Spoon River Anthology — Page 7

English → Spanish Full Text Level 4/10

While I lived I could not cope with slanderous tongues,

Mientras viví no pude hacer frente a las lenguas calumniadoras,

Now that I am dead I must submit to an epitaph

Ahora que estoy muerto debo someterme a un epitafio

Graven by a fool!

¡Grabado por un necio!

Serepta Mason

My life's blossom might have bloomed on all sides

La flor de mi vida podría haber florecido por todos lados

Save for a bitter wind which stunted my petals

De no ser por un viento amargo que atrofió mis pétalos

On the side of me which you in the village could see.

Por el lado de mí que vosotros en el pueblo podíais ver.

From the dust I lift a voice of protest:

Desde el polvo elevo una voz de protesta:

My flowering side you never saw!

¡Mi lado floreciente jamás lo visteis!

Ye living ones, ye are fools indeed

Vosotros los vivos, sois verdaderamente necios

Who do not know the ways of the wind

Que no conocéis los caminos del viento

And the unseen forces

Y las fuerzas invisibles

That govern the processes of life.

Que gobiernan los procesos de la vida.

Amanda Barker

Henry got me with child,

Henry me dejó encinta,

Knowing that I could not bring forth life

Sabiendo que yo no podría dar a luz

Without losing my own.

Sin perder la mía propia.

In my youth therefore I entered the portals of dust.

En mi juventud entré pues en los umbrales del polvo.

Traveler, it is believed in the village where I lived

Viajero, se cree en el pueblo donde viví

That Henry loved me with a husband's love

Que Henry me amó con el amor de un esposo

But I proclaim from the dust

Pero yo proclamo desde el polvo

That he slew me to gratify his hatred.

Que él me mató para satisfacer su odio.

Constance Hately

You praise my self-sacrifice, Spoon River,

Alabáis mi abnegación, Spoon River,

In rearing Irene and Mary,

Por criar a Irene y Mary,

Orphans of my older sister!

¡Huérfanas de mi hermana mayor!

And you censure Irene and Mary

Y censuráis a Irene y Mary

For their contempt for me!

¡Por su desprecio hacia mí!

But praise not my self-sacrifice.

Pero no alabéis mi abnegación.

And censure not their contempt;

Y no censuréis su desprecio;

I reared them, I cared for them, true enough!—

Las crié, las cuidé, ¡cierto es!—

But I poisoned my benefactions

Pero envenené mis beneficios

With constant reminders of their dependence.

Con constantes recordatorios de su dependencia.

Chase Henry

In life I was the town drunkard;

En vida fui el borracho del pueblo;

When I died the priest denied me burial

Cuando morí el sacerdote me negó sepultura

In holy ground.

En tierra sagrada.

The which redounded to my good fortune.

Lo cual redundó en mi buena fortuna.

Vocabulary

Mientras: While; conjunction indicating simultaneous actions or time.
viví: I lived; first person singular preterite of vivir.
pude: I was able; first person singular preterite of poder.
hacer: To do or make; common infinitive verb.
frente: Front, forehead; hacer frente means to face or confront.
lenguas: Tongues or languages; here referring to gossiping mouths.
calumniadoras: Slanderous, defamatory; describing tongues that spread lies.
muerto: Dead; adjective or noun referring to a deceased person.
debo: I must or I owe; first person singular of deber.
someterme: To submit myself; reflexive infinitive of someter.
epitafio: Epitaph; inscription written on a tomb or gravestone.
Grabado: Engraved or carved; past participle of grabar.
necio: Fool or foolish; describing a stupid or ignorant person.
flor: Flower; used metaphorically to represent life or potential.
florecido: Bloomed or flourished; past participle of florecer.
lados: Sides; todos lados means everywhere or all around.
viento: Wind; natural force of moving air.
amargo: Bitter; describing a harsh or resentful quality.
pétalos: Petals; parts of a flower, used metaphorically here.
pueblo: Town or people; a community or small village.
podíais: You all could; second person plural imperfect of poder.
polvo: Dust; referring to remains after death.
elevo: I raise; first person singular present of elevar.
protesta: Protest or objection; expression of disagreement or complaint.
floreciente: Flourishing or blooming; adjective describing thriving potential.
jamás: Never or ever; strong negation emphasizing complete absence.
visteis: You all saw; second person plural preterite of ver.
vivos: The living; those who are alive, plural of vivo.
verdaderamente: Truly or really; adverb emphasizing sincerity or truth.
necios: Fools; plural adjective meaning foolish or ignorant people.
conocéis: You all know; second person plural present of conocer.
caminos: Paths or roads; ways forward, literal or metaphorical.
fuerzas: Forces or strengths; powers that act upon things.
invisibles: Invisible; things that cannot be seen or perceived.
gobiernan: They govern or rule; third person plural of gobernar.
procesos: Processes; sequences of events or natural operations.
dejó: He left or let; third person singular preterite of dejar.
Sabiendo: Knowing; gerund of saber, implying awareness of facts.
luz: Light; dar a luz means to give birth.
perder: To lose; infinitive of common verb meaning to lose.
propia: Own; adjective emphasizing personal possession or identity.
juventud: Youth; the period of being young in one's life.
entré: I entered; first person singular preterite of entrar.
Viajero: Traveler; one who journeys from place to place.
cree: Believes or thinks; third person singular present of creer.
amó: He or she loved; third person singular preterite of amar.
amor: Love; deep affection or romantic feeling.
esposo: Husband; a married male partner or spouse.
proclamo: I proclaim; first person singular present of proclamar.
mató: He or she killed; third person singular preterite of matar.
satisfacer: To satisfy; infinitive meaning to fulfill or appease.
odio: Hatred; intense dislike or animosity toward someone.
criar: To raise or bring up; to rear children.
Huérfanas: Orphaned girls; female children without parents.
hermana: Sister; a female sibling in a family.
mayor: Older or greater; comparative adjective indicating seniority.
desprecio: Contempt or scorn; strong disregard or disdain for someone.
crié: I raised; first person singular preterite of criar.
cuidé: I cared for; first person singular preterite of cuidar.
cierto: Certain or true; adjective confirming a fact.
beneficios: Benefits or favors; advantages given to someone.
dependencia: Dependence; state of relying on another person.
borracho: Drunk; a person who habitually drinks alcohol excessively.
morí: I died; first person singular preterite of morir.
sacerdote: Priest; a religious minister who performs sacred rites.
negó: He denied; third person singular preterite of negar.
sagrada: Sacred or holy; describing consecrated or blessed ground.
fortuna: Fortune or luck; favorable outcome or good destiny.

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