The Angel in the House — Page 5
Geranium, lychnis, rose array'd The windows, all wide open thrown;
Geranie, Lichtnelke, Rose schmückten Die Fenster, alle weit geöffnet;
And some one in the Study play'd The Wedding-March of Mendelssohn.
Und jemand spielte im Arbeitszimmer Den Hochzeitsmarsch von Mendelssohn.
And there it was I last took leave:
Und dort war es, wo ich zuletzt Abschied nahm:
'Twas Christmas: I remember'd now
Es war Weihnachten: ich erinnerte mich nun
The cruel girls, who feign'd to grieve,
Der grausamen Mädchen, die Trauer vortäuschten,
Took down the evergreens; and how
Die Immergrünen abnahmen; und wie
The holly into blazes woke The fire, lighting the large, low room,
Die Stechpalme das Feuer zu hellen Flammen entfachte Und den großen, niedrigen Raum erhellte,
A dim, rich lustre of old oak And crimson velvet's glowing gloom.
In mattem, reichem Glanz von altem Eichenholz Und des Karmesinsamts glühender Düsternis.
No change had touch'd Dean Churchill: kind, By widowhood more than winters bent,
Keine Veränderung hatte Dekan Churchill berührt: gütig, Mehr durch die Witwenschaft als durch die Jahre gebeugt,
And settled in a cheerful mind, As still forecasting heaven's content.
Und in heiterer Gesinnung gefestigt, Als ob er stets des Himmels Seligkeit vorausahnte.
Well might his thoughts be fix'd on high, Now she was there!
Wohl mochten seine Gedanken in die Höhe gerichtet sein, Nun, da sie dort war!
Within her face Humility and dignity Were met in a most sweet embrace.
In ihrem Antlitz Begegneten sich Demut und Würde In einer höchst innigen Umarmung.
She seem'd expressly sent below To teach our erring minds to see
Sie schien eigens herabgesandt Um unsere irrenden Geister zu lehren, zu erkennen,
The rhythmic change of time's swift flow As part of still eternity.
Den rhythmischen Wandel des schnellen Zeitflusses Als Teil der stillen Ewigkeit.
Her life, all honour, observed, with awe Which cross experience could not mar,
Ihr Leben, ganz Ehre, beachtete mit Ehrfurcht, Die widrige Erfahrung nicht trüben konnte,
The fiction of the Christian law That all men honourable are;
Die Fiktion des christlichen Gesetzes, Dass alle Menschen ehrenhaft sind;
And so her smile at once conferr'd High flattery and benign reproof;
Und so verlieh ihr Lächeln zugleich Hohe Schmeichelei und wohlwollenden Tadel;
And I, a rude boy, strangely stirr'd, Grew courtly in my own behoof.
Und ich, ein grober Junge, seltsam bewegt, Wurde höfisch zu meinem eigenen Vorteil.
The years, so far from doing her wrong, Anointed her with gracious balm,
Die Jahre, weit davon entfernt, ihr Unrecht zu tun, Salbten sie mit gnädigem Balsam,
And made her brows more and more young With wreaths of amaranth and palm.
Und machten ihre Stirn immer jünger Mit Kränzen aus Amarant und Palme.
Was this her eldest, Honor; prude, Who would not let me pull the swing;
War dies ihre Älteste, Honor; Prüde, Die mich nicht an der Schaukel ziehen ließ;
Who, kiss'd at Christmas, call'd me rude, And, sobbing low, refused to sing?
Die, zu Weihnachten geküsst, mich grob nannte, Und, leise schluchzend, sich weigerte zu singen?
How changed!
Wie verändert!
Vocabulary
- Geranie
- A geranium flower plant with colorful blooms.
- Rose
- A flowering plant with fragrant, colorful blooms.
- schmückten
- Decorated or adorned (past tense of schmücken).
- Die
- The (feminine singular or plural definite article).
- Fenster
- A window or opening in a wall.
