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.
Pero Tú, Señor, que vives para siempre, y en quien nada muere: pues antes de la fundación de los mundos, y antes de todo lo que pueda llamarse «antes», Tú eres, y eres Dios y Señor de todo lo que has creado: en Ti permanecen, fijadas para siempre, las causas primeras de todas las cosas no permanentes; y de todas las cosas mudables, los manantiales permanecen en Ti inmutables: y en Ti viven las razones eternas de todas las cosas irracionales y temporales.
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?
Di, Señor, a mí, Tu suplicante; di, todo compasivo, a mí, Tu digno de lástima; di, ¿sucedió mi infancia a otra época mía que murió antes que ella?
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?
¿Fue acaso aquella que pasé en el seno de mi madre? pues de ello algo he oído, y yo mismo he visto mujeres encinta.
and what before that life again, O God my joy, was I any where or any body?
¿Y qué antes de aquella vida, oh Dios mi gozo, fui yo en algún lugar o alguien?
For this have I none to tell me, neither father nor mother, nor experience of others, nor mine own memory.
Pues para esto no tengo a nadie que me lo diga, ni padre ni madre, ni experiencia de otros, ni mi propia memoria.
Dost Thou mock me for asking this, and bid me praise Thee and acknowledge Thee, for that I do know?
¿Te burlas de mí por preguntar esto, y me mandas alabarte y reconocerte, por lo que sí sé?
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.
Te reconozco, Señor del cielo y de la tierra, y Te alabo por mis primeros rudimentos de existencia y por mi infancia, de la que nada recuerdo; pues Tú has dispuesto que el hombre deduzca de otros mucho sobre sí mismo, y crea mucho apoyándose en mujeres débiles.
Vocabulary
- Pero
- Conjunction meaning 'but,' used to contrast ideas.
- Tú
- Second person singular pronoun meaning 'you.'
- Señor
- Noun meaning 'Lord' or 'Mister,' term of address.
- que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which.'
- vives
- Second person singular present of 'vivir,' meaning 'you live.'
- para
- Preposition meaning 'for,' 'in order to,' or 'toward.'
- siempre
- Adverb meaning 'always' or 'forever.'
- y
- Conjunction meaning 'and,' connecting words or clauses.
- en
- Preposition meaning 'in,' 'on,' or 'at.'
- quien
- Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'whom.'
- nada
- Pronoun or adverb meaning 'nothing' or 'not at all.'
- muere
- Third person singular present of 'morir,' meaning 'dies.'
- pues
- Conjunction meaning 'since,' 'because,' or 'well then.'
- antes
- Adverb meaning 'before' or 'previously' in time.
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of,' 'from,' or 'about.'
- la
- Feminine definite article meaning 'the.'
- fundación
- Noun meaning 'foundation' or 'establishment' of something.
- los
- Masculine plural definite article meaning 'the.'
- mundos
- Plural noun meaning 'worlds' or 'universes.'
- todo
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all,' 'everything,' or 'every.'
- lo
- Neuter article or pronoun meaning 'it' or 'the thing.'
- pueda
- Subjunctive form of 'poder,' meaning 'can' or 'may be able.'
- llamarse
- Reflexive verb meaning 'to be called' or 'to call oneself.'
- eres
- Second person singular present of 'ser,' meaning 'you are.'
- Dios
- Noun meaning 'God,' the supreme divine being.
- has
- Second person singular present perfect auxiliary 'have.'
- creado
- Past participle of 'crear,' meaning 'created.'
- Ti
- Prepositional pronoun meaning 'you,' used after prepositions.
- permanecen
- Third person plural present of 'permanecer,' meaning 'remain.'
- fijadas
- Past participle meaning 'fixed' or 'established,' feminine plural.
- las
- Feminine plural definite article meaning 'the.'
- causas
- Plural noun meaning 'causes' or 'reasons.'
- primeras
- Feminine plural ordinal adjective meaning 'first.'
- todas
- Feminine plural adjective meaning 'all' or 'every.'
- cosas
- Plural noun meaning 'things' or 'matters.'
- no
- Adverb of negation meaning 'no' or 'not.'
- permanentes
- Adjective meaning 'permanent' or 'lasting,' plural form.
- mudables
- Adjective meaning 'changeable' or 'mutable,' prone to change.
- manantiales
- Plural noun meaning 'springs' or 'sources' of water.
- inmutables
- Adjective meaning 'immutable' or 'unchangeable,' never changing.
- viven
- Third person plural present of 'vivir,' meaning 'they live.'
- razones
- Plural noun meaning 'reasons,' 'rationales,' or 'arguments.'
- eternas
- Feminine plural adjective meaning 'eternal' or 'everlasting.'
- irracionales
- Adjective meaning 'irrational' or 'without reason,' plural form.
- temporales
- Adjective meaning 'temporal' or 'temporary,' existing in time.
- Di
- Imperative form of 'decir,' meaning 'say' or 'tell.'
- a
- Preposition meaning 'to' or 'at,' indicating direction or recipient.
- mí
- Prepositional pronoun meaning 'me,' first person singular.
- Tu
- Possessive adjective meaning 'your,' second person singular.
- suplicante
- Noun or adjective meaning 'supplicant' or 'beseeching person.'
- di
- Imperative form of 'decir,' meaning 'say' or 'tell.'
- compasivo
- Adjective meaning 'compassionate' or 'merciful,' showing pity.
- digno
- Adjective meaning 'worthy' or 'deserving,' having dignity.
