The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 6

English → De BOOK I Level 9/10

Yet suffer me to speak, since I speak to Thy mercy, and not to scornful man.

Doch lass mich sprechen, da ich zu Deiner Barmherzigkeit spreche und nicht zu einem verachtungsvollen Menschen.

Thou too, perhaps, despisest me, yet wilt Thou return and have compassion upon me.

Auch Du vielleicht verachtest mich, doch wirst Du Dich wieder mir zuwenden und Erbarmen mit mir haben.

For what would I say, O Lord my God, but that I know not whence I came into this dying life (shall I call it?) or living death.

Denn was sollte ich sagen, o Herr, mein Gott, als dass ich nicht weiß, woher ich in dieses sterbende Leben – soll ich es so nennen? – oder diesen lebendigen Tod gelangt bin.

Then immediately did the comforts of Thy compassion take me up, as I heard (for I remember it not) from the parents of my flesh, out of whose substance Thou didst sometime fashion me.

Da empfingen mich sogleich die Tröstungen Deines Erbarmens, wie ich (denn ich erinnere mich dessen nicht) von den Eltern meines Fleisches gehört habe, aus deren Substanz Du mich einst geformt hast.

Thus there received me the comforts of woman's milk.

So empfingen mich die Tröstungen der Muttermilch.

For neither my mother nor my nurses stored their own breasts for me; but Thou didst bestow the food of my infancy through them, according to Thine ordinance, whereby Thou distributest Thy riches through the hidden springs of all things.

Denn weder meine Mutter noch meine Ammen bewahrten ihre Brüste für mich; sondern Du hast mir durch sie die Nahrung meiner Kindheit geschenkt, gemäß Deiner Ordnung, durch die Du Deinen Reichtum durch die verborgenen Quellen aller Dinge austeilst.

Thou also gavest me to desire no more than Thou gavest; and to my nurses willingly to give me what Thou gavest them.

Du hast mir auch gegeben, nicht mehr zu begehren, als Du mir gabst; und meinen Ammen, mir bereitwillig zu geben, was Du ihnen gabst.

For they, with a heaven-taught affection, willingly gave me what they abounded with from Thee.

Denn sie gaben mir mit einer von Gott gelehrten Zuneigung bereitwillig, was sie von Dir im Überfluss hatten.

For this my good from them, was good for them.

Denn dieses mein Gut von ihnen war auch gut für sie.

Nor, indeed, from them was it, but through them; for from Thee, O God, are all good things, and from my God is all my health.

Noch war es freilich von ihnen, sondern durch sie; denn von Dir, o Gott, kommen alle guten Dinge, und von meinem Gott kommt all meine Gesundheit.

This I since learned, Thou, through these Thy gifts, within me and without, proclaiming Thyself unto me.

Dies habe ich seitdem gelernt, dass Du durch diese Deine Gaben, in mir und außer mir, Dich mir selbst verkündest.

