The shadow a man casts at noonday is his to answer for at sundown

[Theseus]

I was going through my notebooks and ages ago I had wriiten down this quotation from a Western and marked it as one of the most memorable. I had tried to translate this into Greek but any translation has to sound like a proverb. My final version was awful:-
Η σκιά που ρίχνει ο άνθρωπος [άντρας!!] στη μεσημβρία της ζωής πρέπει να απολογηθεί στο σούρουπο. Ιn the end I gave up. But now I have Lexilogia! At last I can get a GOOD translation! Ideas, πλιζ.:)

 

[drsiebenmal]

Hi, Th.!

To give a similar meaning, every Greek would use, I think, the proverb Τα στερνά τιμούν τα πρώτα. It's not the same point of view, since the answering part is only implied and there is an emphasis on living responsibly and not making U-turns at late age. However, it's such a strong proverb imho, that I would like to offer a translation based on it: Στα στερνά τιμάς τα πρώτα.

 

[AoratiMelani]

There is a proverb which, I think, expresses this very meaning:

Όπως έστρωσες, θα κοιμηθείς.

If, however, you want a more literal translation, here goes:

Ό,τι κάνεις το μεσημέρι θα το βρεις μπροστά σου το βράδυ.

The main disadvantage of a literal translation is that the expression "to cast a shadow" does not have the same connotations in Greek as in English. "Ρίχνω σκιά" or "Ρίχνω ίσκιο" does not mean "cause harm or trouble". So I would much rather go for the proverb I suggested at first.

By the way, in your translation there are a couple of errors: it appears as if the shadow must answer to the sundown (η σκιά...πρέπει να απολογηθεί στο σούρουπο).
It should rather be:
Ο άνθρωπος πρέπει να απολογηθεί [να δώσει λόγο] το σούρουπο για τη σκιά που ρίχνει [έριξε] στη μεσημβρία της ζωής.

EDIT: Hi, Doctor! Looks like we were writing at the same time.

 

[drsiebenmal]

Τώρα, σε βλέπω, Αόρατη! ;)

Όπως έστρωσες, θα κοιμηθείς.

Αυτό δεν είναι απλώς: You asked for it, You had it coming;

 

[Theseus]

Thanks so much. These suggestions are brilliant- just what the Doctor(!) ordered.

 

[Palavra]

Όπως έστρωσες, θα κοιμηθείς.

Αυτό δεν είναι απλώς: You asked for it, You had it coming;

Αυτό νομίζω είναι you've made your bed, now lie in it.
http://idioms.yourdictionary.com/make-one-s-bed-and-lie-in-it

 

[Irini]

Why not one of the variations of "ό,τι έσπειρες/σπείρεις θα θερίσεις"?

 

[AoratiMelani]

Μάλλον έχεις δίκιο, Παλάβρα, μόνο με μια πολύ γενική έννοια μπορεί να ταιριάξει η παροιμία που είπα.

Αυτή του Δόκτορα είναι πολύ περισσότερο to the point.

 

[daeman]

Why not one of the variations of "ό,τι έσπειρες/σπείρεις θα θερίσεις"?

Στα πρώτα ό,τι έσπειρες, στερνά θα το θερίσεις
Χάρου τα πρώτα προτού 'ρθεί, στερνά να σε θερίσει