Spoon River Anthology — Page 7

English → It Full Text Level 4/10

While I lived I could not cope with slanderous tongues,

Mentre ero in vita non riuscivo a far fronte alle lingue maligne,

Now that I am dead I must submit to an epitaph

Ora che sono morto devo sottomettermi a un epitaffio

Graven by a fool!

Inciso da un idiota!

Serepta Mason

My life's blossom might have bloomed on all sides

Il fiore della mia vita avrebbe potuto sbocciare da ogni lato

Save for a bitter wind which stunted my petals

Se non fosse stato per un vento aspro che ha stentato i miei petali

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

Dal lato di me che voi nel villaggio potevate vedere.

From the dust I lift a voice of protest:

Dalla polvere levo una voce di protesta:

My flowering side you never saw!

Il mio lato fiorito non lo avete mai visto!

Ye living ones, ye are fools indeed

O voi viventi, siete davvero degli stolti

Who do not know the ways of the wind

Che non conoscete le vie del vento

And the unseen forces

E le forze invisibili

That govern the processes of life.

Che governano i processi della vita.

Amanda Barker

Henry got me with child,

Henry mi mise incinta,

Knowing that I could not bring forth life

Sapendo che non avrei potuto dare alla luce una vita

Without losing my own.

Senza perdere la mia.

In my youth therefore I entered the portals of dust.

Nella mia giovinezza dunque varcai le porte della polvere.

Traveler, it is believed in the village where I lived

Viaggiatore, nel villaggio dove vissi si crede

That Henry loved me with a husband's love

Che Henry mi amasse con l'amore di un marito

But I proclaim from the dust

Ma io proclamo dalla polvere

That he slew me to gratify his hatred.

Che egli mi uccise per soddisfare il suo odio.

Constance Hately

You praise my self-sacrifice, Spoon River,

Lodate il mio sacrificio, Spoon River,

In rearing Irene and Mary,

Nell'allevare Irene e Mary,

Orphans of my older sister!

Orfane della mia sorella maggiore!

And you censure Irene and Mary

E condannate Irene e Mary

For their contempt for me!

Per il loro disprezzo nei miei confronti!

But praise not my self-sacrifice.

Ma non lodate il mio sacrificio.

And censure not their contempt;

E non condannate il loro disprezzo;

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

Le ho allevate, mi sono presa cura di loro, è vero!—

But I poisoned my benefactions

Ma ho avvelenato i miei benefici

With constant reminders of their dependence.

Con continui richiami alla loro dipendenza.

Chase Henry

In life I was the town drunkard;

In vita ero l'ubriacone del paese;

When I died the priest denied me burial

Quando morii il prete mi negò la sepoltura

In holy ground.

In terra sacra.

The which redounded to my good fortune.

Il che ridondò a mia buona fortuna.