- alle
- All or every (plural, accusative, or nominative).
- weit
- Wide, far, or distant in space or degree.
- geöffnet
- Opened or opened up (past participle).
- Und
- And (conjunction used to connect words or clauses).
- jemand
- Someone, somebody, or anyone (indefinite pronoun).
- spielte
- Played (past tense of spielen).
- im
- In the (contraction of in + dem).
- Arbeitszimmer
- A study or working room in a house.
- Den
- The (masculine singular accusative article).
- Hochzeitsmarsch
- A wedding march or processional musical composition.
- von
- Of, from, or by (preposition showing possession).
- dort
- There or in that place (adverb).
- war
- Was or were (past tense of sein).
- es
- It (neuter singular pronoun).
- wo
- Where or in which place (adverb).
- ich
- I (first person singular pronoun).
- zuletzt
- Lastly, finally, or at the end.
- Abschied
- Farewell, departure, or parting from someone.
- nahm
- Took or took away (past tense of nehmen).
- Es
- It (neuter singular pronoun at sentence start).
- Weihnachten
- Christmas, the annual Christian holiday celebration.
- erinnerte
- Reminded or recalled (past tense of erinnern).
- mich
- Me (accusative form of ich).
- nun
- Now or at the present time.
- Der
- The (masculine singular nominative article).
- grausamen
- Cruel, terrible, or dreadful (accusative plural).
- Mädchen
- Girl or young woman (singular or plural).
- die
- The (feminine singular or plural article).
- Trauer
- Mourning, grief, or sorrow for the deceased.
- vortäuschten
- Pretended or feigned (past tense of vortäuschen).
- Immergrünen
- Evergreens or plants that remain green year-round.
- abnahmen
- Took off or removed (past tense of abnehmen).
- und
- And (conjunction connecting words and phrases).
- wie
- How, like, or as (adverb or conjunction).
- Stechpalme
- Holly, a spiny-leaved evergreen plant.
- das
- The (neuter singular nominative or accusative).
- Feuer
- Fire or flame (heat and light from burning).
- zu
- To, at, or for (preposition or infinitive marker).
- hellen
- Bright or light-colored (plural accusative form).
- Flammen
- Flames or burning fires (plural of Flamme).
- entfachte
- Kindled or ignited (past tense of entfachen).
- den
- The (masculine singular accusative article).
- großen
- Large or big (accusative singular form).
- niedrigen
- Low or lowly (accusative singular form).
- Raum
- Room, space, or area within a building.
- erhellte
- Illuminated or lit up (past tense of erhellen).
- In
- In or within (preposition showing location).
- mattem
- Dull or matte (dative singular form).
- reichem
- Rich or abundant (dative singular masculine form).
- Glanz
- Shine, luster, or brilliance of a surface.
- altem
- Old or ancient (dative singular masculine form).
- Eichenholz
- Oak wood used in furniture and building.
- des
- The (genitive article masculine or neuter).
- glühender
- Glowing or incandescent (genitive singular form).
- Düsternis
- Darkness, gloom, or dim lighting conditions.
- Keine
- No, not any, or without (nominative plural).
- Veränderung
- Change, alteration, or modification of something.
- hatte
- Had (past tense of haben).
- Dekan
- Dean, head of a faculty or chapter.
- berührt
- Touched or affected (past participle of berühren).
- gütig
- Kind, benevolent, or merciful in nature.
- Mehr
- More or greater in amount or degree.
- durch
- Through, by, or via (preposition).
- Witwenschaft
- Widowhood or state of being a widow.
- als
- Than or as (comparison or temporal adverb).
- Jahre
- Years or periods of time (plural of Jahr).
- gebeugt
- Bent or bowed (past participle of beugen).
- in
- In, within, or during (preposition).
- heiterer
- Cheerful, serene, or bright (genitive singular).
- Gesinnung
- Disposition, sentiment, or state of mind.
- gefestigt
- Consolidated, strengthened, or solidified (past participle).
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