The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 14

English → Fr BOOK I Level 9/10

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.

Car cela fut jugé juste par nos ancêtres ; et beaucoup, parcourant avant nous le même chemin, nous ont tracé des voies pénibles, par lesquelles nous étions contraints de passer ; multipliant la peine et le chagrin sur les fils d'Adam.

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.

Mais, Seigneur, nous avons trouvé que les hommes T'invoquaient, et nous avons appris d'eux à Te concevoir (selon nos capacités) comme un grand Être, qui, bien que caché à nos sens, pouvait nous entendre et nous aider.

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.

C'est ainsi que je commençai, enfant, à Te prier, Toi mon secours et mon refuge ; et je brisai les entraves de ma langue pour T'invoquer, Te priant, tout petit que j'étais, mais avec une ferveur non négligeable, de ne pas être battu à l'école.

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.

Et lorsque Tu ne m'exauçais pas (sans pour autant me livrer à la folie), mes aînés, et même mes propres parents, qui pourtant ne me voulaient aucun mal, se moquaient de mes coups, qui étaient alors pour moi un grand et douloureux malheur.

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?

Existe-t-il, Seigneur, une âme si grande, et s'attachant à Toi avec une affection si intense (car une certaine stupidité peut en quelque sorte y suffire) ; mais existe-t-il quelqu'un qui, en s'attachant dévotement à Toi, soit doté d'un esprit si grand qu'il puisse regarder avec autant de légèreté les chevalets, les crochets et autres supplices (contre lesquels, dans tous les pays, les hommes T'invoquent avec une terreur extrême), se moquant de ceux qui les redoutent le plus amèrement, comme nos parents se moquaient des tourments que nous subissions dans notre enfance de la part de nos maîtres ?

Vocabulary

Car: Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'
cela: Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'this'
fut: Past tense of 'être'; was (simple past)
jugé: Past participle of 'juger'; judged or deemed
juste: Adjective or adverb meaning 'just' or 'fair'
par: Preposition meaning 'by' or 'through'
nos: Possessive adjective meaning 'our' (plural)
ancêtres: Noun meaning 'ancestors' or 'forebears'
et: Conjunction meaning 'and'
beaucoup: Adverb meaning 'many' or 'a lot'
parcourant: Present participle of 'parcourir'; traveling through or covering
avant: Preposition or adverb meaning 'before'
nous: Personal pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us'
le: Definite article meaning 'the' (masculine singular)
même: Adjective or adverb meaning 'same' or 'even'
chemin: Noun meaning 'path' or 'road'
ont: Third-person plural present of 'avoir'; have
tracé: Past participle of 'tracer'; traced or mapped out
des: Indefinite article or partitive meaning 'some'
voies: Noun meaning 'ways' or 'paths' (plural)
pénibles: Adjective meaning 'painful' or 'arduous'
lesquelles: Relative pronoun meaning 'which' (feminine plural)
étions: First-person plural imperfect of 'être'; we were
contraints: Past participle of 'contraindre'; forced or compelled
de: Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
passer: Infinitive meaning 'to pass' or 'to go through'
multipliant: Present participle of 'multiplier'; multiplying or increasing
la: Definite article meaning 'the' (feminine singular)
peine: Noun meaning 'pain,' 'sorrow,' or 'hardship'
chagrin: Noun meaning 'grief,' 'sorrow,' or 'distress'
sur: Preposition meaning 'on' or 'upon'
les: Definite article meaning 'the' (plural)
fils: Noun meaning 'sons' or 'children'
d': Contracted preposition 'de' meaning 'of'
Mais: Conjunction meaning 'but'
Seigneur: Noun meaning 'Lord' (religious address)
avons: First-person plural present of 'avoir'; we have
trouvé: Past participle of 'trouver'; found or discovered
que: Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that' or 'which'
hommes: Noun meaning 'men' or 'people' (plural)
T': Contracted form of 'te'; you (direct/indirect object)
invoquaient: Imperfect tense of 'invoquer'; they were invoking
appris: Past participle of 'apprendre'; learned or taught
eux: Disjunctive pronoun meaning 'them' (masculine)
à: Preposition meaning 'to,' 'at,' or 'in'
Te: Object pronoun meaning 'you' (singular formal or divine)
concevoir: Infinitive meaning 'to conceive' or 'to imagine'
selon: Preposition meaning 'according to'
capacités: Noun meaning 'capacities' or 'abilities' (plural)
comme: Conjunction or preposition meaning 'as' or 'like'
un: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one' (masculine)
grand: Adjective meaning 'great' or 'large'
Être: Noun meaning 'Being' or 'entity' (philosophical sense)
qui: Relative or interrogative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'
bien: Adverb or noun meaning 'well' or 'good'
caché: Past participle of 'cacher'; hidden or concealed
sens: Noun meaning 'sense,' 'meaning,' or 'direction'
pouvait: Imperfect tense of 'pouvoir'; could or was able to
entendre: Infinitive meaning 'to hear' or 'to understand'
aider: Infinitive meaning 'to help' or 'to assist'
C': Contracted form of 'ce'; it (used before 'est')
est: Third-person singular present of 'être'; is
ainsi: Adverb meaning 'thus,' 'so,' or 'in this way'
je: Subject pronoun meaning 'I'
commençai: First-person singular simple past of 'commencer'; I began
enfant: Noun meaning 'child'
prier: Infinitive meaning 'to pray'
Toi: Disjunctive pronoun meaning 'you' (emphatic)
mon: Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (masculine singular)
secours: Noun meaning 'help,' 'aid,' or 'rescue'
refuge: Noun meaning 'refuge' or 'shelter'
brisai: First-person singular simple past of 'briser'; I broke
entraves: Noun meaning 'shackles,' 'fetters,' or 'obstacles' (plural)
ma: Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (feminine singular)
langue: Noun meaning 'language' or 'tongue'
pour: Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'
invoquer: Infinitive meaning 'to invoke' or 'to call upon'
priant: Present participle of 'prier'; praying
tout: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' or 'every'
petit: Adjective meaning 'small' or 'little'
j': Contracted form of 'je'; I (before vowel)
étais: First-person singular imperfect of 'être'; I was
mais: Conjunction meaning 'but'
avec: Preposition meaning 'with'
une: Indefinite article meaning 'a' or 'one' (feminine)
ferveur: Noun meaning 'fervor' or 'zeal'
non: Adverb or interjection meaning 'no' or 'not'
négligeable: Adjective meaning 'negligible' or 'insignificant'
ne: Negation particle used with 'pas' for 'not'
pas: Negation particle meaning 'not' (used with 'ne')
être: Infinitive meaning 'to be'
battu: Past participle of 'battre'; beaten or struck
l': Contracted definite article meaning 'the' (before vowel)
école: Noun meaning 'school'
Et: Conjunction meaning 'and'
lorsque: Conjunction meaning 'when' or 'at the time that'
Tu: Subject pronoun meaning 'you' (singular informal)
m': Contracted object pronoun 'me'; me (before vowel)
exauçais: Imperfect of 'exaucer'; granted wishes or answered prayers
sans: Preposition meaning 'without'
autant: Adverb meaning 'as much' or 'for all that'
me: Object pronoun meaning 'me' or 'myself'
livrer: Infinitive meaning 'to deliver' or 'to surrender oneself'
folie: Noun meaning 'madness,' 'folly,' or 'foolishness'
mes: Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (plural)
aînés: Noun meaning 'elders' or 'older siblings'
propres: Adjective meaning 'own' or 'proper'
parents: Noun meaning 'parents' or 'relatives'
pourtant: Adverb meaning 'yet,' 'however,' or 'nevertheless'
voulaient: Imperfect of 'vouloir'; they wanted or wished
aucun: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'no' or 'none'
mal: Noun or adverb meaning 'harm,' 'evil,' or 'badly'
se: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself,' 'himself,' or 'herself'
moquaient: Imperfect of 'se moquer'; they were mocking or ridiculing
coups: Noun meaning 'blows,' 'hits,' or 'strikes' (plural)
étaient: Third-person plural imperfect of 'être'; they were
alors: Adverb meaning 'then' or 'at that time'
moi: Disjunctive pronoun meaning 'me' or 'I' (emphatic)
douloureux: Adjective meaning 'painful' or 'sorrowful'
malheur: Noun meaning 'misfortune,' 'unhappiness,' or 'disaster'
Existe-t-il: Inverted question form: 'does there exist' or 'is there'
âme: Noun meaning 'soul' or 'spirit'
si: Adverb or conjunction meaning 'so,' 'if,' or 'such'
grande: Adjective meaning 'great' or 'large' (feminine)
s': Contracted reflexive pronoun 'se' before vowel
attachant: Present participle of 'attacher'; attaching or bonding
affection: Noun meaning 'affection' or 'fondness'
intense: Adjective meaning 'intense' or 'strong'
car: Conjunction meaning 'because' or 'for'
certaine: Adjective meaning 'certain' or 'a certain' (feminine)
stupidité: Noun meaning 'stupidity' or 'foolishness'
peut: Third-person singular present of 'pouvoir'; can or may
en: Preposition or pronoun meaning 'in,' 'of it,' or 'some'
quelque: Adjective meaning 'some' or 'a certain'
sorte: Noun meaning 'sort,' 'kind,' or 'manner'
y: Pronoun meaning 'there' or 'it' (referring to a place)
suffire: Infinitive meaning 'to suffice' or 'to be enough'
existe-t-il: Inverted question form: 'does there exist' or 'is there'
quelqu': Contracted form of 'quelque'; some (before vowel)
dévotement: Adverb meaning 'devoutly' or 'with devotion'
soit: Subjunctive of 'être'; be or whether
doté: Past participle of 'doter'; endowed or equipped with
esprit: Noun meaning 'mind,' 'spirit,' or 'wit'
qu': Contracted conjunction 'que' before vowel; that or which
il: Subject pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'
puisse: Subjunctive of 'pouvoir'; can or may (subjunctive mood)
regarder: Infinitive meaning 'to look at' or 'to watch'
légèreté: Noun meaning 'lightness,' 'frivolity,' or 'carelessness'
chevalets: Noun meaning 'easels' or 'torture racks' (plural)
crochets: Noun meaning 'hooks' or 'brackets' (plural)
autres: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'others'
supplices: Noun meaning 'tortures' or 'torments' (plural)
contre: Preposition meaning 'against'
lesquels: Relative pronoun meaning 'which' (masculine plural)
dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside'
tous: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' or 'every' (masculine plural)
pays: Noun meaning 'country' or 'land'
invoquent: Third-person plural present of 'invoquer'; they invoke
terreur: Noun meaning 'terror' or 'dread'
extrême: Adjective meaning 'extreme' or 'utmost'
moquant: Present participle of 'se moquer'; mocking or ridiculing
ceux: Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' or 'the ones' (masculine)
redoutent: Third-person plural present of 'redouter'; they dread or fear
plus: Adverb meaning 'more' or 'no longer'
amèrement: Adverb meaning 'bitterly'
tourments: Noun meaning 'torments' or 'agonies' (plural)
subissions: Imperfect subjunctive of 'subir'; we endured or suffered
notre: Possessive adjective meaning 'our' (singular)
enfance: Noun meaning 'childhood' or 'infancy'
part: Noun meaning 'part,' 'share,' or 'side'
maîtres: Noun meaning 'masters' or 'teachers' (plural)

← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →