고 견디다

bear it and hold out

견디다 is holding out under something hard rather than merely disliking it — heat, pain, a long stretch of life. Four of these lines use the set pair 참고 견디다, 'bear it and endure', which doubles the idea for emphasis: 험난한 인생길을 잘 참고 견뎌온 스스로를 칭찬하며. -고 also just chains the circumstance: 긴 바지를 입고 견디는 게 many, enduring the heat in long trousers.