The Angel in the House — Page 8
But when I look on her and hope
Pero cuando la miro y espero
To tell with joy what I admire,
Decir con gozo lo que admiro,
My thoughts lie cramp'd in narrow scope,
Mis pensamientos yacen constreñidos en estrecho límite,
Or in the feeble birth expire;
O en el débil nacimiento se extinguen;
No mystery of well-woven speech,
Ningún misterio de bien tejido discurso,
No simplest phrase of tenderest fall,
Ninguna frase sencilla de más tierna cadencia,
No liken'd excellence can reach
Ninguna excelencia comparada puede alcanzar
Her, thee most excellent of all,
A ella, la más excelente de todas,
The best half of creation's best,
La mejor mitad de lo mejor de la creación,
Its heart to feel, its eye to see,
Su corazón para sentir, su ojo para ver,
The crown and complex of the rest,
La corona y compendio de lo demás,
Its aim and its epitome.
Su propósito y su epítome.
Nay, might I utter my conceit,
Más aún, si pudiera expresar mi concepto,
'Twere after all a vulgar song,
Sería al fin una canción vulgar,
For she's so simply, subtly sweet,
Pues ella es tan simple y sutilmente dulce,
My deepest rapture does her wrong.
Que mi más profundo arrobamiento la agravia.
Yet is it now my chosen task
Sin embargo, es ahora mi tarea elegida
To sing her worth as Maid and Wife;
Cantar su valor como Doncella y Esposa;
Nor happier post than this I ask,
Ni cargo más dichoso que este pido,
To live her laureate all my life.
Vivir como su poeta laureado toda mi vida.
On wings of love uplifted free,
En alas del amor alzado libremente,
And by her gentleness made great,
Y engrandecido por su dulzura,
I'll teach how noble man should be
Enseñaré cuán noble debe ser el hombre
To match with such a lovely mate;
Para estar a la altura de tan amable compañera;
And then in her may move the more
Y entonces en ella podrá moverse aún más
The woman's wish to be desired,
El deseo femenino de ser deseada,
(By praise increased), till both shall soar,
(Aumentado por el elogio), hasta que ambos se eleven,
With blissful emulations fired.
Encendidos de dichosas emulaciones.
And, as geranium, pink, or rose
Y, como el geranio, el clavel o la rosa
Is thrice itself through power of art,
Se triplica a sí misma por el poder del arte,
So may my happy skill disclose
Así pueda mi dichosa habilidad revelar
New fairness even in her fair heart;
Nueva hermosura aun en su bello corazón;
Until that churl shall nowhere be
Hasta que ese villano no exista en ningún lugar
Who bends not, awed, before the throne
Que no se incline, sobrecogido, ante el trono
Of her affecting majesty,
De su conmovedora majestad,
So meek, so far unlike our own;
Tan humilde, tan distinta de la nuestra;
Until (for who may hope too much
Hasta (pues ¿quién puede esperar demasiado
From her who wields the powers of love?)
De aquella que ejerce los poderes del amor?)
Vocabulary
- Pero
- But; however; used to introduce contrast
- cuando
- When; at the time that; during which
- la
- The; feminine singular definite article
- miro
- I look; I gaze; first person present of mirar
- espero
- I hope; I wait for; first person present of esperar
- Decir
- To say; to tell; to speak or utter words
- con
- With; accompanied by; in the company of
- gozo
- Joy; delight; great pleasure or happiness
- lo
- It; the; neuter article or direct object pronoun
- que
- That; which; what; relative pronoun
- admiro
- I admire; first person present of admirar
- Mis
- My; plural possessive adjective for multiple items
- pensamientos
- Thoughts; ideas; mental processes or reflections
- en
- In; on; at; preposition indicating location or position
- estrecho
- Narrow; tight; limited in width or space
- límite
- Limit; boundary; edge or furthest point
- el
- The; masculine singular definite article
- débil
- Weak; feeble; lacking in strength or power
- nacimiento
- Birth; origin; beginning or emergence of something
- se
- Oneself; himself; herself; reflexive pronoun
- Ningún
- No; not any; none; negative adjective form
- misterio
- Mystery; secret; something not fully understood
- de
- Of; from; preposition indicating possession or origin
- bien
- Well; good; properly or in good manner
- tejido
- Woven; tissue; interconnected threads or fabric
- discurso
- Discourse; speech; formal expression of thoughts
- Ninguna
- No; not any; feminine form of ningún
- frase
- Phrase; sentence; group of words conveying meaning
- sencilla
- Simple; plain; uncomplicated or straightforward
- más
- More; greater quantity; additional or further
- tierna
- Tender; soft; delicate or gentle in nature
- excelencia
- Excellence; superiority; highest quality or degree
- comparada
- Compared; contrasted; examined in relation to something
- puede
- Can; is able to; third person singular of poder
- alcanzar
- To reach; to attain; to achieve or obtain
- ella
- She; her; feminine third person singular pronoun
- excelente
- Excellent; superior; of outstanding quality or merit
- todas
- All; every one; feminine plural of todos
- La
- The; feminine singular definite article at sentence start
- mejor
- Better; best; superior in quality or excellence
- mitad
- Half; middle; one of two equal parts
- creación
- Creation; act of creating; something newly made
- Su
- His; her; your; its; third person possessive adjective
- corazón
- Heart; center; core of emotions and feelings
- para
- For; in order to; preposition indicating purpose
- sentir
- To feel; to sense; to experience emotionally
- su
- His; her; your; its; possessive adjective
- ojo
- Eye; organ of sight; visual perception
- ver
- To see; to view; to perceive with eyes
- corona
- Crown; top; highest point or honor
- demás
- Rest; remaining; the others besides these
- propósito
- Purpose; intention; objective or goal in mind
- Más
- More; greater; additional or greater quantity
- aún
- Yet; still; even now; continuing in time
- si
- If; in case that; conditional conjunction
- pudiera
- I could; I might; past subjunctive of poder
- expresar
- To express; to state; to communicate clearly
- mi
- My; first person singular possessive adjective
- concepto
- Concept; idea; mental representation or understanding
- Sería
- Would be; conditional form of ser
- al
- To the; combined preposition de and el
- fin
- End; finally; conclusion or purpose
- una
- A; one; feminine singular indefinite article
- canción
- Song; musical composition; melodic piece of music
- vulgar
- Vulgar; common; ordinary or lacking distinction
- Pues
- Well; then; since; conjunction introducing consequence
- es
- Is; third person singular present of ser
- tan
- So; such; to such a degree or extent
- simple
- Simple; easy; uncomplicated or straightforward nature
- dulce
- Sweet; pleasant; having sugary taste or flavor
- Que
- That; which; relative pronoun connecting clauses
- profundo
- Deep; profound; extending far down or inward
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