The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 4
Most highest, most good, most potent, most omnipotent; most merciful, yet most just; most hidden, yet most present; most beautiful, yet most strong, stable, yet incomprehensible; unchangeable, yet all-changing; never new, never old;
Höchster, Gütigster, Mächtigster, Allmächtigster; Barmherzigster und doch Gerechtester; Verborgenster und doch Gegenwärtigster; Schönster und doch Stärkster, Beständigster und doch Unbegreiflichster; Unveränderlichster und doch alles Verändernder; nie neu, nie alt;
all-renewing, and bringing age upon the proud, and they know it not; ever working, ever at rest; still gathering, yet nothing lacking;
alles Erneuernder, der den Stolzen Alter bringt, ohne dass sie es wissen; stets wirkend, stets in Ruhe; immer sammelnd und doch nichts entbehrend;
supporting, filling, and overspreading; creating, nourishing, and maturing; seeking, yet having all things.
tragend, füllend und umfassend; schaffend, nährend und reifend; suchend und doch alles besitzend.
Thou lovest, without passion; art jealous, without anxiety; repentest, yet grievest not; art angry, yet serene; changest Thy works, Thy purpose unchanged; receivest again what Thou findest, yet didst never lose; never in need, yet rejoicing in gains; never covetous, yet exacting usury.
Du liebst ohne Leidenschaft; eifersüchtig bist Du ohne Unruhe; Du bereust und doch betrübst Du Dich nicht; zürnst Du und bleibst doch heiter; Du veränderst Deine Werke und Dein Vorsatz bleibt unverändert; Du empfängst zurück, was Du findest, und hast doch nie verloren; niemals bedürftig und doch freudig über Gewinn; niemals habgierig und doch Zinsen fordernd.
Thou receivest over and above, that Thou mayest owe; and who hath aught that is not Thine?
Du empfängst mehr als genug, damit Du verpflichtet seist; und wer hat irgendetwas, das nicht Dein wäre?
Thou payest debts, owing nothing; remittest debts, losing nothing.
Du bezahlst Schulden, ohne selbst zu schulden; Du erlässt Schulden, ohne etwas zu verlieren.
And what had I now said, my God, my life, my holy joy? or what saith any man when he speaks of Thee?
Und was habe ich nun gesagt, mein Gott, mein Leben, meine heilige Freude? Oder was sagt irgendein Mensch, wenn er von Dir spricht?
Yet woe to him that speaketh not, since mute are even the most eloquent.
Und doch wehe dem, der nicht spricht, da doch selbst die Beredtesten stumm sind.
Oh! that I might repose on Thee! Oh! that Thou wouldest enter into my heart, and inebriate it, that I may forget my ills, and embrace Thee, my sole good!
O dass ich in Dir ruhen möchte! O dass Du in mein Herz einziehen und es berauschen mögest, damit ich meine Leiden vergesse und Dich umfange, mein einziges Gut!
What art Thou to me? In Thy pity, teach me to utter it.
Was bist Du mir? Lehre mich in Deinem Erbarmen, es auszusprechen.
Or what am I to Thee that Thou demandest my love, and, if I give it not, art wroth with me, and threatenest me with grievous woes?
Oder was bin ich Dir, dass Du meine Liebe forderst, und, wenn ich sie Dir nicht gebe, zürnst Du mir und drohst mir mit schweren Leiden?
Vocabulary
- und
- And, connecting two elements together
- doch
- Yet, still, however, nevertheless
- alles
- Everything, all things without exception
- nie
- Never, not at any time
- neu
- New, recently made or acquired
- alt
- Old, having existed for a long time
- der
- The, definite article masculine nominative
- den
- The, definite article masculine accusative
- Stolzen
- The proud ones, arrogant people
- Alter
- Age, old age, period of life
- bringt
- Brings, causes something to happen
- ohne
- Without, lacking something or someone
- dass
- That, subordinating conjunction introducing clause
- sie
- They or she, third person pronoun
- es
- It, neuter third person pronoun
- wissen
- To know a fact or information
- stets
- Always, constantly, at all times
- wirkend
- Acting, working, having an effect
- in
- In, inside, within a space
- Ruhe
- Rest, calm, peace, tranquility
- immer
- Always, continually, at every time
- sammelnd
- Gathering, collecting things together
- nichts
- Nothing, not anything at all
- entbehrend
- Lacking, doing without, going without something
- tragend
- Bearing, carrying, supporting a weight
- füllend
- Filling, making full or complete
- umfassend
- Encompassing, embracing, comprehensive in scope
- schaffend
- Creating, producing, bringing into existence
- nährend
- Nourishing, feeding, sustaining life
- reifend
- Ripening, maturing, developing to fullness
- suchend
- Seeking, searching, looking for something
- besitzend
- Possessing, owning, having something
- Du
- You, informal second person singular pronoun
- liebst
- You love, second person singular of lieben
- Leidenschaft
- Passion, intense enthusiasm or strong emotion
- eifersüchtig
- Jealous, feeling envy toward another's advantage
- bist
- Are, second person singular of sein
- Unruhe
- Restlessness, unease, agitation or turmoil
- bereust
- You regret, feel remorse about something
- betrübst
- You sadden, grieve, or distress yourself
- Dich
- You, second person singular accusative reflexive
- nicht
- Not, negation particle in German
- bleibst
- You stay, remain, continue in state
- heiter
- Cheerful, serene, bright, good-natured
- veränderst
- You change, alter, transform something
- Deine
- Your, second person singular possessive adjective
- Werke
- Works, creations, deeds or achievements
- Dein
- Your, second person singular possessive pronoun
- Vorsatz
- Intention, resolution, deliberate purpose or plan
- bleibt
- Remains, stays, continues to be so
- unverändert
- Unchanged, remaining the same as before
- empfängst
- You receive, accept, take something back
- zurück
- Back, returning to a previous state
- was
- What, relative or interrogative pronoun
- findest
- You find, discover, come across something
- hast
- You have, second person singular of haben
- verloren
- Lost, past participle of verlieren
- niemals
- Never, at no time whatsoever
- bedürftig
- Needy, in want, requiring assistance
- freudig
- Joyful, glad, full of happiness
- über
- Over, about, above, regarding something
- Gewinn
- Gain, profit, winnings or benefit
- habgierig
- Greedy, avaricious, excessively desirous of wealth
- Zinsen
- Interest, charges on borrowed money
- fordernd
- Demanding, requiring, claiming something from others
- mehr
- More, greater in amount or degree
- als
- Than, as, used in comparisons
- genug
- Enough, sufficient, adequate in quantity
- damit
- So that, with that, in order to
- verpflichtet
- Obligated, indebted, bound by duty
- wer
- Who, interrogative or relative pronoun
- hat
- Has, third person singular of haben
- irgendetwas
- Anything, something or other, whatever
- das
- That, which, neuter definite article
- wäre
- Would be, subjunctive of sein
- bezahlst
- You pay, settle a debt or bill
- Schulden
- Debts, amounts owed to others
- selbst
- Yourself, self, even, emphasizing pronoun
- zu
- To, too, closed, toward something
- schulden
- To owe, be indebted to someone
- erlässt
- Forgives, waives, remits a debt or obligation
- etwas
- Something, somewhat, a little bit
- verlieren
- To lose, to be deprived of something
- Und
- And, coordinating conjunction linking elements
- habe
- Have, first person singular of haben
- ich
- I, first person singular pronoun
- nun
- Now, at this point, then
- gesagt
- Said, past participle of sagen
- mein
- My, first person singular possessive pronoun
- Gott
- God, supreme divine being
- Leben
- Life, existence, way of living
- meine
- My, first person singular possessive adjective
- heilige
- Holy, sacred, divine, consecrated
- Freude
- Joy, happiness, delight, pleasure
- Oder
- Or, alternative conjunction between options
- sagt
- Says, third person singular of sagen
- irgendein
- Some, any, some kind of person
- Mensch
- Person, human being, man or woman
- wenn
- When, if, whenever a condition occurs
- er
- He, third person singular masculine pronoun
- von
- Of, from, about, by someone
- Dir
- You, dative of du, to you
- spricht
- Speaks, talks, third person singular
- wehe
- Woe, alas, an exclamation of distress
- dem
- The, dative masculine or neuter article
- da
- There, here, since, as, then
- die
- The, definite article feminine or plural
- stumm
- Silent, mute, unable or failing to speak
- sind
- Are, third person plural of sein
- ruhen
- To rest, to lie still, to repose
- möchte
- Would like to, wish, desire something
- Herz
- Heart, the vital organ or seat of emotion
- einziehen
- To move in, draw in, absorb something
- berauschen
- To intoxicate, to fill with ecstasy or rapture
- mögest
- May you, subjunctive of mögen
- Leiden
- Suffering, pain, hardship, affliction
- vergesse
- Forget, first person subjunctive of vergessen
- einziges
- Single, sole, only one thing
- Gut
- Good, goods, estate, something of value
- Was
- What, interrogative or relative pronoun
- mir
- Me, to me, dative of ich
- Lehre
- Teaching, doctrine, lesson or apprenticeship
- mich
- Me, accusative first person singular pronoun
- Deinem
- Your, dative of dein, to your
- Erbarmen
- Mercy, compassion, pity for another
- auszusprechen
- To express, to pronounce, to articulate something
- bin
- Am, first person singular of sein
- Liebe
- Love, deep affection for someone
- forderst
- You demand, require, claim something
- gebe
- Give, first person singular of geben
- drohst
- You threaten, make threats to someone
- mit
- With, together, by means of
- schweren
- Heavy, severe, difficult, weighty things
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