The Ballad of the White Horse — Page 5
In the river island of Athelney,
En la isla fluvial de Athelney,
With the river running past,
Con el río que fluía a su lado,
In colours of such simple creed
En colores de credo tan simple
All things sprang at him, sun and weed,
Todas las cosas saltaban hacia él, el sol y la hierba,
Till the grass grew to be grass indeed
Hasta que la hierba llegó a ser verdadera hierba
And the tree was a tree at last.
Y el árbol fue al fin un árbol.
Fearfully plain the flowers grew,
Las flores crecían de una sencillez aterradora,
Like the child's book to read,
Como el libro que lee un niño,
Or like a friend's face seen in a glass;
O como el rostro de un amigo visto en un espejo;
He looked; and there Our Lady was,
Él miró; y allí estaba Nuestra Señora,
She stood and stroked the tall live grass
Estaba de pie y acariciaba la hierba alta y viva
As a man strokes his steed.
Como un hombre acaricia a su corcel.
Her face was like an open word
Su rostro era como una palabra abierta
When brave men speak and choose,
Cuando los hombres valientes hablan y eligen,
The very colours of her coat
Los propios colores de su manto
Were better than good news.
Eran mejores que una buena noticia.
She spoke not, nor turned not,
Ella no habló, ni se volvió,
Nor any sign she cast,
Ni hizo señal alguna,
Only she stood up straight and free,
Solo se mantuvo erguida y libre,
Between the flowers in Athelney,
Entre las flores de Athelney,
And the river running past.
Y el río que fluía a su lado.
One dim ancestral jewel hung
Una joya ancestral opaca colgaba
On his ruined armour grey,
De su armadura gris y ruinosa,
He rent and cast it at her feet:
Él la arrancó y la arrojó a sus pies:
Where, after centuries, with slow feet,
Donde, siglos después, con paso lento,
Men came from hall and school and street
Los hombres llegaron desde el salón, la escuela y la calle
And found it where it lay.
Y la encontraron donde yacía.
"Mother of God," the wanderer said,
"Madre de Dios", dijo el peregrino,
"I am but a common king,
"No soy más que un rey común,
Nor will I ask what saints may ask,
Ni pediré lo que los santos pueden pedir,
To see a secret thing.
Ver una cosa secreta.
"The gates of heaven are fearful gates
"Las puertas del cielo son puertas temibles
Worse than the gates of hell;
Peores que las puertas del infierno;
Not I would break the splendours barred
No sería yo quien forzara los esplendores vedados
Or seek to know the thing they guard,
O buscara conocer lo que guardan,
Which is too good to tell.
Lo cual es demasiado bueno para decirse.
Vocabulary
- En
- In, on, at (preposition indicating location)
- la
- The (feminine singular definite article)
- isla
- Island (land surrounded by water)
- fluvial
- Relating to rivers or river systems
- de
- Of, from (preposition showing possession/origin)
- Con
- With (preposition indicating accompaniment)
- el
- The (masculine singular definite article)
- río
- River (body of flowing fresh water)
- que
- That, which, who (relative pronoun)
- fluía
- Flowed (past tense of fluir; to flow)
- su
- His, her, its, your (possessive adjective)
- lado
- Side (lateral surface or direction)
- colores
- Colors (plural of color; visual hues)
- credo
- Creed (system of religious or moral beliefs)
- tan
- So, as (adverb of degree/comparison)
- simple
- Simple (easy, uncomplicated, unadorned)
- Todas
- All (feminine plural of todo)
- las
- The (feminine plural definite article)
- cosas
- Things (plural of cosa; objects, matters)
- saltaban
- Jumped (past tense of saltar; to jump)
- hacia
- Toward, towards (preposition showing direction)
- él
- He, him (masculine singular pronoun)
- sol
- Sun (celestial body providing light/heat)
- hierba
- Grass (green plant covering ground)
- Hasta
- Until, till, even, up to (preposition)
- llegó
- Arrived, reached (past tense of llegar)
- ser
- To be (infinitive; fundamental existence verb)
- verdadera
- True, real, genuine (feminine adjective)
- árbol
- Tree (woody perennial plant with trunk)
- fue
- Was (past tense of ser; third person)
- al
- To the (contraction of a + el)
- fin
- End (conclusion, final point in time)
- un
- A, an (masculine singular indefinite article)
- Las
- The (feminine plural definite article)
- flores
- Flowers (plural of flor; blooming plants)
- crecían
- Grew (past tense of crecer; to grow)
- una
- A, an (feminine singular indefinite article)
- sencillez
- Simplicity (quality of being simple)
- aterradora
- Terrifying, frightening (feminine adjective)
- Como
- As, like (preposition of comparison)
- libro
- Book (written work with bound pages)
- lee
- Reads (present tense of leer; third person)
- niño
- Boy, child (young male human)
- como
- As, like, how (conjunction/preposition)
- rostro
- Face (front of human head)
- amigo
- Friend (person with whom one has affection)
- visto
- Seen (past participle of ver; to see)
- en
- In, on, at (preposition indicating location)
- espejo
- Mirror (reflective surface showing image)
- Él
- He (masculine singular pronoun)
- miró
- Looked (past tense of mirar; to look)
- allí
- There (at or in that place)
- estaba
- Was (past tense of estar; location/state)
- Nuestra
- Our (feminine possessive adjective)
- Señora
- Lady, madam, Our Lady (title of respect)
- Estaba
- Was (past tense of estar; location/state)
- pie
- Foot (lowest extremity of leg)
- acariciaba
- Caressed (past tense of acariciar; to touch gently)
- alta
- Tall, high (feminine adjective)
- viva
- Live, lively (feminine adjective)
- hombre
- Man (adult male human being)
- acaricia
- Caresses (present tense of acariciar; touch gently)
- corcel
- Steed, horse (literary term for horse)
- Su
- His, her, its, your (possessive adjective)
- era
- Was (past tense of ser; third person)
- palabra
- Word (unit of language with meaning)
- abierta
- Open (feminine adjective; not closed)
- Cuando
- When (conjunction of time/condition)
- los
- The (masculine plural definite article)
- hombres
- Men (plural of hombre; male humans)
- valientes
- Brave, courageous (plural adjective)
- hablan
- Speak (present tense of hablar; third person)
- eligen
- Choose (present tense of elegir; third person)
- Los
- The (masculine plural definite article)
- propios
- Own (plural adjective; belonging to oneself)
- manto
- Cloak, mantle (loose sleeveless garment)
- Eran
- Were (past tense of ser; third person)
- mejores
- Better (plural comparative adjective)
- buena
- Good (feminine adjective; of high quality)
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →