The Ballad of the White Horse — Page 1
Produced by Paul Bonner, and Martin Ward
Produzido por Paul Bonner e Martin Ward
THE BALLAD OF THE WHITE HORSE
A BALADA DO CAVALO BRANCO
By G.K. Chesterton
Por G.K. Chesterton
Prefatory Note:
Nota Introdutória:
This ballad needs no historical notes, for the simple reason that it does not profess to be historical.
Esta balada não necessita de notas históricas, pela simples razão de que não pretende ser histórica.
All of it that is not frankly fictitious, as in any prose romance about the past, is meant to emphasize tradition rather than history.
Tudo o que nela não é francamente fictício, como em qualquer romance em prosa sobre o passado, tem o propósito de enfatizar a tradição em vez da história.
King Alfred is not a legend in the sense that King Arthur may be a legend; that is, in the sense that he may possibly be a lie.
O Rei Alfredo não é uma lenda no sentido em que o Rei Artur pode ser uma lenda; isto é, no sentido de que ele pode possivelmente ser uma mentira.
But King Alfred is a legend in this broader and more human sense, that the legends are the most important things about him.
Mas o Rei Alfredo é uma lenda neste sentido mais amplo e mais humano, de que as lendas são as coisas mais importantes sobre ele.
The cult of Alfred was a popular cult, from the darkness of the ninth century to the deepening twilight of the twentieth.
O culto de Alfredo foi um culto popular, desde a escuridão do século IX até o crepúsculo cada vez mais profundo do século XX.
It is wholly as a popular legend that I deal with him here.
É inteiramente como uma lenda popular que o trato aqui.
I write as one ignorant of everything, except that I have found the legend of a King of Wessex still alive in the land.
Escrevo como alguém ignorante de tudo, exceto pelo facto de ter encontrado a lenda de um Rei de Wessex ainda viva na terra.
I will give three curt cases of what I mean.
Darei três casos breves do que quero dizer.
A tradition connects the ultimate victory of Alfred with the valley in Berkshire called the Vale of the White Horse.
Uma tradição liga a vitória definitiva de Alfredo ao vale em Berkshire chamado Vale do Cavalo Branco.
I have seen doubts of the tradition, which may be valid doubts.
Deparei-me com dúvidas sobre a tradição, que podem ser dúvidas válidas.
I do not know when or where the story started; it is enough that it started somewhere and ended with me; for I only seek to write upon a hearsay, as the old balladists did.
Não sei quando nem onde a história começou; basta que tenha começado em algum lugar e terminado em mim; pois só procuro escrever sobre um boato, como faziam os antigos baladeadores.
Vocabulary
- Produzido
- pro-doo-ZEE-doo — Produced; created or manufactured by someone
- por
- por — By or for; a common preposition in Portuguese
- e
- ee — And; basic coordinating conjunction in Portuguese
- A
- ah — The; feminine definite article in Portuguese
- BALADA
- bah-LAH-dah — Ballad; a narrative poem or song
- DO
- doo — Of the; masculine contraction of de + o
- CAVALO
- kah-VAH-loo — Horse; a large domesticated mammal
- BRANCO
- BRAN-koo — White; the color white, also used descriptively
- Por
- por — By or for; preposition indicating authorship or cause
- Nota
- NOH-tah — Note; a brief written comment or remark
- Introdutória
- een-troo-doo-TOH-ree-ah — Introductory; serving as an introduction to something
- Esta
- ES-tah — This; feminine demonstrative pronoun or adjective
- balada
- bah-LAH-dah — Ballad; a narrative poem set to music
- não
- nowng — No or not; basic negation word in Portuguese
- necessita
- neh-seh-SEE-tah — Needs or requires; third person singular of necessitar
- de
- djee — Of or from; very common Portuguese preposition
- notas
- NOH-tahs — Notes; plural of nota, written remarks or annotations
- históricas
- ees-TOH-ree-kahs — Historical; relating to history, feminine plural form
- pela
- PEH-lah — By the; contraction of por + a
- simples
- SEEM-plehs — Simple; uncomplicated or straightforward
- razão
