The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 2

English → It 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?

E come invocherò il mio Dio, il mio Dio e Signore, dal momento che, quando lo invoco, lo chiamerò a me stesso?

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

e quale spazio vi è in me, dove il mio Dio possa entrare in me?

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

dove può Dio entrare in me, Dio che ha fatto il cielo e la terra?

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

vi è forse, o Signore mio Dio, qualcosa in me che possa contenerti?

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

contengono forse il cielo e la terra, che Tu hai fatto, e nei quali hai fatto me, contengono Te?

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

o forse, poiché nulla di ciò che esiste potrebbe esistere senza di Te, tutto ciò che esiste Ti contiene?

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

Poiché dunque anch'io esisto, perché cerco che Tu entri in me, io che non sarei, se Tu non fossi in me?

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

Perché? perché non sono disceso nell'inferno, eppure anche Tu vi sei.

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

Poiché se discendo nell'inferno, Tu vi sei.

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?

Non potrei essere dunque, o mio Dio, non potrei essere affatto, se Tu non fossi in me; o piuttosto, se io non fossi in Te, dal quale sono tutte le cose, per mezzo del quale sono tutte le cose, nel quale sono tutte le cose?

Even so, Lord, even so.

Così è, Signore, così è.

Whither do I call Thee, since I am in Thee?

Dove Ti chiamo, dal momento che sono in Te?

or whence canst Thou enter into me?

o da dove puoi Tu entrare in me?

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.

poiché dove posso andare al di là del cielo e della terra, affinché di là il mio Dio venga in me, Colui che ha detto: Io riempio il cielo e la terra.

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

Il cielo e la terra Ti contengono dunque, poiché Tu li riempi?

Vocabulary

come: ko-me — How; as; like; used for comparisons or questions.
invocherò: in-vo-ke-rò — I will invoke or call upon someone, especially God.
mio: mì-o — Possessive adjective meaning 'my' for masculine nouns.
Dio: dì-o — God; the supreme divine being in monotheistic religion.
Signore: si-gnó-re — Lord; a title of respect or reference to God.
dal: dal — Contraction of 'da' and 'il' meaning 'from the'.
momento: mo-mén-to — Moment; a brief or specific point in time.
quando: kuàn-do — When; used to indicate time or a conditional moment.
lo: lo — Him; it; masculine direct object pronoun.
invoco: in-vò-ko — I invoke; I call upon a deity or higher power.
chiamerò: kia-me-rò — I will call; future tense of the verb chiamare.
me: me — Me; first person singular stressed pronoun.
stesso: stés-so — Same; himself; itself; used for emphasis or identity.
quale: kuà-le — Which; what; used in questions or relative clauses.
spazio: spà-tsio — Space; room; an area or expanse that can contain things.
vi: vi — There; in it; reflexive or locative pronoun particle.
dove: dò-ve — Where; used to ask about or indicate location.
possa: pós-sa — May; can; subjunctive form of potere, expressing possibility.
entrare: en-trà-re — To enter; to go or come inside a place.
può: può — Can; he/she/it is able to; third person of potere.
fatto: fàt-to — Made; done; past participle of fare, 'to make/do'.
cielo: ciè-lo — Sky; heaven; the expanse above the earth.
terra: tèr-ra — Earth; land; the ground or the world we inhabit.
forse: fór-se — Perhaps; maybe; expressing uncertainty or possibility.
qualcosa: kual-kò-sa — Something; an unspecified or unknown thing or matter.
contenerti: kon-te-nér-ti — To contain you; infinitive plus clitic 'ti' meaning 'you'.
contengono: kon-tèn-go-no — They contain; third person plural of contenere.
hai: ài — You have; second person singular present of avere.
nei: nèi — Contraction of 'in' and 'i' meaning 'in the' (plural).
quali: kuà-li — Which; plural form of quale used in relative clauses.
Te: te — You; stressed second person singular object pronoun.
poiché: poi-ké — Since; because; introducing a causal clause or explanation.
nulla: nùl-la — Nothing; not anything; complete absence of things.
ciò: ciò — That; this; a demonstrative pronoun referring to something mentioned.
esiste: e-zì-ste — Exists; third person singular of esistere, 'to exist'.
potrebbe: po-trèb-be — Could; might; conditional form of potere expressing possibility.
esistere: e-zì-ste-re — To exist; to have real being or presence.
senza: sèn-tsa — Without; preposition indicating the absence of something.
tutto: tùt-to — Everything; all; the totality of things or persons.
Ti: ti — You; second person singular unstressed object pronoun.
contiene: kon-tiè-ne — Contains; holds within; third person singular of contenere.
Poiché: poi-ké — Since; because; causal conjunction introducing a reason.
dunque: dùn-kue — Therefore; so; consequently; a logical connective.
anch': ank — Also; even; short form of anche before a vowel.
esisto: e-zì-sto — I exist; first person singular present of esistere.
perché: per-ké — Because; why; used for cause or to ask reasons.
cerco: cèr-ko — I seek; I look for; first person singular of cercare.
entri: èn-tri — You enter; may enter; subjunctive/informal present of entrare.
sarei: sa-rèi — I would be; first person conditional of essere.
se: se — If; reflexive pronoun; conditional conjunction in Italian.
fossi: fós-si — Were; subjunctive imperfect of essere expressing hypothesis.
Perché: per-ké — Why; because; used to ask for or give a reason.
disceso: di-shè-so — Descended; gone down; past participle of discendere.
nell': nel — Contraction of 'in' and 'l'' meaning 'in the' before vowel.
inferno: in-fèr-no — Hell; the underworld; a place of punishment after death.
eppure: ep-pù-re — Yet; and yet; nevertheless; expressing contrast or surprise.
anche: àn-ke — Also; too; even; indicating inclusion or addition.
sei: sèi — You are; second person singular present of essere.
discendo: di-shèn-do — I descend; I go down; first person present of discendere.
potrei: po-trèi — I could; I would be able to; conditional of potere.
essere: és-se-re — To be; fundamental Italian verb expressing existence or identity.
affatto: af-fàt-to — At all; used in negative sentences to reinforce negation.
piuttosto: piut-tò-sto — Rather; quite; instead; expressing preference or degree.
tutte: tùt-te — All; every; feminine plural of tutto meaning all things.
cose: kò-se — Things; objects or matters; plural of cosa.
mezzo: mèd-zo — Means; middle; half; used in 'per mezzo di' meaning through.
nel: nel — In the; contraction of 'in' and 'il' for masculine.
Così: ko-zì — So; thus; in this way; expressing manner or consequence.
così: ko-zì — So; thus; like this; indicating manner or result.
Dove: dò-ve — Where; interrogative adverb asking about location.
chiamo: kiàmo — I call; I summon; first person singular present of chiamare.
da: da — From; by; since; preposition indicating origin or agent.
puoi: puòi — You can; you are able to; second person singular of potere.
posso: pòs-so — I can; I am able to; first person singular of potere.
andare: an-dà-re — To go; to move toward a destination.
là: là — There; in that place; adverb of location.
affinché: af-fin-ké — So that; in order that; introducing a purpose clause.
venga: vèn-ga — Come; may come; subjunctive present of venire.
Colui: ko-lùi — He who; that one; a demonstrative pronoun for a person.
detto: dèt-to — Said; told; past participle of dire, 'to say'.
riempio: riem-pio — I fill; I fill up; first person singular of riempire.
li: li — Them; masculine plural direct object pronoun.
riempi: rièm-pi — You fill; imperative or second person singular of riempire.

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