The Angel in the House — Page 3

English → Fr Book I. Level 7/10

His purpose with performance crown'd,

Son dessein par l'accomplissement couronné,

He to his well-pleased Wife rehears'd,

Il récita à sa ravie Épouse,

When next their Wedding-Day came round,

Lorsque revint leur Jour de Noces,

His leisure's labour, 'Book the First.'

Le labeur de ses loisirs, « Livre Premier ».

CANTO I

CHANT I

The Cathedral Close.

L'Enceinte de la Cathédrale.

PRELUDES.

PRÉLUDES.

_The Impossibility_.

_L'Impossibilité_.

Lo, love's obey'd by all. 'Tis right

Voici, l'amour est obéi de tous. Il est juste

That all should know what they obey,

Que tous sachent ce à quoi ils obéissent,

Lest erring conscience damp delight,

De peur qu'une conscience égarée n'atténue le plaisir,

And folly laugh our joys away.

Et que la folie ne chasse nos joies par ses rires.

Thou Primal Love, who grantest wings

Toi, Amour Primordial, qui accordes des ailes

And voices to the woodland birds,

Et des voix aux oiseaux des bois,

Grant me the power of saying things

Accorde-moi le pouvoir de dire des choses

Too simple and too sweet for words!

Trop simples et trop douces pour les mots !

II.

_Love's Really_.

_La Réalité de l'Amour_.

I walk, I trust, with open eyes;

Je marche, je crois, les yeux ouverts ;

I've travell'd half my worldly course;

J'ai parcouru la moitié de mon chemin terrestre ;

And in the way behind me lies

Et dans le chemin derrière moi gisent

Much vanity and some remorse;

Beaucoup de vanité et quelques remords ;

I've lived to feel how pride may part

J'ai vécu pour sentir comment l'orgueil peut séparer

Spirits, tho' match'd like hand and glove;

Des âmes, bien qu'assorties comme la main et le gant ;

I've blush'd for love's abode, the heart;

J'ai rougi pour le séjour de l'amour, le cœur ;

But have not disbelieved in love;

Mais je n'ai pas cessé de croire en l'amour ;

Nor unto love, sole mortal thing

Ni envers l'amour, seule chose mortelle

Of worth immortal, done the wrong

D'une valeur immortelle, commis l'injustice

To count it, with the rest that sing,

De le compter, avec tout ce qui chante,

Unworthy of a serious song;

Indigne d'un chant sérieux ;

And love is my reward; for now,

Et l'amour est ma récompense ; car à présent,

When most of dead'ning time complain,

Quand la plupart se plaignent du temps qui engourdit,

The myrtle blooms upon my brow,

Le myrte fleurit sur mon front,

Its odour quickens all my brain.

Son parfum vivifie tout mon esprit.

III.

_The Poet's Confidence_.

_La Confiance du Poète_.

The richest realm of all the earth

Le royaume le plus riche de toute la terre

Is counted still a heathen land:

Est encore tenu pour une contrée païenne :

Lo, I, like Joshua, now go forth

Voici, moi, tel Josué, je pars maintenant

To give it into Israel's hand.

Pour le remettre entre les mains d'Israël.

