The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 14
For this was judged right by our forefathers; and many, passing the same course before us, framed for us weary paths, through which we were fain to pass; multiplying toil and grief upon the sons of Adam.
Denn so haben es unsere Vorväter für recht befunden; und viele, die denselben Weg vor uns gegangen sind, haben für uns mühsame Pfade bereitet, durch die wir gezwungen waren zu gehen; und häuften Mühsal und Kummer auf die Söhne Adams.
But, Lord, we found that men called upon Thee, and we learnt from them to think of Thee (according to our powers) as of some great One, who, though hidden from our senses, couldest hear and help us.
Aber, Herr, wir fanden, dass die Menschen Dich anriefen, und wir lernten von ihnen, uns Dich vorzustellen (nach unseren Kräften) als einen großen, der, obwohl unseren Sinnen verborgen, uns hören und helfen konnte.
For so I began, as a boy, to pray to Thee, my aid and refuge; and broke the fetters of my tongue to call on Thee, praying Thee, though small, yet with no small earnestness, that I might not be beaten at school.
So begann ich als Knabe, zu Dir zu beten, mein Helfer und meine Zuflucht; und löste die Fesseln meiner Zunge, um Dich anzurufen, und bat Dich, obwohl klein, doch mit nicht geringem Ernst, dass ich in der Schule nicht geschlagen werden möge.
And when Thou heardest me not (not thereby giving me over to folly), my elders, yea my very parents, who yet wished me no ill, mocked my stripes, my then great and grievous ill.
Und als Du mich nicht erhörtest (und mich damit nicht der Torheit überließest), spotteten meine Älteren, ja sogar meine eigenen Eltern, die mir dennoch nichts Böses wünschten, über meine Striemen, mein damals großes und schweres Leid.
Is there, Lord, any of soul so great, and cleaving to Thee with so intense affection (for a sort of stupidity will in a way do it); but is there any one who, from cleaving devoutly to Thee, is endued with so great a spirit, that he can think as lightly of the racks and hooks and other torments (against which, throughout all lands, men call on Thee with extreme dread), mocking at those by whom they are feared most bitterly, as our parents mocked the torments which we suffered in boyhood from our masters?
Gibt es, Herr, irgendeine Seele, die so groß ist und Dir mit so inniger Zuneigung anhängt (denn eine Art Stumpfsinn vermag dies gewissermaßen); aber gibt es irgendjemanden, der durch frommes Anhangen an Dir mit einem so großen Geist begabt ist, dass er die Foltergestelle und Haken und anderen Qualen so gering achten kann (gegen die in allen Ländern die Menschen Dich mit äußerstem Schrecken anrufen), und jener spottet, von denen sie am bittersten gefürchtet werden, so wie unsere Eltern der Qualen spotteten, die wir in der Kindheit von unseren Lehrern erlitten?
Vocabulary
- Denn
- conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'
- so
- adverb meaning 'so' or 'thus'
- haben
- auxiliary verb meaning 'to have'
- es
- neuter pronoun meaning 'it'
- unsere
- possessive pronoun meaning 'our'
- Vorväter
- ancestors or forefathers of a group or nation
- für
- preposition meaning 'for'
- recht
- adjective meaning 'right,' 'correct,' or 'proper'
- befunden
- past participle of befinden; deemed or found appropriate
- und
- conjunction meaning 'and'
- viele
- adjective or pronoun meaning 'many'
- die
- definite article or relative pronoun meaning 'the' or 'who'
- denselben
- demonstrative pronoun meaning 'the same' (accusative)
- Weg
- noun meaning 'way,' 'path,' or 'road'
- vor
- preposition meaning 'before' or 'in front of'
- uns
- first-person plural pronoun meaning 'us'
- gegangen
- past participle of gehen; meaning 'gone' or 'walked'
- sind
- third-person plural form of 'sein,' meaning 'are'
- mühsame
- adjective meaning 'arduous,' 'laborious,' or 'toilsome'
- Pfade
- plural noun meaning 'paths' or 'trails'
- bereitet
- past participle of bereiten; meaning 'prepared' or 'made ready'
- durch
- preposition meaning 'through' or 'by means of'
- wir
- first-person plural pronoun meaning 'we'
- gezwungen
- past participle of zwingen; meaning 'forced' or 'compelled'
- waren
