The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 6

English → Spanish BOOK I Level 9/10

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

Sin embargo, permíteme hablar, pues hablo a Tu misericordia, y no al hombre desdeñoso.

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

Tú también, quizás, me desprecias, pero volverás y tendrás compasión de mí.

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.

Pues ¿qué diría yo, oh Señor mi Dios, sino que no sé de dónde vine a esta vida que muere (¿así la llamaré?) o muerte que vive.

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.

Entonces inmediatamente me acogieron los consuelos de Tu compasión, según escuché (pues no lo recuerdo) de los padres de mi carne, de cuya sustancia Tú en su momento me formaste.

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

Así me acogieron los consuelos de la leche de mujer.

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.

Pues ni mi madre ni mis nodrizas guardaron sus propios pechos para mí; sino que Tú otorgaste el alimento de mi infancia por medio de ellas, conforme a Tu ordenanza, por la cual distribuyes Tus riquezas a través de los manantiales ocultos de todas las cosas.

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

Tú también me diste desear no más de lo que Tú dabas; y a mis nodrizas el dar de buena gana lo que Tú les dabas.

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

Pues ellas, con un afecto enseñado por el cielo, me daban de buena gana lo que de Ti les sobreabundaba.

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

Pues este bien mío que venía de ellas, era un bien para ellas.

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.

Ni, en verdad, era de ellas, sino por medio de ellas; pues de Ti, oh Dios, vienen todas las cosas buenas, y de mi Dios viene toda mi salud.

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

Esto lo aprendí después, siendo Tú quien, por medio de estos Tus dones, dentro y fuera de mí, Te proclamabas a mí mismo.

Vocabulary

Sin: Without; used to indicate absence or lack
embargo: However; nevertheless; used in 'sin embargo'
permíteme: Allow me; let me; imperative form of permitir
hablar: To speak; to talk
pues: Well; then; since; for; because
hablo: I speak; first person singular of hablar
a: To; at; preposition indicating direction or recipient
Tu: Your; second person possessive adjective
misericordia: Mercy; compassion; clemency toward others
y: And; basic coordinating conjunction
no: No; not; negation word
al: To the; contraction of a and el
hombre: Man; human being; adult male person
desdeñoso: Disdainful; scornful; showing contempt or disregard
Tú: You; second person singular subject pronoun
también: Also; too; as well; in addition
quizás: Perhaps; maybe; expressing uncertainty or possibility
me: Me; first person singular object pronoun
desprecias: You despise; you scorn; second person of despreciar
pero: But; however; coordinating conjunction of contrast
volverás: You will return; future tense of volver
tendrás: You will have; future tense of tener
compasión: Compassion; sympathy; feeling of pity for others
de: Of; from; preposition indicating origin or possession
mí: Me; first person singular pronoun after prepositions
Pues: Well; then; for; introductory or causal conjunction
qué: What; interrogative or exclamatory pronoun
diría: Would say; conditional tense of decir
yo: I; first person singular subject pronoun
Señor: Lord; Mister; title of respect or divine address
mi: My; first person singular possessive adjective
Dios: God; the divine being; supreme deity
sino: But rather; except; used after negation for contrast
que: That; which; who; common conjunction or relative pronoun
sé: I know; first person singular of saber
dónde: Where; interrogative adverb of place
vine: I came; first person singular preterite of venir
esta: This; feminine demonstrative adjective or pronoun
vida: Life; the state of being alive
muere: Dies; third person singular present of morir
así: Thus; so; in this way; like this
la: The; feminine definite article; or her/it as pronoun
llamaré: I will call; first person future of llamar
o: Or; disjunctive coordinating conjunction
muerte: Death; the end of life
vive: Lives; third person singular present of vivir
Entonces: Then; at that time; therefore; as a result
inmediatamente: Immediately; right away; without delay
acogieron: They welcomed; they received; preterite of acoger
los: The; masculine plural definite article
consuelos: Comforts; consolations; things that ease sorrow
según: According to; depending on; as
escuché: I heard; I listened; preterite of escuchar
lo: It; him; masculine singular direct object pronoun
recuerdo: I remember; also memory; remembrance
padres: Parents; fathers; male ancestors
carne: Flesh; meat; the physical body
cuya: Whose; feminine relative possessive pronoun
sustancia: Substance; matter; essential material or essence
en: In; on; at; basic preposition of location
su: His; her; its; your; their possessive adjective
momento: Moment; instant; a brief point in time
formaste: You formed; you shaped; preterite of formar
Así: Thus; so; in this manner; likewise
leche: Milk; white liquid produced by mammals
mujer: Woman; wife; adult female person
ni: Nor; neither; not even; negative conjunction
madre: Mother; female parent
mis: My; first person plural possessive adjective
guardaron: They kept; they saved; preterite of guardar
sus: His; her; their; possessive adjective plural form
propios: Own; proper; belonging to oneself
pechos: Breasts; chests; front part of the torso
para: For; in order to; preposition of purpose or destination
otorgaste: You granted; you bestowed; preterite of otorgar
el: The; masculine singular definite article
alimento: Food; nourishment; sustenance for the body
infancia: Infancy; childhood; early stage of life
por: By; through; for; because of; preposition
medio: Middle; means; medium; by means of
ellas: They; them; third person plural feminine pronoun
conforme: In accordance with; according to; as
ordenanza: Ordinance; decree; established rule or command
cual: Which; who; relative pronoun referring to nouns
distribuyes: You distribute; second person of distribuir
Tus: Your; second person plural possessive adjective
riquezas: Riches; wealth; abundant valuable resources
través: Through; across; used in 'a través de'
manantiales: Springs; natural sources of flowing water
ocultos: Hidden; concealed; secret from view
todas: All; every; feminine plural of todo
las: The; feminine plural definite article
cosas: Things; objects; matters; affairs
diste: You gave; second person preterite of dar
desear: To desire; to wish for; to want something
más: More; most; additional quantity or degree
dabas: You were giving; imperfect tense of dar
dar: To give; basic infinitive of giving action
buena: Good; feminine adjective expressing positive quality
gana: Desire; willingness; eagerness to do something
les: To them; indirect object pronoun third person plural
con: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or means
un: A; an; masculine singular indefinite article
afecto: Affection; fondness; emotional warmth toward someone
enseñado: Taught; instructed; past participle of enseñar
cielo: Sky; heaven; the expanse above or divine realm
daban: They were giving; third person imperfect of dar
Ti: You; second person singular pronoun after prepositions
este: This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective
bien: Good; well; a good thing; benefit
mío: Mine; my; masculine possessive pronoun
venía: Was coming; came; imperfect tense of venir
era: Was; imperfect tense of ser; it was
Ni: Nor; neither; not even; negative conjunction
verdad: Truth; reality; that which is true
vienen: They come; third person plural present of venir
buenas: Good; feminine plural adjective of positive quality
viene: Comes; third person singular present of venir
toda: All; every; whole; feminine singular of todo
salud: Health; wellness; physical wellbeing
Esto: This; neuter demonstrative pronoun for concepts
aprendí: I learned; first person preterite of aprender
después: After; afterward; later in time
siendo: Being; gerund of ser; in the state of being
quien: Who; whom; relative pronoun referring to persons
estos: These; masculine plural demonstrative adjective
dones: Gifts; talents; blessings bestowed upon someone
dentro: Inside; within; in the interior of something
fuera: Outside; beyond; also past subjunctive of ser/estar
Te: You; second person singular reflexive or object pronoun
proclamabas: You were proclaiming; imperfect of proclamar
mismo: Same; himself; itself; emphasizing identity

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