Vocabulary

Son: sɔ̃ — His, her, or its (possessive adjective).
dessein: dɛsɛ̃ — Plan, purpose, or intention.
par: par — By, through, or per (preposition).
accomplissement: akɔ̃plismɑ̃ — Fulfillment, achievement, or completion of something.
couronné: kuʁɔne — Crowned, rewarded, or brought to successful completion.
Il: il — He or it (third-person masculine pronoun).
récita: ʁesita — Recited or narrated aloud (past tense).
ravie: ʁavi — Delighted, thrilled, or overjoyed (feminine adjective).
Épouse: epuz — Wife or spouse (feminine noun).
Lorsque: lɔʁskə — When, at the time that (conjunction).
revint: ʁəvɛ̃ — Came back, returned (simple past tense).
leur: lœʁ — Their (possessive) or to them (pronoun).
Jour: ʒuʁ — Day (masculine noun).
Noces: nɔs — Wedding or nuptials (plural feminine noun).
labeur: labœʁ — Hard work, toil, or labor.
loisirs: lwazir — Leisure time, free time, or recreational activities.
Livre: livʁ — Book (masculine noun).
Premier: pʁəmje — First (masculine ordinal adjective).
CHANT: ʃɑ̃ — Song, canto, or lyrical division of a poem.
Enceinte: ɑ̃sɛ̃t — Enclosure, surrounding walls, or pregnant (adjective).
Cathédrale: katedral — Cathedral, a large principal church.
PRÉLUDES: pʁelyd — Preludes, introductory pieces or sections.
Impossibilité: ɛ̃pɔsibilite — Impossibility, the state of being impossible.
Voici: vwasi — Here is, here are (presentative expression).
amour: amuʁ — Love (masculine noun).
obéi: ɔbei — Obeyed, followed, or complied with.
juste: ʒyst — Just, fair, or correct.
sachent: saʃ — Know (subjunctive form of savoir).
obéissent: ɔbeisɑ̃ — Obey (third-person plural present indicative).
peur: pœʁ — Fear, fright (feminine noun).
conscience: kɔ̃sjɑ̃s — Conscience, awareness, or moral sense.
égarée: egaʁe — Lost, astray, or misguided (feminine adjective).
atténue: atenɥ — Diminishes, softens, or lessens in intensity.
plaisir: plezir — Pleasure, enjoyment, or delight.
folie: fɔli — Madness, folly, or extreme foolishness.
chasse: ʃas — Drives away, hunts, or chases out.
joies: ʒwa — Joys, happinesses (plural feminine noun).
rires: ʁiʁ — Laughs, laughter (plural masculine noun).
Amour: amuʁ — Love personified (masculine noun).
Primordial: pʁimɔʁdjal — Primordial, original, or of first importance.
accordes: akɔʁd — Grant, bestow, or give (second-person singular present).
ailes: ɛl — Wings (plural feminine noun).
voix: vwa — Voice or voices (feminine noun).
oiseaux: wazo — Birds (plural masculine noun).
bois: bwa — Wood, forest, or woods.
Accorde: akɔʁd — Grant or bestow (imperative form).
pouvoir: puvwaʁ — Power, ability, or to be able to.
dire: diʁ — To say or to tell.
choses: ʃoz — Things, matters (plural feminine noun).
simples: sɛ̃pl — Simple, plain, or uncomplicated (adjective).
douces: dus — Sweet, soft, or gentle (feminine plural adjective).
mots: mo — Words (plural masculine noun).
Réalité: ʁealite — Reality, the state of being real.
marche: maʁʃ — Walk, march, or step (verb/noun).
crois: kʁwa — Believe or think (first-person singular present).
yeux: jø — Eyes (plural masculine noun).
ouverts: uvɛʁ — Open (plural masculine adjective).
parcouru: paʁkuʁy — Traveled through, covered (past participle of parcourir).
moitié: mwatje — Half (feminine noun).
chemin: ʃəmɛ̃ — Path, road, or way.
terrestre: tɛʁɛstʁ — Earthly, terrestrial, or of this world.
derrière: dɛʁjɛʁ — Behind, in back of (preposition or adverb).
Beaucoup: boku — Much, many, a lot (adverb of quantity).
vanité: vanite — Vanity, conceit, or emptiness.
remords: ʁəmɔʁ — Remorse, regret (masculine noun).
vécu: veky — Lived, experienced (past participle of vivre).
sentir: sɑ̃tiʁ — To feel, sense, or smell.
orgueil: ɔʁɡœj — Pride, arrogance (masculine noun).
séparer: sepaʁe — To separate or divide apart.
âmes: am — Souls (plural feminine noun).
assorties: asɔʁti — Matched, well-suited (feminine plural adjective).
main: mɛ̃ — Hand (feminine noun).
gant: ɡɑ̃ — Glove (masculine noun).
rougi: ʁuʒi — Blushed, turned red (past participle).
séjour: seʒuʁ — Stay, sojourn, or dwelling place.
cœur: kœʁ — Heart (masculine noun).
cessé: sese — Stopped, ceased (past participle of cesser).
croire: kʁwaʁ — To believe or to trust.
mortelle: mɔʁtɛl — Mortal, deadly (feminine adjective).
valeur: valœʁ — Value, worth, or merit.
immortelle: imɔʁtɛl — Immortal, everlasting (feminine adjective).
commis: kɔmi — Committed (past participle of commettre).
injustice: ɛ̃ʒystis — Injustice, unfairness (feminine noun).
compter: kɔ̃te — To count or to reckon with.
chante: ʃɑ̃t — Sing (first/third-person singular present).
Indigne: ɛ̃diɲ — Unworthy, undeserving (adjective).
récompense: ʁekɔ̃pɑ̃s — Reward or recompense (feminine noun).
présent: pʁezɑ̃ — Present, current moment (noun/adjective).
plupart: plypaʁ — Most, the majority (feminine noun phrase).
plaignent: plɛɲ — Complain (third-person plural present of plaindre).
temps: tɑ̃ — Time or weather (masculine noun).
engourdit: ɑ̃ɡuʁdi — Numbs, makes sluggish (third-person singular present).
fleurit: fløʁi — Blooms, blossoms (third-person singular present).
front: fʁɔ̃ — Forehead or front (masculine noun).
parfum: paʁfɛ̃ — Perfume, fragrance (masculine noun).
vivifie: vivifi — Enlivens, invigorates, or gives life to.
esprit: ɛspʁi — Mind, spirit, or wit.
Confiance: kɔ̃fjɑ̃s — Trust, confidence (feminine noun).
Poète: pɔɛt — Poet (masculine noun).
royaume: ʁwajom — Kingdom, realm (masculine noun).
riche: ʁiʃ — Rich, wealthy, or abundant (adjective).
terre: tɛʁ — Earth, land, or ground (feminine noun).
tenu: təny — Held, maintained (past participle of tenir).
contrée: kɔ̃tʁe — Land, region, or country (feminine noun).
pars: paʁ — Leave, depart (first/second-person singular present).
maintenant: mɛ̃tnɑ̃ — Now, at this moment (adverb).
remettre: ʁəmɛtʁ — To hand back, return, or entrust.
mains: mɛ̃ — Hands (plural feminine noun).

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