- past tense of sein; meaning 'were'
- zu
- preposition or infinitive particle meaning 'to' or 'at'
- gehen
- infinitive verb meaning 'to go' or 'to walk'
- häuften
- past tense of häufen; meaning 'piled up' or 'accumulated'
- Mühsal
- noun meaning 'hardship,' 'toil,' or 'tribulation'
- Kummer
- noun meaning 'sorrow,' 'grief,' or 'trouble'
- auf
- preposition meaning 'on,' 'upon,' or 'onto'
- Söhne
- plural noun meaning 'sons'
- Aber
- conjunction meaning 'but' or 'however'
- Herr
- noun meaning 'Lord,' 'Mister,' or 'master'
- fanden
- past tense of finden; meaning 'found' or 'discovered'
- dass
- subordinating conjunction meaning 'that'
- Menschen
- plural noun meaning 'people' or 'human beings'
- Dich
- accusative form of du; meaning 'you' (informal)
- anriefen
- past tense of anrufen; meaning 'called upon' or 'invoked'
- lernten
- past tense of lernen; meaning 'learned' or 'studied'
- von
- preposition meaning 'from,' 'of,' or 'by'
- ihnen
- third-person plural dative pronoun meaning 'them'
- vorzustellen
- infinitive meaning 'to imagine' or 'to introduce'
- nach
- preposition meaning 'after,' 'according to,' or 'toward'
- unseren
- possessive pronoun meaning 'our' (dative/accusative plural)
- Kräften
- plural noun meaning 'strengths,' 'powers,' or 'faculties'
- als
- conjunction meaning 'as,' 'than,' or 'when'
- einen
- indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one' (accusative masculine)
- großen
- adjective meaning 'great' or 'large' (inflected form)
- der
- definite article or relative pronoun meaning 'the' or 'who'
- obwohl
- conjunction meaning 'although' or 'even though'
- Sinnen
- plural noun meaning 'senses'; also infinitive 'to ponder'
- verborgen
- adjective meaning 'hidden,' 'concealed,' or 'secret'
- hören
- verb meaning 'to hear' or 'to listen'
- helfen
- verb meaning 'to help' or 'to assist'
- konnte
- past tense of können; meaning 'could' or 'was able to'
- So
- adverb meaning 'so,' 'thus,' or 'in this way'
- begann
- past tense of beginnen; meaning 'began' or 'started'
- ich
- first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I'
- Knabe
- noun meaning 'boy' or 'lad' (slightly archaic)
- Dir
- dative form of du; meaning 'to you' (informal)
- beten
- verb meaning 'to pray' or 'to say prayers'
- mein
- possessive pronoun meaning 'my'
- Helfer
- noun meaning 'helper,' 'assistant,' or 'aid'
- meine
- possessive pronoun meaning 'my' (feminine/plural form)
- Zuflucht
- noun meaning 'refuge,' 'shelter,' or 'sanctuary'
- löste
- past tense of lösen; meaning 'loosened,' 'freed,' or 'untied'
- Fesseln
- plural noun meaning 'chains,' 'shackles,' or 'bonds'
- meiner
- possessive pronoun meaning 'my' (genitive/dative feminine)
- Zunge
- noun meaning 'tongue' or 'language'
- um
- preposition meaning 'around,' 'at,' or 'in order to'
- anzurufen
- infinitive meaning 'to call upon' or 'to invoke'
- bat
- past tense of bitten; meaning 'asked' or 'requested'
- klein
- adjective meaning 'small,' 'little,' or 'young'
- doch
- particle meaning 'yet,' 'still,' 'however,' or 'indeed'
- mit
- preposition meaning 'with' or 'along with'
- nicht
- negation adverb meaning 'not'
- geringem
- adjective meaning 'small,' 'slight,' or 'little' (dative)
- Ernst
- noun meaning 'seriousness,' 'earnestness,' or 'gravity'
- in
- preposition meaning 'in,' 'into,' or 'inside'
- Schule
- noun meaning 'school' or 'educational institution'
- geschlagen
- past participle of schlagen; meaning 'beaten' or 'struck'
- werden
- auxiliary verb meaning 'to become' or forming passive voice
- möge
- subjunctive of mögen; meaning 'may' or 'might' (wish form)
- Und
- conjunction meaning 'and'
- Du
- second-person singular pronoun meaning 'you' (informal)
- mich
- accusative form of ich; meaning 'me'
- erhörtest
- past tense of erhören; meaning 'heard' or 'granted a prayer'
- damit
- conjunction meaning 'so that'; also 'with it'
- Torheit
- noun meaning 'folly,' 'foolishness,' or 'stupidity'
- überließest
- past tense of überlassen; meaning 'left to' or 'entrusted'
- spotteten
- past tense of spotten; meaning 'mocked' or 'ridiculed'
- Älteren
- plural noun meaning 'elders' or 'older people'
- ja
