The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 7

English → It BOOK I Level 9/10

For then I knew but to suck; to repose in what pleased, and cry at what offended my flesh; nothing more.

Poiché allora non sapevo fare altro che succhiare; riposarmi in ciò che mi piaceva, e piangere per ciò che offendeva la mia carne; nient'altro.

Afterwards I began to smile; first in sleep, then waking: for so it was told me of myself, and I believed it; for we see the like in other infants, though of myself I remember it not.

In seguito cominciai a sorridere; prima nel sonno, poi da sveglio: poiché così mi fu detto di me stesso, e io lo credetti; poiché vediamo lo stesso negli altri bambini, sebbene di me stesso non lo ricordi.

Thus, little by little, I became conscious where I was; and to have a wish to express my wishes to those who could content them, and I could not; for the wishes were within me, and they without; nor could they by any sense of theirs enter within my spirit.

Così, a poco a poco, presi coscienza di dove mi trovassi; e desiderai esprimere i miei desideri a coloro che potevano soddisfarli, ma non potevo; poiché i desideri erano dentro di me, e loro fuori; né potevano essi, con alcun senso loro, entrare nel mio spirito.

So I flung about at random limbs and voice, making the few signs I could, and such as I could, like, though in truth very little like, what I wished.

Così agitavo a caso le membra e la voce, facendo i pochi segni che potevo, e tali da assomigliare, sebbene in verità molto poco, a ciò che desideravo.

And when I was not presently obeyed (my wishes being hurtful or unintelligible), then I was indignant with my elders for not submitting to me, with those owing me no service, for not serving me; and avenged myself on them by tears.

E quando non venivo prontamente obbedito (essendo i miei desideri dannosi o incomprensibili), allora mi indignavo con i miei maggiori per non essersi sottomessi a me, con coloro che non mi dovevano alcun servizio, per non avermi servito; e mi vendicavo di loro con le lacrime.

Such have I learnt infants to be from observing them; and that I was myself such, they, all unconscious, have shown me better than my nurses who knew it.

Tale ho imparato che sono i bambini dall'osservarli; e che anch'io ero tale, me lo hanno dimostrato essi, del tutto inconsapevoli, meglio delle mie nutrici che lo sapevano.

And, lo! my infancy died long since, and I live.

E, ecco! la mia infanzia è morta da lungo tempo, e io vivo.