- hah-ZOWNG — Reason; a cause, motive, or justification
- que
- keh — That or which; common conjunction and relative pronoun
- pretende
- preh-TEN-djee — Intends or claims; third person singular of pretender
- ser
- sehr — To be; permanent or essential state verb
- histórica
- ees-TOH-ree-kah — Historical; relating to or based on history
- Tudo
- TOO-doo — Everything or all; indefinite pronoun of totality
- o
- oo — The; masculine singular definite article
- nela
- NEH-lah — In it; contraction of em + ela
- é
- eh — Is; third person singular of ser, to be
- francamente
- fran-kah-MEN-tchee — Frankly or openly; in an honest straightforward manner
- fictício
- feek-TEE-syoo — Fictitious; invented, not real or historical
- como
- KOH-moo — Like or as; comparison conjunction in Portuguese
- em
- eng — In or at; common Portuguese preposition of location
- qualquer
- kwahl-KEHR — Any or whatever; indefinite adjective or pronoun
- romance
- hoh-MAN-see — Novel; a fictional prose narrative of some length
- prosa
- PROH-zah — Prose; written language not structured as poetry
- sobre
- SOH-breh — About or over; preposition indicating subject or position
- passado
- pah-SAH-doo — Past; time gone by, or the past tense
- tem
- teng — Has; third person singular present of ter
- propósito
- proh-POH-zee-too — Purpose; an aim, goal, or intention
- enfatizar
- en-fah-tchee-ZAR — To emphasize; to stress the importance of something
- a
- ah — The; feminine singular definite article in Portuguese
- tradição
- trah-djee-SOWNG — Tradition; a long-established custom or practice
- vez
- vehz — Time or turn; occurrence, as in às vezes (sometimes)
- da
- dah — Of the; feminine contraction of de + a
- história
- ees-TOH-ree-ah — History or story; account of past events
- O
- oo — The; masculine singular definite article
- Rei
- hey — King; a male monarch or ruler
- uma
- OO-mah — A or one; feminine indefinite article in Portuguese
- lenda
- LEN-dah — Legend; a traditional story or myth
- no
- noo — In the; masculine contraction of em + o
- sentido
- sen-TCHEE-doo — Sense or meaning; also past participle of sentir
- pode
- POH-djee — Can or may; third person singular of poder
- isto
- EES-too — This; neuter demonstrative pronoun in Portuguese
- ele
- EH-lee — He; third person masculine singular pronoun
- possivelmente
- poh-see-vel-MEN-tchee — Possibly; perhaps, indicating uncertainty or likelihood
- mentira
- men-TCHEE-rah — Lie; a false statement made intentionally
- Mas
- mahs — But; adversative conjunction indicating contrast
- neste
- NES-tchee — In this; masculine contraction of em + este
- mais
- mahys — More; comparative adverb indicating greater degree
- amplo
- AMP-loo — Broad or wide; spacious or extensive in scope
- humano
- oo-MAH-noo — Human; relating to or characteristic of people
- as
- ahz — The; feminine plural definite article in Portuguese
- lendas
- LEN-dahs — Legends; traditional stories or myths, plural form
- são
- sowng — Are; third person plural present of ser
- coisas
- KOY-zahs — Things; objects, matters, or items in general
- importantes
- eem-por-TAN-tchees — Important; of great significance or value
- culto
- KOOL-too — Cult or worship; devoted following around a figure
- foi
- foy — Was or went; past tense of ser or ir
- um
- oong — A or one; masculine indefinite article in Portuguese
- popular
- poh-poo-LAR — Popular; widely liked or common among people
- desde
- DEZ-djee — Since or from; indicating a starting point in time
- escuridão
- es-koo-ree-DOWNG — Darkness; absence of light, metaphorical or literal
- do
- doo — Of the; masculine contraction of de + o
- século
- SEH-koo-loo — Century; a period of one hundred years
- até
- ah-TEH — Until or up to; preposition indicating a limit
- crepúsculo
- kreh-POOS-koo-loo — Twilight or dusk; the dim light after sunset
- cada
- KAH-dah — Each or every; distributive adjective in Portuguese
- profundo
- proh-FOON-doo — Deep or profound; intense or far-reaching
- É
- eh — Is; third person singular present of ser
- inteiramente
