The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 8
But Thou, Lord, who for ever livest, and in whom nothing dies: for before the foundation of the worlds, and before all that can be called "before," Thou art, and art God and Lord of all which Thou hast created: in Thee abide, fixed for ever, the first causes of all things unabiding; and of all things changeable, the springs abide in Thee unchangeable: and in Thee live the eternal reasons of all things unreasoning and temporal.
Aber Du, Herr, der Du ewig lebst und in dem nichts stirbt: denn vor der Grundlegung der Welten und vor allem, was man „vor" nennen kann, bist Du, und bist Gott und Herr über alles, was Du geschaffen hast: in Dir verweilen, auf ewig festgemacht, die ersten Ursachen aller vergänglichen Dinge; und aller veränderlichen Dinge Quellen verweilen in Dir unveränderlich: und in Dir leben die ewigen Gründe aller vernunftlosen und zeitlichen Dinge.
Say, Lord, to me, Thy suppliant; say, all-pitying, to me, Thy pitiable one; say, did my infancy succeed another age of mine that died before it?
Sage, Herr, mir, Deinem Flehenden; sage, allerbarmender, mir, Deinem Erbärmlichen; sage, folgte meine Kindheit einem anderen Lebensabschnitt von mir, der vor ihr starb?
was it that which I spent within my mother's womb? for of that I have heard somewhat, and have myself seen women with child?
War es jener, den ich im Schoß meiner Mutter verbrachte? Denn davon habe ich einiges gehört und selbst schwangere Frauen gesehen?
and what before that life again, O God my joy, was I any where or any body?
Und was war vor jenem Leben wieder, o Gott, meine Freude, war ich irgendwo oder irgendjemand?
For this have I none to tell me, neither father nor mother, nor experience of others, nor mine own memory.
Denn hierfür habe ich niemanden, der es mir sagen könnte, weder Vater noch Mutter, noch die Erfahrung anderer, noch mein eigenes Gedächtnis.
Dost Thou mock me for asking this, and bid me praise Thee and acknowledge Thee, for that I do know?
Spottst Du meiner, weil ich dies frage, und heißt Du mich Dich preisen und Dich anerkennen für das, was ich weiß?
I acknowledge Thee, Lord of heaven and earth, and praise Thee for my first rudiments of being, and my infancy, whereof I remember nothing; for Thou hast appointed that man should from others guess much as to himself; and believe much on the strength of weak females.
Ich bekenne Dich, Herr des Himmels und der Erde, und preise Dich für meine ersten Anfänge des Seins und meine Kindheit, an die ich mich an nichts erinnere; denn Du hast bestimmt, dass der Mensch von anderen vieles über sich selbst erraten soll; und vieles glauben soll auf das Zeugnis schwacher Frauen hin.
Vocabulary
- Aber
- But; however; used to introduce contrast.
- Du
- You; informal second person singular pronoun.
- Herr
- Mr.; Lord; man of authority or status.
- der
- The; definite article for masculine nouns.
- ewig
- Eternal; lasting forever without end.
- lebst
- You live; second person singular present tense.
- und
- And; conjunction connecting words or clauses.
- in
- In; preposition indicating location or time.
- dem
- In the; dative article with preposition.
- nichts
- Nothing; absence of anything whatsoever.
- stirbt
- Dies; third person singular present of sterben.
- denn
- Because; for; introduces reason or cause.
- vor
- Before; in front of; earlier than.
- Welten
- Worlds; plural of world; universes.
- allem
- All; dative form of everything.
- was
- What; that which; relative pronoun.
- man
- One; people; impersonal pronoun.
- nennen
- To name; to call; to designate.
- kann
- Can; is able to; is possible.
- bist
- Are; second person singular of sein.
- Gott
- God; divine being; ultimate reality.
- über
- Over; above; beyond; more than.
- alles
- Everything; all things; everything whatsoever.
- geschaffen
- Created; made; established; brought into being.
- hast
- Have; second person singular of haben.
- Dir
- You; dative form of du.
- verweilen
- To dwell; to stay; to remain.
- auf
- On; upon; at; indicates position.
- die
- The; definite article for feminine.
- ersten
- First; earliest; earliest in time.
- Dinge
- Things; objects; matters; plural noun.
- Quellen
- Sources; springs; origins; fountains.
- leben
- To live; to exist; be alive.
- ewigen
- Eternal; lasting forever; everlasting always.
- Gründe
- Grounds; reasons; bases; foundations.
- Sage
- Tell; say; legend; myth; saga.
- mir
- Me; dative form of ich.
- Deinem
- Your; possessive dative singular form.
- folgte
- Followed; came after; obeyed; succeeded.
- meine
- My; possessive adjective first person singular.
- Kindheit
- Childhood; early years of life.
- einem
- A; one; dative form of ein.
- anderen
- Other; different; another; alternative.
- von
- Of; from; by; indicates possession.
- ihr
- Her; she; their; dative pronoun.
- starb
- Died; passed away; ceased living.
- War
- Was; past tense of sein; existed.
- es
- It; pronoun referring to things.
- jener
- That; those; yonder; demonstrative pronoun.
- den
- The; accusative article masculine singular.
- ich
- I; first person singular pronoun.
- im
- In the; contraction of in dem.
- Schoß
- Lap; bosom; womb; breast; embrace.
- meiner
- My; mine; possessive pronoun genitive.
- Mutter
- Mother; female parent; origin source.
- verbrachte
- Spent; passed; conducted; past tense.
- Denn
- Because; for; introduces reason or cause.
- davon
- Of it; about it; therefrom.
- habe
- Have; first person singular present tense.
- einiges
- Some; something; a few things.
- gehört
- Heard; listened; belonged; past participle.
- selbst
- Self; myself; even; itself personally.
- schwangere
- Pregnant; expecting; with child expectant.
- Frauen
- Women; female adults; ladies plural.
- gesehen
- Seen; viewed; observed; past participle.
- Und
- And; conjunction connecting words or clauses.
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