Vocabulary

Mentre: MEHN-treh — Conjunction meaning 'while' or 'whereas' in time clauses.
ero: EH-roh — First person singular imperfect of 'essere': I was.
in: een — Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into'.
vita: VEE-tah — Noun meaning 'life' or lifetime of a person.
non: nohn — Negation adverb meaning 'not'.
riuscivo: ryoo-SHEE-voh — Imperfect of 'riuscire': I was able, I managed.
a: ah — Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'.
far: fahr — Infinitive 'fare' shortened: to do, make.
fronte: FROHN-teh — Noun meaning 'front'; in 'far fronte': to cope with.
alle: AHL-leh — Contraction of 'a' + 'le': to the (feminine plural).
lingue: LEEN-gweh — Plural of 'lingua': tongues, languages, or gossip.
maligne: mah-LEE-nyeh — Adjective: malicious, spiteful, or wicked (feminine plural).
Ora: OH-rah — Adverb meaning 'now' or 'at this moment'.
che: keh — Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that', 'which', 'who'.
sono: SOH-noh — First person singular present of 'essere': I am.
morto: MOHR-toh — Past participle of 'morire': dead, deceased.
devo: DEH-voh — First person singular present of 'dovere': I must, I have to.
sottomettermi: soht-toh-MEHT-tehr-mee — Reflexive infinitive: to submit myself, to yield.
un: oon — Indefinite article masculine singular: a, an.
epitaffio: eh-pee-TAHF-fyoh — Noun: an epitaph, inscription on a tombstone.
Inciso: een-CHEE-zoh — Past participle of 'incidere': engraved, inscribed on stone.
da: dah — Preposition meaning 'by', 'from', or 'since'.
idiota: ee-DYOH-tah — Noun/adjective: idiot, fool, stupid person.
Il: eel — Definite article masculine singular: the.
fiore: FYOH-reh — Noun meaning 'flower'; also used metaphorically for potential.
mia: MEE-ah — Possessive adjective feminine singular: my.
avrebbe: ah-VREHB-beh — Conditional of 'avere': he/she/it would have.
potuto: poh-TOO-toh — Past participle of 'potere': been able to, could have.
sbocciare: zboh-CHAH-reh — Verb: to bloom, to blossom, to open as a flower.
ogni: OH-nyee — Adjective meaning 'every', 'each', 'all'.
lato: LAH-toh — Noun meaning 'side', 'aspect', or direction.
Se: seh — Conjunction meaning 'if', introducing conditional clauses.
fosse: FOHS-seh — Imperfect subjunctive of 'essere': were, had been.
stato: STAH-toh — Past participle of 'essere': been; also noun meaning 'state'.
per: pehr — Preposition meaning 'for', 'through', 'because of'.
vento: VEHN-toh — Noun meaning 'wind', moving air outside.
aspro: AHS-proh — Adjective meaning 'harsh', 'bitter', or 'rough'.
ha: ah — Third person singular present of 'avere': he/she/it has.
stentato: stehn-TAH-toh — Past participle of 'stentare': stunted, hindered, struggled.
i: ee — Definite article masculine plural: the.
miei: MYEH-ee — Possessive adjective masculine plural: my.
petali: PEH-tah-lee — Plural of 'petalo': petals of a flower.
Dal: dahl — Contraction of 'da' + 'il': from the, by the.
me: meh — Pronoun: me, myself (stressed form).
voi: voy — Second person plural pronoun: you (plural).
nel: nehl — Contraction of 'in' + 'il': in the (masculine singular).
villaggio: veel-LAHD-joh — Noun meaning 'village', small rural settlement.
potevate: poh-teh-VAH-teh — Imperfect of 'potere' (2nd plural): you were able to.
vedere: veh-DEH-reh — Infinitive meaning 'to see', to observe.
Dalla: DAHL-lah — Contraction of 'da' + 'la': from the (feminine singular).
polvere: POHL-veh-reh — Noun meaning 'dust', fine powder or earth particles.
levo: LEH-voh — First person singular present of 'levare': I raise, I lift.
una: OO-nah — Indefinite article feminine singular: a, an.
voce: VOH-cheh — Noun meaning 'voice', sound produced by speaking.
protesta: proh-TEHS-tah — Noun meaning 'protest', formal expression of objection.
mio: MEE-oh — Possessive adjective masculine singular: my.
fiorito: fyoh-REE-toh — Past participle of 'fiorire': bloomed, flowered, flourished.
lo: loh — Direct object pronoun masculine singular: it, him.
avete: ah-VEH-teh — Second person plural present of 'avere': you (pl.) have.
mai: my — Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever' depending on context.
visto: VEES-toh — Past participle of 'vedere': seen, observed.
O: oh — Conjunction meaning 'or'; also vocative exclamation 'O!'.
viventi: vee-VEHN-tee — Plural noun/adjective: living ones, those who are alive.
siete: SYEH-teh — Second person plural present of 'essere': you (pl.) are.
davvero: dahv-VEH-roh — Adverb meaning 'truly', 'really', 'indeed'.
degli: DEHL-yee — Contraction of 'di' + 'gli': of the (masculine plural).
stolti: STOHL-tee — Plural noun/adjective: fools, foolish people, idiots.
conoscete: koh-noh-SHEH-teh — Second person plural present of 'conoscere': you (pl.) know.
le: leh — Definite article feminine plural: the; also indirect pronoun.
vie: VEE-eh — Plural of 'via': ways, roads, paths, methods.
del: dehl — Contraction of 'di' + 'il': of the (masculine singular).
forze: FOHR-tseh — Plural of 'forza': forces, powers, strengths.
invisibili: een-vee-ZEE-bee-lee — Adjective plural: invisible, not able to be seen.
governano: goh-VEHR-nah-noh — Third person plural present of 'governare': they govern, rule.
processi: proh-CHEHS-see — Plural of 'processo': processes, proceedings, trials.
mise: MEE-zeh — Third person singular passato remoto of 'mettere': he/she put.
incinta: een-CHEEN-tah — Adjective meaning 'pregnant', expecting a child.
