tender hearted or compassionated toward others. We are hard headed,

patinba
Argentina
Local time: 06:25
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  neilmac: Yes, I'd leave the steel file in the toolbox for this one....
11 mins
  -> Thanks Neil! I thought so too.
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
abandonment is a steel file and the endurance of darkness leads to great light


Explanation:
God has done well, for, after all, "abandonment is a steel file and the endurance of darkness leads to great light".

According to The Collected Works of St John of the Cross translated by Kieran Kavanaugh and Otilio Rodriguez.

The translation seems very well worded to me.

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Note added at 19 mins (2017-10-03 15:26:03 GMT)
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Or rather, this link:
https://books.google.cz/books?isbn=0935216936

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Note added at 24 mins (2017-10-03 15:30:43 GMT)
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As mentioned by Robert Carter in the comments, the actual quote in Spanish should be "es lima el desamparo, y para gran luz el padecer tinieblas"


    Reference: http://https://books.google.cz/books?id=1vfdkDs8Cv4C&printse...
Andrew Wallace
Czech Republic
Local time: 10:25
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: English
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33 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
one has to struggle through darkness to discover the light at the end of the tunnel


Explanation:
Otra opción.

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Note added at 35 mins (2017-10-03 15:42:04 GMT)
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"Light" in the form of enlightenment.

Barbara Cochran, MFA
United States
Local time: 05:25
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  neilmac: No mention of the "sufrimiento" from the original....
8 mins
  -> Sorry, but that's implied by "struggle". This is literary, not literal translation.
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40 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Suffering is a great leveller, and out of darkness comes great light


Explanation:
Cf. Death the leveller.
"Life is a great leveller."

Leveller (US leveler)
NOUN 1. A person or thing that levels something.
I think this is closer to the meaning of "lima", as a file is something which smoothes off rough edges, i.e. it makes things label, evens them up.

NB: I haven't given so much thought to the second part of the phrase, which I think should actually be posted as a separate query...-

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 46 mins (2017-10-03 15:52:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry. Dragon typo: "label" sould read "level"...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 47 mins (2017-10-03 15:53:49 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

And "should" is missing an "h", as I typed it in a hurry...
Why is there no "edit" button for kudoz afterthoughts?

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs (2017-10-04 07:24:57 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

= figuratively smoothes off rough edges, as in in Charles quoted definition from 1783: "el último pulimiento, retoque ò emienda, que se da a qualquier obra,... "

Example sentence(s):
  • In England, as I dare say you know, sir, the law is a great leveller.
  • Sport is a great leveller and it is a uniting force ...

    Reference: http://www.bartleby.com/101/288.html
    Reference: http://www.haverhillecho.co.uk/news/nature-is-a-great-levell...
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 10:25
Meets criteria
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 28

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  patinba: Neat and to the point.
23 mins
  -> Cheers!

agree  AllegroTrans: Yes sir, I dare say
6 hrs
  -> :)
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