- particle meaning 'yes' or emphasizing 'indeed,' 'after all'
- sogar
- adverb meaning 'even' or 'in fact'
- eigenen
- adjective meaning 'own' (inflected form)
- Eltern
- plural noun meaning 'parents'
- mir
- dative form of ich; meaning 'to me' or 'for me'
- dennoch
- adverb meaning 'nevertheless,' 'yet,' or 'still'
- nichts
- pronoun meaning 'nothing'
- Böses
- adjective used as noun meaning 'evil' or 'something bad'
- wünschten
- past tense of wünschen; meaning 'wished' or 'desired'
- über
- preposition meaning 'over,' 'above,' or 'about'
- Striemen
- plural noun meaning 'welts,' 'stripes,' or 'bruises'
- damals
- adverb meaning 'at that time,' 'then,' or 'back then'
- großes
- adjective meaning 'great' or 'large' (neuter nominative)
- schweres
- adjective meaning 'heavy' or 'severe' (neuter nominative)
- Leid
- noun meaning 'suffering,' 'grief,' or 'sorrow'
- Gibt
- third-person singular of geben; 'gibt es' means 'there is/are'
- irgendeine
- indefinite pronoun meaning 'any,' 'some,' or 'a certain'
- Seele
- noun meaning 'soul' or 'spirit'
- groß
- adjective meaning 'great,' 'big,' or 'tall'
- ist
- third-person singular of sein; meaning 'is'
- inniger
- adjective meaning 'more heartfelt,' 'fervent,' or 'intense'
- Zuneigung
- noun meaning 'affection,' 'fondness,' or 'attachment'
- anhängt
- third-person singular of anhängen; meaning 'clings to' or 'adheres'
- denn
- conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'; also comparative particle
- eine
- indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one' (feminine)
- Art
- noun meaning 'kind,' 'type,' 'sort,' or 'manner'
- Stumpfsinn
- noun meaning 'dullness,' 'apathy,' or 'obtuseness'
- vermag
- third-person singular of vermögen; meaning 'is able to' or 'can'
- dies
- demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' or 'this thing'
- gewissermaßen
- adverb meaning 'to a certain extent' or 'in a way'
- aber
- conjunction meaning 'but,' 'however,' or 'yet'
- gibt
- third-person singular of geben; 'gibt es' means 'there is'
- irgendjemanden
- indefinite pronoun meaning 'anyone' or 'somebody' (accusative)
- frommes
- adjective meaning 'pious,' 'devout,' or 'godly' (neuter)
- Anhangen
- noun meaning 'clinging,' 'devotion,' or 'attachment'
- an
- preposition meaning 'at,' 'on,' or 'to'
- einem
- indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one' (dative masculine/neuter)
- Geist
- noun meaning 'spirit,' 'mind,' or 'ghost'
- begabt
- adjective meaning 'gifted,' 'talented,' or 'endowed'
- er
- third-person singular masculine pronoun meaning 'he'
- Haken
- plural noun meaning 'hooks' or 'catches'
- anderen
- adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'others'
- Qualen
- plural noun meaning 'torments,' 'agonies,' or 'sufferings'
- gering
- adjective meaning 'slight,' 'minor,' 'little,' or 'low'
- achten
- verb meaning 'to regard,' 'to respect,' or 'to consider'
- kann
- third-person singular of können; meaning 'can' or 'is able to'
- gegen
- preposition meaning 'against,' 'toward,' or 'compared to'
- allen
- adjective meaning 'all' (dative plural inflection)
- Ländern
- plural noun meaning 'countries,' 'lands,' or 'regions' (dative)
- äußerstem
- adjective meaning 'utmost,' 'extreme,' or 'outermost' (dative)
- Schrecken
- noun meaning 'terror,' 'fright,' or 'horror'
- anrufen
- verb meaning 'to call upon,' 'to invoke,' or 'to phone'
- jener
- demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'that one'
- spottet
- third-person singular of spotten; meaning 'mocks' or 'scoffs'
- denen
- relative or demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' or 'whom' (dative)
- sie
- pronoun meaning 'she,' 'they,' or formal 'you'
- am
- contraction of 'an dem'; meaning 'at the' or 'on the'
- bittersten
- superlative of bitter; meaning 'most bitter' or 'bitterest'
- gefürchtet
- past participle of fürchten; meaning 'feared' or 'dreaded'
- wie
- adverb or conjunction meaning 'how,' 'like,' or 'as'
- Kindheit
- noun meaning 'childhood' or 'early life'
- Lehrern
- plural noun meaning 'teachers' or 'instructors' (dative)
- erlitten
- past participle of erleiden; meaning 'suffered' or 'endured'
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