Spoon River Anthology — Page 9
Judge Somers
El juez Somers
How does it happen, tell me,
Cómo sucede, dime,
That I who was most erudite of lawyers,
Que yo, que fui el más erudito de los abogados,
Who knew Blackstone and Coke
Que conocía a Blackstone y a Coke
Almost by heart, who made the greatest speech
Casi de memoria, que pronuncié el mejor discurso
The court-house ever heard, and wrote
Que jamás oyó el tribunal, y escribí
A brief that won the praise of Justice Breese
Un alegato que ganó el elogio del juez Breese
How does it happen, tell me,
Cómo sucede, dime,
That I lie here unmarked, forgotten,
Que yazco aquí sin señal, olvidado,
While Chase Henry, the town drunkard,
Mientras que Chase Henry, el borracho del pueblo,
Has a marble block, topped by an urn
Tiene un bloque de mármol, coronado por una urna
Wherein Nature, in a mood ironical,
En la que la Naturaleza, con humor irónico,
Has sown a flowering weed?
Ha sembrado una hierba florida?
Kinsey Keene
Kinsey Keene
Your attention, Thomas Rhodes, president of the bank;
Su atención, Thomas Rhodes, presidente del banco;
Coolbaugh Whedon, editor of the Argus;
Coolbaugh Whedon, editor del Argus;
Rev. Peet, pastor of the leading church;
El reverendo Peet, pastor de la iglesia principal;
A. D. Blood, several times Mayor of Spoon River;
A. D. Blood, varias veces alcalde de Spoon River;
And finally all of you, members of the Social Purity Club—
Y finalmente todos ustedes, miembros del Club de Pureza Social—
Your attention to Cambronne's dying words,
Su atención a las últimas palabras de Cambronne,
Standing with the heroic remnant
De pie con el heroico remanente
Of Napoleon's guard on Mount Saint Jean
De la guardia de Napoleón en el Monte Saint Jean
At the battle field of Waterloo,
En el campo de batalla de Waterloo,
When Maitland, the Englishman, called to them:
Cuando Maitland, el inglés, les gritó:
"Surrender, brave Frenchmen!"—
"¡Ríndanse, valientes franceses!"—
There at close of day with the battle hopelessly lost,
Allí, al caer el día, con la batalla irremediablemente perdida,
And hordes of men no longer the army
Y hordas de hombres que ya no eran el ejército
Of the great Napoleon
Del gran Napoleón
Streamed from the field like ragged strips
Huían del campo como jirones desgarrados
Of thunder clouds in the storm.
De nubarrones en la tormenta.
Well, what Cambronne said to Maitland
Pues bien, lo que Cambronne le dijo a Maitland
Ere the English fire made smooth the brow of the hill
Antes de que el fuego inglés allanara la cima de la colina
Against the sinking light of day
Contra la luz menguante del día
Say I to you, and all of you,
Eso os digo a vosotros, y a todos vosotros,
And to you, O world.
Y a ti, oh mundo.
And I charge you to carve it
Y os encargo que lo grabéis
Upon my stone.
Sobre mi lápida.
Vocabulary
- El
- The (masculine singular article)
- juez
- Judge; person who presides over court proceedings
- Cómo
- How; in what way or manner
- sucede
- Happens; occurs or takes place
- dime
- Tell me; command form of decir
- Que
- That; which or what (relative pronoun)
- yo
- I; first person singular pronoun
- que
- That; which or what (relative pronoun)
- fui
- Was; past tense of ser
- el
- The (masculine singular article)
- más
- Most; superlative degree marker
- erudito
- Erudite; learned or scholarly person
- de
- Of; indicates possession or origin
- los
- The (masculine plural article)
- abogados
- Lawyers; legal professionals who practice law
- conocía
- Knew; past tense of conocer
- Casi
- Almost; nearly or just about
- memoria
- Memory; ability to recall information
- pronuncié
- Pronounced; delivered speech or words
- mejor
- Better; superior in quality
- discurso
- Discourse; speech or formal address
- jamás
- Never; not ever at any time
- oyó
- Heard; past tense of oír
- tribunal
- Court; judicial institution or bench
- escribí
- Wrote; past tense of escribir
- Un
- A; an (masculine singular article)
- alegato
- Allegation; claim or legal argument
- ganó
- Won; past tense of ganar
- elogio
- Praise; expression of approval or admiration
- del
- Of the; contraction of de + el
- aquí
- Here; in this place or location
- sin
- Without; lacking or deprived of
- señal
- Signal; sign or mark of something
- olvidado
- Forgotten; past participle of olvidar
- Mientras
- While; during the time that
- borracho
- Drunk; intoxicated with alcohol
- pueblo
- Town; city or village community
- Tiene
- Has; third person singular of tener
- un
- A; an (masculine singular article)
- bloque
- Block; solid piece of material
- mármol
- Marble; hard crystalline stone
- coronado
- Crowned; topped with a crown
- por
- By; indicates agent or means
- una
- A; an (feminine singular article)
- urna
- Urn; vase for holding ashes
- En
- In; indicates location or position
- la
- The (feminine singular article)
- Naturaleza
- Nature; natural world or essence
- con
- With; accompanying or together
- humor
- Humor; quality of being amusing
- irónico
- Ironic; expressing irony or contradiction
- Ha
- Has; present perfect of haber
- sembrado
- Sown; past participle of sembrar
- hierba
- Grass; vegetation or plant
- florida
- Flowering; blooming or in flower
- Su
- His; her; your; possessive pronoun
- atención
- Attention; act of concentrating on something
- presidente
- President; chief executive officer
- banco
- Bank; financial institution
- editor
- Editor; person who edits publications
- reverendo
- Reverend; title for clergy member
- pastor
- Pastor; clergy member of church
- iglesia
- Church; religious building or institution
- principal
- Principal; main or most important
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