The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 10

English → It BOOK I Level 9/10

Hear, O God. Alas, for man's sin! So saith man, and Thou pitiest him;

Ascolta, o Dio. Ahimè, per il peccato dell'uomo! Così dice l'uomo, e Tu lo commiseri;

for Thou madest him, but sin in him Thou madest not.

poiché Tu lo hai creato, ma il peccato in lui Tu non lo hai creato.

Who remindeth me of the sins of my infancy?

Chi mi ricorda i peccati della mia infanzia?

for in Thy sight none is pure from sin, not even the infant whose life is but a day upon the earth.

poiché ai Tuoi occhi nessuno è puro dal peccato, nemmeno il bambino la cui vita è appena un giorno sulla terra.

Who remindeth me?

Chi me lo ricorda?

doth not each little infant, in whom I see what of myself I remember not?

non lo fa forse ogni piccolo bambino, nel quale vedo ciò che di me stesso non ricordo?

What then was my sin?

Qual era dunque il mio peccato?

was it that I hung upon the breast and cried?

era forse che mi appendevo al seno e piangevo?

for should I now so do for food suitable to my age, justly should I be laughed at and reproved.

poiché se ora facessi così per ottenere un cibo adatto alla mia età, giustamente dovrei essere deriso e rimproverato.

What I then did was worthy reproof; but since I could not understand reproof, custom and reason forbade me to be reproved.

Ciò che facevo allora era degno di rimprovero; ma poiché non potevo comprendere il rimprovero, il costume e la ragione vietavano che io fossi rimproverato.

For those habits, when grown, we root out and cast away.

Poiché quelle abitudini, una volta cresciuti, le estirpiamo e le gettiamo via.

Now no man, though he prunes, wittingly casts away what is good.

Ora nessun uomo, per quanto poti, getta via consapevolmente ciò che è buono.

Or was it then good, even for a while, to cry for what, if given, would hurt?

O era forse allora buono, anche solo per un po', piangere per ciò che, se dato, avrebbe fatto male?

bitterly to resent, that persons free, and its own elders, yea, the very authors of its birth, served it not?

risentirsi amaramente che persone libere, e i propri anziani, anzi, i veri autori della sua nascita, non lo servissero?

that many besides, wiser than it, obeyed not the nod of its good pleasure?

che molti altri, più saggi di lui, non obbedissero al cenno del suo beneplacito?

to do its best to strike and hurt, because commands were not obeyed, which had been obeyed to its hurt?

fare del proprio meglio per colpire e far male, perché non venivano obbediti comandi che, se obbediti, gli avrebbero fatto del male?

The weakness then of infant limbs, not its will, is its innocence.

La debolezza delle membra infantili, dunque, non la sua volontà, è la sua innocenza.

Vocabulary

Ascolta: Listen; hear; pay attention to something spoken.
Dio: God; the supreme being in monotheistic religions.
Ahimè: Alas; an exclamation expressing sorrow or regret.
per: For; in order to; expressing purpose or direction.
il: The; masculine singular definite article in Italian.
peccato: Sin; transgression against moral or religious law.
uomo: Man; adult male human being or humanity generally.
Così: Thus; in this way; therefore or so.
dice: Says; speaks; third person singular of dire.
Tu: You; second person singular subject pronoun.
lo: Him; it; masculine singular direct object pronoun.
poiché: Because; since; for the reason that.
hai: Have; second person singular of avere.
creato: Created; made; past participle of creare.
ma: But; however; expressing contrast or opposition.
in: In; inside; within a place or time.
lui: Him; he; masculine singular disjunctive pronoun.
non: Not; negation; denial of statement or action.
Chi: Who; which person; interrogative or relative pronoun.
mi: Me; to me; first person singular object pronoun.
ricorda: Remembers; recalls; brings to mind or memory.
peccati: Sins; plural of peccato; moral transgressions.
della: Of the; feminine singular form of di il.
mia: My; feminine singular possessive adjective or pronoun.
infanzia: Childhood; early years of human life.
ai: To the; contraction of a and il.
Tuoi: Your; plural form of tuo; possessive adjective.
occhi: Eyes; plural of occhio; organs of sight.
nessuno: No one; nobody; not any person or thing.
puro: Pure; clean; free from contamination or sin.
dal: From the; contraction of da and il.
nemmeno: Not even; not at all; not either.
bambino: Child; infant; young boy or small person.
la: The; feminine singular definite article in Italian.
cui: Whose; whom; relative pronoun expressing possession.
vita: Life; existence; span of living or being.
appena: Barely; hardly; scarcely or just only.
un: A; an; masculine singular indefinite article.
giorno: Day; period of light; twenty-four hour period.
sulla: On the; contraction of su and la.
terra: Earth; ground; soil or land generally.
me: Me; myself; first person singular disjunctive pronoun.
fa: Makes; does; third person singular of fare.
forse: Perhaps; maybe; possibly or by chance.
ogni: Every; each; all without exception.
piccolo: Small; tiny; little in size or amount.
nel: In the; contraction of in and il.
quale: Which; what; relative pronoun identifying thing.
vedo: See; perceive visually; first person singular of vedere.
ciò: That; this; what; neuter demonstrative pronoun.
che: That; which; what; relative or subordinating conjunction.
di: Of; from; expressing possession or origin.
stesso: Same; self; identical thing or person.
ricordo: Remember; recall; first person singular of ricordare.
Qual: What; which; interrogative pronoun asking identity.
era: Was; imperfect third person singular of essere.
dunque: Then; therefore; well; so or consequently.
mio: My; masculine singular possessive adjective or pronoun.
al: To the; contraction of a and il.
seno: Breast; bosom; maternal affection or care.
piangevo: Cried; wept; past imperfect of piangere.
se: If; whether; conditional conjunction expressing supposition.
ora: Now; at present; current moment in time.
così: This way; in this manner; therefore.
ottenere: Obtain; get; acquire or receive something.
cibo: Food; nourishment; substance eaten for sustenance.
adatto: Suitable; appropriate; fit for specific purpose.
alla: To the; feminine form of contraction a il.
età: Age; period of life; years of existence.
giustamente: Justly; rightfully; with justice or fairness.
dovrei: Should; ought to; conditional of dovere.
essere: Be; to exist; fundamental verb of existence.
Ciò: That; this; what; neuter demonstrative pronoun.
facevo: Did; made; past imperfect of fare.

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