- een-tay-rah-MEN-tchee — Entirely or completely; in a total manner
- trato
- TRAH-too — I deal with; first person singular of tratar
- aqui
- ah-KEE — Here; indicating this place or location
- Escrevo
- es-KREH-voo — I write; first person singular of escrever
- alguém
- ahl-GENG — Someone or somebody; an indefinite person pronoun
- ignorante
- eeg-noh-RAN-tchee — Ignorant; lacking knowledge or awareness about something
- tudo
- TOO-doo — Everything; indefinite pronoun referring to all things
- exceto
- eh-SEH-too — Except; excluding or with the exclusion of something
- pelo
- PEH-loo — By the; masculine contraction of por + o
- facto
- FAH-too — Fact; something known to be true or real
- ter
- tehr — To have; infinitive of the verb ter
- encontrado
- en-kon-TRAH-doo — Found or encountered; past participle of encontrar
- ainda
- ah-EEN-dah — Still or yet; indicating continuity or persistence
- viva
- VEE-vah — Alive or living; feminine adjective from vivo
- na
- nah — In the; feminine contraction of em + a
- terra
- TEH-hah — Land or earth; ground, soil, or territory
- Darei
- dah-REY — I will give; first person future of dar
- três
- trehys — Three; the cardinal number three
- casos
- KAH-zooz — Cases or instances; plural of caso
- breves
- BREH-vees — Brief; short or concise, plural form
- quero
- KEH-roo — I want; first person singular of querer
- dizer
- djee-ZEHR — To say or tell; infinitive of the verb dizer
- Uma
- OO-mah — A or one; feminine indefinite article in Portuguese
- liga
- LEE-gah — Connects or league; verb or noun form of ligar
- vitória
- vee-TOH-ree-ah — Victory; a success in a battle or competition
- definitiva
- djeh-fee-TCHEE-vah — Definitive; conclusive or final, feminine form
- ao
- ow — To the; masculine contraction of a + o
- vale
- VAH-lee — Valley; a low area between hills or mountains
- chamado
- shah-MAH-doo — Called or named; past participle of chamar
- Vale
- VAH-lee — Valley; low land between hills, often with a river
- Cavalo
- kah-VAH-loo — Horse; a large domesticated animal used for riding
- Branco
- BRAN-koo — White; the color white, used here as a proper name
- Deparei-me
- djeh-pah-REY-mee — I came across; first person past of deparar-se
- com
- kong — With; a preposition indicating accompaniment or means
- dúvidas
- DOO-vee-dahs — Doubts; uncertainties or questions, plural of dúvida
- podem
- POH-deng — Can or may; third person plural of poder
- válidas
- VAH-lee-dahs — Valid; acceptable or justified, feminine plural form
- Não
- nowng — No or not; primary negation word in Portuguese
- sei
- say — I know; first person singular present of saber
- quando
- KWAN-doo — When; temporal conjunction or adverb
- nem
- neng — Nor or neither; negative conjunction in Portuguese
- onde
- ON-djee — Where; interrogative or relative adverb of place
- começou
- koh-meh-SOH — Began or started; third person past of começar
- basta
- BAH-stah — It is enough or suffices; from the verb bastar
- tenha
- TEN-yah — Has; subjunctive form of ter, to have
- começado
- koh-meh-SAH-doo — Started; past participle of começar, to begin
- algum
- ahl-GOONG — Some or any; masculine indefinite adjective
- lugar
- loo-GAR — Place; a location, spot, or position
- terminado
- tehr-mee-NAH-doo — Ended or finished; past participle of terminar
- mim
- meeng — Me; first person singular prepositional pronoun
- pois
- poys — Because or since; causal conjunction in Portuguese
- só
- soh — Only or alone; adverb or adjective of exclusivity
- procuro
- proh-KOO-roo — I seek or look for; first person of procurar
- escrever
- es-kreh-VEHR — To write; infinitive of the verb escrever
- boato
- boo-AH-too — Rumor; an unverified story circulating among people
- faziam
- fah-ZEE-owng — Used to do or were doing; imperfect of fazer
- os
- ooz — The; masculine plural definite article in Portuguese
- antigos
- an-TCHEE-gooz — Old or ancient; referring to people from former times
- baladeadores
- bah-lah-djee-ah-DOH-rehs — Balladeers; those who compose or sing ballads
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