Vocabulary

Poiché: poi-ché — Conjunction meaning 'since' or 'because'
allora: al-lo-ra — Then, at that time, or so
non: non — Negation word meaning 'not'
sapevo: sa-pe-vo — I knew, past imperfect of sapere
fare: fa-re — To do or to make
altro: al-tro — Other, another, or else
che: che — That, which, or who; subordinating conjunction
succhiare: suc-chia-re — To suck, as an infant feeding
riposarmi: ri-po-sar-mi — To rest myself, reflexive infinitive of riposare
in: in — Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into'
ciò: ciò — This, that; demonstrative pronoun
mi: mi — Reflexive or indirect pronoun meaning 'me' or 'myself'
piaceva: pia-ce-va — It pleased me; past imperfect of piacere
e: e — Coordinating conjunction meaning 'and'
piangere: pian-ge-re — To cry or to weep
per: per — Preposition meaning 'for,' 'by,' or 'through'
offendeva: of-fen-de-va — It offended or hurt; past imperfect of offendere
la: la — Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'her'
mia: mia — Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (feminine)
carne: car-ne — Flesh, meat, or body
nient'altro: nient-al-tro — Nothing else, nothing more
In seguito: in se-gui-to — Afterward, subsequently, later on
cominciai: co-min-ciai — I began; first person past of cominciare
a: a — Preposition meaning 'to' or 'at'
sorridere: sor-ri-de-re — To smile
prima: pri-ma — First, before, earlier
nel: nel — Contraction of 'in' + 'il' meaning 'in the'
sonno: son-no — Sleep, slumber
poi: poi — Then, afterward, later
da: da — Preposition meaning 'from,' 'by,' or 'since'
sveglio: sve-glio — Awake; also meaning alert or clever
poiché: poi-ché — Since, because; causal conjunction
così: co-sì — So, thus, in this way
fu: fu — It was; third person past of essere
detto: det-to — Said, told; past participle of dire
di: di — Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'
me: me — Stressed pronoun meaning 'me'
stesso: stes-so — Same, itself, himself, herself
io: io — Personal pronoun meaning 'I'
lo: lo — Direct object pronoun meaning 'it' or 'him'
credetti: cre-det-ti — I believed; first person simple past of credere
vediamo: ve-dia-mo — We see; also used as 'let's see'
negli: ne-gli — Contraction of 'in' + 'gli' meaning 'in the' (plural)
altri: al-tri — Others, other people
bambini: bam-bi-ni — Children, young boys (plural of bambino)
sebbene: seb-be-ne — Although, even though; concessive conjunction
ricordi: ri-cor-di — Memories; also second person singular of ricordare
Così: co-sì — So, thus, in this way
poco: po-co — Little, a little, not much
presi: pre-si — I took; first person simple past of prendere
coscienza: co-scien-za — Consciousness, awareness, conscience
dove: do-ve — Where; interrogative or relative adverb
trovassi: tro-vas-si — I found myself; imperfect subjunctive of trovare
desiderai: de-si-de-rai — I desired, I wished; simple past of desiderare
esprimere: es-pri-me-re — To express, to communicate feelings or thoughts
i: i — Plural definite article meaning 'the' (masculine)
miei: miei — My; plural masculine possessive adjective
desideri: de-si-de-ri — Desires, wishes (plural of desiderio)
coloro: co-lo-ro — Those (people), those who; demonstrative pronoun
potevano: po-te-va-no — They could; third person plural imperfect of potere
soddisfarli: sod-dis-far-li — To satisfy them; infinitive with pronoun attached
ma: ma — But; adversative conjunction
potevo: po-te-vo — I could; first person imperfect of potere
erano: e-ra-no — They were; third person plural imperfect of essere
dentro: den-tro — Inside, within
loro: lo-ro — They, them, or their; third person plural pronoun
fuori: fuo-ri — Outside, out, beyond
né: né — Nor, neither; negative conjunction
essi: es-si — They; formal third person plural pronoun
con: con — Preposition meaning 'with'
alcun: al-cun — Any, some; indefinite adjective (truncated form)
senso: sen-so — Sense, meaning, feeling, direction
entrare: en-tra-re — To enter, to go inside
mio: mio — My; masculine singular possessive adjective
spirito: spi-ri-to — Spirit, soul, mind
agitavo: a-gi-ta-vo — I was agitating; imperfect of agitare
caso: ca-so — Case, chance, occasion, situation
le: le — Plural definite article or indirect pronoun 'her/them'
membra: mem-bra — Limbs, members of the body (plural)
voce: vo-ce — Voice, sound of speaking or singing
facendo: fa-cen-do — Making, doing; gerund of fare
pochi: po-chi — Few, not many (masculine plural)
segni: se-gni — Signs, signals, marks (plural of segno)
tali: ta-li — Such, like these; plural demonstrative adjective
assomigliare: as-so-mi-glia-re — To resemble, to look like something or someone
verità: ve-ri-tà — Truth, reality
molto: mol-to — Much, very, a lot
desideravo: de-si-de-ra-vo — I was desiring, I wished; imperfect of desiderare
E: e — Coordinating conjunction meaning 'and'
quando: quan-do — When; temporal conjunction or adverb
venivo: ve-ni-vo — I was coming; first person imperfect of venire
prontamente: pron-ta-men-te — Promptly, quickly, without delay
obbedito: ob-be-di-to — Obeyed; past participle of obbedire
essendo: es-sen-do — Being; gerund of essere
dannosi: dan-no-si — Harmful, damaging, injurious (masculine plural)
o: o — Or; disjunctive conjunction
incomprensibili: in-com-pren-si-bi-li — Incomprehensible, impossible to understand (plural)
indignavo: in-di-gna-vo — I was indignant; imperfect of indignarsi
maggiori: mag-gio-ri — Elders, superiors, greater ones (plural)
essersi: es-ser-si — To have been; reflexive infinitive of essere
sottomessi: sot-to-mes-si — Submitted, subjected; past participle of sottomettere
dovevano: do-ve-va-no — They had to; imperfect of dovere (third plural)
servizio: ser-vi-zio — Service, duty, assistance
avermi: a-ver-mi — To have me; infinitive with clitic pronoun
servito: ser-vi-to — Served; past participle of servire
vendicavo: ven-di-ca-vo — I was taking revenge; imperfect of vendicarsi
lacrime: la-cri-me — Tears (plural of lacrima)
Tale: ta-le — Such, this kind of; demonstrative adjective
ho: ho — I have; first person singular present of avere
imparato: im-pa-ra-to — Learned; past participle of imparare
sono: so-no — I am or they are; present of essere
dall'osservarli: dall-os-ser-var-li — From observing them; preposition plus infinitive
anch'io: anch-io — I too, me also; emphatic first person
ero: e-ro — I was; first person imperfect of essere
tale: ta-le — Such, like that; demonstrative adjective or pronoun
hanno: han-no — They have; third person plural present of avere
dimostrato: di-mo-stra-to — Demonstrated, shown; past participle of dimostrare
del: del — Contraction of 'di' + 'il' meaning 'of the'
tutto: tut-to — All, everything, completely
inconsapevoli: in-co-sa-pe-vo-li — Unaware, unknowing, ignorant (plural adjective)
meglio: me-glio — Better; comparative adverb of bene
delle: del-le — Contraction of 'di' + 'le' meaning 'of the' (feminine plural)
mie: mie — My; feminine plural possessive adjective
nutrici: nu-tri-ci — Nurses, wet nurses, caregivers (plural of nutrice)
sapevano: sa-pe-va-no — They knew; third person plural imperfect of sapere
ecco: ec-co — Here is, there is, look; presentative particle
infanzia: in-fan-zia — Infancy, childhood, early years of life
è: è — Is; third person singular present of essere
morta: mor-ta — Dead (feminine); past participle of morire
lungo: lun-go — Long, lengthy; also 'along' as preposition
tempo: tem-po — Time, weather, period
vivo: vi-vo — I live; also adjective meaning alive or living

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