- lástima
- Noun meaning 'pity,' 'compassion,' or 'shame.'
- sucedió
- Third person singular preterite of 'suceder,' meaning 'happened.'
- mi
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my,' first person singular.
- infancia
- Noun meaning 'infancy' or 'childhood,' early life period.
- otra
- Feminine adjective meaning 'another' or 'other.'
- época
- Noun meaning 'era,' 'epoch,' or 'period of time.'
- mía
- Feminine possessive pronoun meaning 'mine,' expressing ownership.
- murió
- Third person singular preterite of 'morir,' meaning 'died.'
- ella
- Third person singular feminine pronoun meaning 'she' or 'her.'
- Fue
- Third person singular preterite of 'ser' or 'ir,' meaning 'was/went.'
- acaso
- Adverb meaning 'perhaps,' 'maybe,' or 'by chance.'
- aquella
- Feminine demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' (distant reference).
- pasé
- First person singular preterite of 'pasar,' meaning 'I passed/spent.'
- el
- Masculine definite article meaning 'the.'
- seno
- Noun meaning 'bosom,' 'womb,' or 'breast.'
- madre
- Noun meaning 'mother,' a female parent.
- ello
- Neuter pronoun meaning 'it,' referring to a thing or idea.
- algo
- Pronoun or adverb meaning 'something' or 'somewhat.'
- he
- First person singular present perfect auxiliary 'have.'
- oído
- Past participle of 'oír,' meaning 'heard.'
- yo
- First person singular personal pronoun meaning 'I.'
- mismo
- Adjective meaning 'same' or 'myself,' used for emphasis.
- visto
- Past participle of 'ver,' meaning 'seen.'
- mujeres
- Plural noun meaning 'women' or 'wives.'
- encinta
- Adjective meaning 'pregnant' or 'with child.'
- Y
- Conjunction meaning 'and,' connecting words or clauses.
- qué
- Interrogative or exclamatory word meaning 'what' or 'which.'
- vida
- Noun meaning 'life,' the state of being alive.
- oh
- Exclamation expressing surprise, wonder, or address.
- gozo
- Noun meaning 'joy,' 'delight,' or 'pleasure.'
- fui
- First person singular preterite of 'ser/ir,' meaning 'I was/went.'
- algún
- Masculine adjective meaning 'some' or 'any' before nouns.
- lugar
- Noun meaning 'place,' 'location,' or 'spot.'
- o
- Conjunction meaning 'or,' presenting an alternative option.
- alguien
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'someone' or 'somebody.'
- Pues
- Conjunction meaning 'well,' 'since,' or 'because.'
- esto
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' (neuter, nearby reference).
- tengo
- First person singular present of 'tener,' meaning 'I have.'
- nadie
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'nobody' or 'no one.'
- me
- First person singular reflexive or object pronoun meaning 'me.'
- diga
- Subjunctive form of 'decir,' meaning 'tell' or 'say.'
- ni
- Conjunction meaning 'nor' or 'neither,' used in negations.
- padre
- Noun meaning 'father,' a male parent.
- experiencia
- Noun meaning 'experience' or 'practical knowledge gained.
- otros
- Masculine plural adjective or pronoun meaning 'others' or 'other.'
- propia
- Feminine adjective meaning 'own' or 'one's own.'
- memoria
- Noun meaning 'memory,' the ability to recall past events.
- Te
- Second person singular reflexive or object pronoun meaning 'you.'
- burlas
- Verb form or noun meaning 'you mock' or 'jokes/mockery.'
- por
- Preposition meaning 'for,' 'because of,' or 'through.'
- preguntar
- Infinitive meaning 'to ask' or 'to inquire.'
- mandas
- Second person singular present of 'mandar,' meaning 'you command.'
- alabarte
- Infinitive with pronoun meaning 'to praise you.'
- reconocerte
- Infinitive with pronoun meaning 'to recognize you' or 'acknowledge you.'
- sí
- Adverb meaning 'yes,' or reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself.'
- sé
- First person singular present of 'saber,' meaning 'I know.'
- reconozco
- First person singular present of 'reconocer,' meaning 'I recognize.'
- del
- Contraction of 'de' and 'el,' meaning 'of the' or 'from the.'
- cielo
- Noun meaning 'sky' or 'heaven.'
- tierra
- Noun meaning 'earth,' 'land,' or 'ground.'
- alabo
- First person singular present of 'alabar,' meaning 'I praise.'
- mis
- Plural possessive adjective meaning 'my,' first person.
- primeros
- Masculine plural ordinal adjective meaning 'first.'
- rudimentos
- Plural noun meaning 'rudiments,' 'basics,' or 'first principles.'
- existencia
- Noun meaning 'existence' or 'being alive.'
- recuerdo
- Noun or verb meaning 'memory' or 'I remember.'
- dispuesto
- Adjective meaning 'willing,' 'ready,' or 'disposed.'
- hombre
- Noun meaning 'man' or 'human being.'
- deduzca
- Subjunctive form of 'deducir,' meaning 'to deduce' or 'infer.'
- mucho
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'much,' 'a lot,' or 'many.'
- sobre
- Preposition meaning 'about,' 'over,' or 'on top of.'
- crea
- Third person singular present of 'creer,' meaning 'believes.'
- apoyándose
- Gerund meaning 'relying on' or 'supporting oneself on.'
- débiles
- Plural adjective meaning 'weak,' 'feeble,' or 'frail.'
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