Vocabulary

Doch: A modal particle expressing contrast or emphasis.
lass: Imperative form of 'lassen': let, allow.
mich: First-person singular accusative pronoun: me.
sprechen: To speak, to talk.
da: Here, there, or because/since (conjunction).
ich: First-person singular pronoun: I.
zu: To, toward; preposition or infinitive marker.
Deiner: Genitive/dative form of 'Dein': your (formal/divine).
Barmherzigkeit: Mercy, compassion, loving kindness.
spreche: First-person singular present of 'sprechen': I speak.
und: Coordinating conjunction: and.
nicht: Negation particle: not.
einem: Dative indefinite article (masculine/neuter): a, an.
verachtungsvollen: Adjective meaning full of contempt, scornful, disdainful.
Menschen: Person, human being; plural: people.
Auch: Also, too, as well.
Du: Second-person singular pronoun: you.
vielleicht: Perhaps, maybe, possibly.
verachtest: Second-person singular of 'verachten': you despise, scorn.
doch: Yet, still; modal particle indicating contrast.
wirst: Second-person singular future auxiliary: you will.
Dich: Accusative reflexive/personal pronoun: you, yourself.
wieder: Again, once more.
mir: Dative first-person pronoun: to me, me.
zuwenden: To turn toward, to direct attention to someone.
Erbarmen: Compassion, mercy, pity.
mit: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means.
haben: To have; auxiliary verb.
Denn: For, because; explanatory conjunction.
was: What; interrogative or relative pronoun.
sollte: Past subjunctive of 'sollen': should, ought to.
sagen: To say, to tell.
Herr: Lord, master, mister; title of respect.
mein: First-person singular possessive: my.
Gott: God; the divine being.
als: Than, as, when; comparative or temporal conjunction.
dass: That; subordinating conjunction.
weiß: First-person singular of 'wissen': I know.
woher: From where, from what origin.
in: In, into; preposition of location or direction.
dieses: Genitive/neuter demonstrative pronoun: this, of this.
sterbende: Dying, fading; present participle adjective of 'sterben'.
Leben: Life; existence.
soll: First/third-person singular of 'sollen': shall, should.
es: Third-person singular neuter pronoun: it.
so: So, thus, in this way.
nennen: To name, to call something by a name.
oder: Or; disjunctive conjunction.
diesen: Accusative masculine demonstrative pronoun: this.
lebendigen: Accusative/dative inflected adjective: living, alive, vivid.
Tod: Death.
gelangt: Past participle of 'gelangen': arrived, reached.
bin: First-person singular of 'sein': I am.
Da: There, then; indicating place or time.
empfingen: Third-person plural simple past of 'empfangen': received, welcomed.
sogleich: At once, immediately, right away.
die: Definite article (feminine/plural) or relative pronoun.
Tröstungen: Consolations, comforts; plural of 'Tröstung'.
Deines: Genitive of 'Dein': of your (divine address).
Erbarmens: Genitive of 'Erbarmen': of mercy, of compassion.
wie: How, as, like; comparative or interrogative adverb.
denn: For, because; causal particle or intensifier.
erinnere: First-person singular of 'erinnern': I remember.
dessen: Genitive masculine/neuter demonstrative pronoun: whose, of that.
von: From, of, by; preposition indicating origin or possession.
den: Definite article (dative plural or accusative masculine).
Eltern: Parents; father and mother together.
meines: Genitive of 'mein': of my.
Fleisches: Genitive of 'Fleisch': of flesh, of the body.
gehört: Past participle of 'hören': heard; also 'belongs to'.
habe: First-person singular of 'haben': I have (auxiliary).
aus: Out of, from; preposition of origin or material.
deren: Genitive plural or feminine relative pronoun: whose, of whom.
Substanz: Substance, matter, essence.
einst: Once, at one time, formerly.
geformt: Past participle of 'formen': formed, shaped, molded.
hast: Second-person singular of 'haben': you have.
So: So, thus, therefore; consequence or manner adverb.
der: Definite article (masculine nominative or genitive feminine).
Muttermilch: Mother's milk, breast milk.
weder: Neither; used in 'weder … noch' construction.
meine: First-person singular possessive (feminine/plural): my.
Mutter: Mother.
noch: Still, yet; also 'nor' in neither…nor construction.
Ammen: Wet nurses; women who breastfeed another's child.
bewahrten: Simple past of 'bewahren': preserved, kept, protected.
ihre: Third-person plural/feminine possessive pronoun: their, her.
Brüste: Breasts; plural of 'Brust'.
für: For; preposition indicating purpose or benefit.
sondern: But rather; used after negation for correction.
durch: Through, by means of; preposition of means or passage.
sie: They, she, her; third-person pronoun.
Nahrung: Food, nourishment, sustenance.
meiner: Genitive/dative of 'mein': of my, my.
Kindheit: Childhood, early years of life.
geschenkt: Past participle of 'schenken': given as a gift, granted.
gemäß: According to, in accordance with.
Ordnung: Order, arrangement, system, rule.
Deinen: Accusative/dative plural of 'Dein': your (divine address).
Reichtum: Wealth, richness, abundance.
verborgenen: Inflected adjective from 'verborgen': hidden, concealed, secret.
Quellen: Sources, springs, wells; plural of 'Quelle'.
aller: Genitive plural of 'all': of all things.
Dinge: Things; plural of 'Ding'.
austeilst: Second-person singular of 'austeilen': you distribute, hand out.
auch: Also, too, even; additive particle.
gegeben: Past participle of 'geben': given.
mehr: More; comparative of 'viel'.
begehren: To desire, to crave, to long for.
gabst: Second-person singular simple past of 'geben': you gave.
meinen: Accusative/dative plural of 'mein': my; or 'to mean'.
bereitwillig: Willing, ready, eager to help or give.
geben: To give.
ihnen: Dative plural pronoun: to them; or formal 'you'.
gaben: Simple past of 'geben': they gave; also noun 'gifts'.
einer: Genitive feminine or dative indefinite article: a, an, one.
gelehrten: Inflected adjective from 'gelehrt': learned, scholarly, educated.
Zuneigung: Affection, fondness, attachment toward someone.
Dir: Dative of 'Du': to you (familiar address).
im: Contraction of 'in dem': in the.
Überfluss: Abundance, surplus, excess, overflow.
hatten: Third-person plural simple past of 'haben': they had.
Gut: Good; noun meaning goods, estate, or good thing.
war: Simple past of 'sein': was.
gut: Good, well; basic positive quality adjective.
Noch: Still, yet; temporal adverb indicating continuation.
freilich: Certainly, of course, admittedly, to be sure.
kommen: To come.
alle: All, every one; plural of 'all'.
guten: Inflected adjective: good (dative/accusative/genitive form).
meinem: Dative of 'mein': to my, from my.
kommt: Third-person singular present of 'kommen': comes.
all: All, entire, every; uninflected form.
Gesundheit: Health; also used as 'bless you' after sneezing.
Dies: This; nominative/accusative neuter demonstrative pronoun.
seitdem: Since then, ever since that time.
gelernt: Past participle of 'lernen': learned, studied.
diese: This, these; demonstrative pronoun/adjective.
Deine: Nominative/accusative feminine of 'Dein': your (divine).
Gaben: Gifts, talents; plural of 'Gabe'.
außer: Except, besides, outside of; preposition.
selbst: Self, oneself; intensifying pronoun or adverb.
verkündest: Second-person singular of 'verkünden': you proclaim, announce.

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