Which are you claiming: a) that I don't understand the quote, or b) that my rough translation is unclear?

Are you perhaps supposing that "rough" and "clear" are antonyms?

I think the translation is clear enough; what makes it "rough" is that a perfect translation would feel like it was a literal translation, all the while keeping the exact nuance of the original. If you will, it is the fact of its being a translation which makes it rough.

For more on the subtleties of translation, I'll direct you to Hofstadter's excellent Le Ton Beau de Marot.