Sapendo: sah-PEHN-doh — Gerund of 'sapere': knowing, being aware of something.
avrei: ah-VREH-ee — First person singular conditional of 'avere': I would have.
dare: DAH-reh — Infinitive meaning 'to give'.
alla: AHL-lah — Contraction of 'a' + 'la': to the (feminine singular).
luce: LOO-cheh — Noun meaning 'light'; 'dare alla luce' means to give birth.
Senza: SEHN-tsah — Preposition meaning 'without', lacking something.
perdere: PEHR-deh-reh — Infinitive meaning 'to lose', to be deprived of.
la: lah — Definite article feminine singular: the; also direct pronoun.
Nella: NEHL-lah — Contraction of 'in' + 'la': in the (feminine singular).
giovinezza: joh-vee-NEHT-tsah — Noun meaning 'youth', the period of being young.
dunque: DOON-kweh — Conjunction meaning 'therefore', 'so', 'then'.
varcai: vahr-KAH-ee — First person singular passato remoto of 'varcare': I crossed.
porte: POHR-teh — Plural of 'porta': doors, gates, entrances.
Viaggiatore: vyahd-jah-TOH-reh — Noun meaning 'traveler', one who journeys or travels.
dove: DOH-veh — Adverb meaning 'where', indicating place or location.
vissi: VEES-see — First person singular passato remoto of 'vivere': I lived.
si: see — Reflexive pronoun: oneself; also impersonal construction 'one'.
crede: KREH-deh — Third person singular present of 'credere': he/she believes.
amasse: ah-MAHS-seh — Imperfect subjunctive of 'amare': that he/she loved.
con: kohn — Preposition meaning 'with', together or accompanied by.
amore: ah-MOH-reh — Noun meaning 'love', deep affection for someone.
marito: mah-REE-toh — Noun meaning 'husband', a married male partner.
Ma: mah — Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrasting statement.
io: EE-oh — First person singular pronoun: I.
proclamo: proh-KLAH-moh — First person singular present of 'proclamare': I proclaim, declare.
egli: EHL-yee — Third person singular masculine pronoun: he (formal/literary).
uccise: oo-CHEE-zeh — Third person singular passato remoto of 'uccidere': he killed.
soddisfare: sohd-dees-FAH-reh — Infinitive meaning 'to satisfy', to fulfill a desire or need.
suo: SOO-oh — Possessive adjective masculine singular: his, her, its.
odio: OH-dyoh — Noun meaning 'hatred', intense dislike or hostility.
Lodate: loh-DAH-teh — Imperative plural of 'lodare': praise (you all), commend.
sacrificio: sah-kree-FEE-choh — Noun meaning 'sacrifice', giving up something valuable.
allevare: ahl-leh-VAH-reh — Infinitive meaning 'to raise', to bring up children or animals.
e: eh — Conjunction meaning 'and', connecting words or clauses.
Orfane: OHR-fah-neh — Plural noun/adjective feminine: orphans, girls without parents.
sorella: soh-REHL-lah — Noun meaning 'sister', female sibling.
maggiore: mahd-JOH-reh — Adjective meaning 'older', 'greater', 'major'.
condannate: kohn-dahn-NAH-teh — Past participle feminine plural of 'condannare': condemned, sentenced.
Per: pehr — Preposition meaning 'for', 'because of', 'in order to'.
loro: LOH-roh — Third person plural pronoun: them, their, they.
disprezzo: dees-PREHT-tsoh — Noun meaning 'contempt', 'scorn', disdainful attitude toward others.
nei: neh-ee — Contraction of 'in' + 'i': in the (masculine plural).
confronti: kohn-FROHN-tee — Plural of 'confronto': comparisons; 'nei confronti di' means towards.
lodate: loh-DAH-teh — Imperative of 'lodare': praise! Also past participle: praised.
Le: leh — Definite article feminine plural: the; also direct object pronoun.
ho: oh — First person singular present of 'avere': I have.
allevate: ahl-leh-VAH-teh — Past participle feminine plural of 'allevare': raised, brought up.
presa: PREH-zah — Past participle of 'prendere': taken; 'presa cura' means taken care.
cura: KOO-rah — Noun meaning 'care', attention, treatment; 'aver cura' to care for.
è: eh — Third person singular present of 'essere': he/she/it is.
vero: VEH-roh — Adjective meaning 'true', 'real', genuine.
avvelenato: ahv-veh-leh-NAH-toh — Past participle of 'avvelenare': poisoned, contaminated with poison.
benefici: beh-NEH-fee-chee — Plural of 'beneficio': benefits, favors, acts of kindness.
Con: kohn — Preposition meaning 'with', expressing accompaniment or means.
continui: kohn-TEE-nwee — Adjective masculine plural: continuous, unceasing, repeated.
richiami: ree-KYAH-mee — Plural of 'richiamo': reminders, recalls, references to something.
dipendenza: dee-pehn-DEHN-tsah — Noun meaning 'dependence', reliance on someone or something.
In: een — Preposition meaning 'in', inside a place or condition.
ubriacone: oo-bryah-KOH-neh — Noun meaning 'drunkard', habitual heavy drinker.
paese: pah-EH-zeh — Noun meaning 'village', 'town', or 'country'.
Quando: KWAHN-doh — Conjunction/adverb meaning 'when', at what time.
morii: moh-REE-ee — First person singular passato remoto of 'morire': I died.
prete: PREH-teh — Noun meaning 'priest', Catholic ordained minister.
negò: neh-GOH — Third person singular passato remoto of 'negare': he/she denied.
sepoltura: seh-pohl-TOO-rah — Noun meaning 'burial', interment of a dead person.
terra: TEHR-rah — Noun meaning 'earth', 'land', 'ground', or soil.
sacra: SAH-krah — Adjective feminine: sacred, holy, consecrated ground or place.
buona: BWOH-nah — Adjective feminine: good, favorable, positive.
fortuna: fohr-TOO-nah — Noun meaning 'fortune', 'luck', favorable chance or fate.

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