The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 2

English → Fr BOOK I Level 9/10

And how shall I call upon my God, my God and Lord, since, when I call for Him, I shall be calling Him to myself?

Et comment invoquerai-je mon Dieu, mon Dieu et mon Seigneur, puisque, lorsque je L'invoquerai, c'est à moi-même que je L'appellerai?

and what room is there within me, whither my God can come into me?

et quelle place y a-t-il en moi, où mon Dieu puisse entrer en moi?

whither can God come into me, God who made heaven and earth?

où Dieu peut-il entrer en moi, Dieu qui a fait le ciel et la terre?

is there, indeed, O Lord my God, aught in me that can contain Thee?

y a-t-il donc, ô Seigneur mon Dieu, quelque chose en moi qui puisse Te contenir?

do then heaven and earth, which Thou hast made, and wherein Thou hast made me, contain Thee?

le ciel et la terre, que Tu as faits, et dans lesquels Tu m'as fait, Te contiennent-ils donc?

or, because nothing which exists could exist without Thee, doth therefore whatever exists contain Thee?

ou bien, parce que rien de ce qui existe ne pourrait exister sans Toi, tout ce qui existe Te contient-il pour autant?

Since, then, I too exist, why do I seek that Thou shouldest enter into me, who were not, wert Thou not in me?

Puisque, donc, j'existe moi aussi, pourquoi est-ce que je cherche à ce que Tu entres en moi, moi qui ne serais pas, si Tu n'étais pas en moi?

Why? because I am not gone down in hell, and yet Thou art there also.

Pourquoi? parce que je ne suis pas descendu en enfer, et pourtant Tu y es aussi.

For if I go down into hell, Thou art there.

Car si je descends en enfer, Tu y es.

I could not be then, O my God, could not be at all, wert Thou not in me; or, rather, unless I were in Thee, of whom are all things, by whom are all things, in whom are all things?

Je ne pourrais donc être, ô mon Dieu, ne pourrais être du tout, si Tu n'étais pas en moi; ou plutôt, si je n'étais pas en Toi, de qui sont toutes choses, par qui sont toutes choses, en qui sont toutes choses?

Even so, Lord, even so.

Il en est bien ainsi, Seigneur, il en est bien ainsi.

Whither do I call Thee, since I am in Thee? or whence canst Thou enter into me?

Où T'appellerai-je, puisque je suis en Toi? ou d'où peux-Tu entrer en moi?

for whither can I go beyond heaven and earth, that thence my God should come into me, who hath said, I fill the heaven and the earth.

car où puis-je aller au-delà du ciel et de la terre, pour que de là mon Dieu vienne en moi, Lui qui a dit: Je remplis le ciel et la terre.

Do the heaven and earth then contain Thee, since Thou fillest them?

Le ciel et la terre Te contiennent-ils donc, puisque Tu les remplis?

Vocabulary

comment: Adverb meaning 'how', asking manner or method.
invoquerai: Future tense of 'invoquer': to invoke or call upon.
Dieu: Noun meaning 'God', supreme divine being.
Seigneur: Noun meaning 'Lord', title of divine authority.
puisque: Conjunction meaning 'since' or 'given that'.
lorsque: Conjunction meaning 'when', indicating a time clause.
même: Adjective or adverb meaning 'same', 'even', or 'itself'.
appellerai: Future tense of 'appeler': to call or summon.
quelle: Feminine interrogative adjective meaning 'what' or 'which'.
place: Noun meaning 'place', 'space', or 'room'.
y: Pronoun meaning 'there' or replacing a prepositional phrase.
où: Adverb or conjunction meaning 'where' or 'when'.
puisse: Subjunctive of 'pouvoir': may be able to.
entrer: Infinitive verb meaning 'to enter' or 'to go in'.
ciel: Noun meaning 'sky' or 'heaven'.
terre: Noun meaning 'earth', 'ground', or 'land'.
donc: Conjunction meaning 'therefore', 'so', or 'thus'.
ô: Exclamatory interjection 'O', used in solemn address.
quelque: Indefinite adjective meaning 'some' or 'any'.
chose: Noun meaning 'thing' or 'matter'.
Te: Second-person singular object pronoun meaning 'you' (formal/divine).
contenir: Infinitive meaning 'to contain' or 'to hold within'.
faits: Past participle of 'faire': 'made' or 'done' (plural).
lesquels: Relative pronoun meaning 'which' (masculine plural).
contiennent: Third-person plural of 'contenir': 'they contain'.
bien: Adverb meaning 'well' or 'indeed'; used in expressions.
parce: Part of 'parce que', conjunction meaning 'because'.
rien: Negative pronoun meaning 'nothing' or 'anything'.
existe: Third-person singular of 'exister': 'exists'.
pourrait: Conditional of 'pouvoir': 'could' or 'would be able'.
exister: Infinitive meaning 'to exist' or 'to be present'.
sans: Preposition meaning 'without'.
Toi: Stressed second-person singular pronoun meaning 'you'.
tout: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all', 'everything', or 'every'.
contient: Third-person singular of 'contenir': 'contains'.
autant: Adverb meaning 'as much', 'as many', or 'therefore'.
Puisque: Conjunction meaning 'since' or 'given that'.
aussi: Adverb meaning 'also', 'too', or 'as well'.
pourquoi: Adverb or conjunction meaning 'why'.
cherche: First/third-person singular of 'chercher': 'seeks' or 'looks for'.
entres: Second-person singular of 'entrer': 'you enter'.
serais: Conditional of 'être': 'would be' (first/second person).
si: Conjunction meaning 'if' or adverb meaning 'so' or 'yes'.
étais: Imperfect of 'être': 'were' or 'was' (first/second person).
Pourquoi: Adverb or conjunction meaning 'why'.
descendu: Past participle of 'descendre': 'gone down' or 'descended'.
enfer: Noun meaning 'hell' or 'inferno'.
pourtant: Conjunction meaning 'yet', 'however', or 'nevertheless'.
Car: Conjunction meaning 'for' or 'because', introducing reason.
descends: First/second-person of 'descendre': 'go down' or 'descend'.
pourrais: Conditional of 'pouvoir': 'could' or 'would be able'.
plutôt: Adverb meaning 'rather', 'instead', or 'more precisely'.
toutes: Feminine plural of 'tout': 'all' or 'every'.
choses: Plural of 'chose': 'things' or 'matters'.
par: Preposition meaning 'by', 'through', or 'per'.
ainsi: Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'.
Où: Adverb meaning 'where', asking about location.
peux: First/second-person of 'pouvoir': 'can' or 'am able'.
car: Conjunction meaning 'for' or 'because'.
puis: Adverb meaning 'then' or 'next'; also 'I can' (pouvoir).
aller: Infinitive meaning 'to go'.
delà: Adverb meaning 'beyond', used in 'au-delà'.
là: Adverb meaning 'there', indicating a location.
vienne: Subjunctive of 'venir': 'come' or 'may come'.
Lui: Stressed third-person singular pronoun: 'him' or 'her'.
dit: Third-person singular of 'dire': 'says' or 'said'.
remplis: Imperative or past participle of 'remplir': 'fill' or 'filled'.

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