The Confessions of St. Augustine — Page 8

English → Japanese BOOK I Level 9/10

But Thou, Lord, who for ever livest, and in whom nothing dies: for before the foundation of the worlds, and before all that can be called "before," Thou art, and art God and Lord of all which Thou hast created: in Thee abide, fixed for ever, the first causes of all things unabiding; and of all things changeable, the springs abide in Thee unchangeable: and in Thee live the eternal reasons of all things unreasoning and temporal.

しかし、主よ、あなたは永遠に生き、あなたの中では何も死ぬことがありません。世界の基が据えられる前、また「以前」と呼ばれ得るすべてのものの前に、あなたはおられ、あなたが創られたすべてのものの神であり主であります。あなたの中には、永続しないすべてのものの第一原因が永遠に固く宿り、変わりゆくすべてのものの源があなたの中に不変のまま宿り、理性も時間も持たないすべてのものの永遠の理がそこに生きています。

Say, Lord, to me, Thy suppliant; say, all-pitying, to me, Thy pitiable one; say, did my infancy succeed another age of mine that died before it?

主よ、あなたに祈り願う者である私に仰せください。すべてを憐れむあなたよ、憐れむべき者である私に仰せください。私の幼少期は、それより前に死んだ私の別の時代の後に来たのでしょうか。

was it that which I spent within my mother's womb? for of that I have heard somewhat, and have myself seen women with child?

それは母の胎内で過ごした時のことでしょうか。そのことについては多少聞き及んでおり、また自分自身で身重の女性を見たこともあります。

and what before that life again, O God my joy, was I any where or any body?

そしてその命の前には、私の喜びである神よ、私はどこかに存在していたのでしょうか、あるいは何者かであったのでしょうか。

For this have I none to tell me, neither father nor mother, nor experience of others, nor mine own memory.

このことについて、私に教えてくれる者は誰もいません。父も母も、他者の経験も、自分自身の記憶も頼りにはなりません。

Dost Thou mock me for asking this, and bid me praise Thee and acknowledge Thee, for that I do know?

このことを尋ねる私を嘲り、私が知っていることについてあなたを讃え認めよと命じるのでしょうか。

I acknowledge Thee, Lord of heaven and earth, and praise Thee for my first rudiments of being, and my infancy, whereof I remember nothing; for Thou hast appointed that man should from others guess much as to himself; and believe much on the strength of weak females.

天と地の主よ、私はあなたを認め、私の存在の最初の萌芽と、何も覚えていない幼少期のことでもあなたを讃えます。あなたは、人が他者から自分自身について多くを推し量り、か弱い女性たちの証言を頼りに多くを信じるよう定められたからです。

Vocabulary

しかし: shikashi — Conjunction meaning 'however' or 'but'.
主よ: nushi yo — 'O Lord,' a direct address to God.
あなた: anata — Second-person pronoun meaning 'you'.
は: wa — Topic-marking particle indicating the subject.
永遠: eien — Eternity; existing forever without end.
に: ni — Particle indicating direction, location, or manner.
生き: iki — Stem of 'ikiru'; to live or be alive.
の: no — Possessive or nominalizing particle.
中: naka — Inside, within, or in the middle of something.
で: de — Particle indicating location of action or means.
何: nani — Interrogative pronoun meaning 'what' or 'anything'.
も: mo — Particle meaning 'also', 'even', or 'nothing' (with negative).
死ぬ: shinu — Verb meaning 'to die'.
こと: koto — Nominalizer meaning 'thing' or 'fact'.
が: ga — Subject-marking particle.
あり: ari — Stem of 'aru'; to exist or there is.
ませ: mase — Polite verb ending component used in formal speech.
ん: n — Negative or softening sentence-final particle.
世界: sekai — The world; all of existence or the earth.
基: moto — Foundation, basis, or origin of something.
据え: sue — Stem of 'sueru'; to set firmly in place.
られる: rareru — Passive or potential verb suffix.
前: mae — Before; in front of; prior to something.
また: mata — Also, again, or furthermore.
以前: izen — Before; previously; formerly in time.
と: to — Particle meaning 'and', 'with', or quotation marker.
呼ば: yoba — Stem of 'yobu'; to call or name something.
れ: re — Passive verb inflection suffix.
得る: eru — To be able to; to obtain or acquire.
すべて: subete — All, everything, or entirely without exception.
もの: mono — Thing, object, or person (nominalizer).
創られた: tsukurareta — Was created; passive past form of 'tsukuru'.
神: kami — God, deity, or divine being.
主: nushi / shu — Lord, master, or God as sovereign.
ます: masu — Polite verb ending for present or future tense.
永続: eizoku — Permanence; continuing to exist forever without change.
し: shi — Conjunctive verb stem form; also listing conjunction.
ない: nai — Negative auxiliary adjective meaning 'not exist'.
第一: daiichi — The first; primary or foremost in order.
原因: genin — Cause, reason, or origin of an event.
固く: kataku — Firmly, solidly, or rigidly (adverbial form).
宿り: yadori — Dwelling, lodging, or residing within something.
変わり: kawari — Change; stem of 'kawaru', to change or differ.
ゆく: yuku — To go; to proceed (literary form of 'iku').
源: minamoto — Source, origin, or spring of something.
不変: fuhen — Unchanging; remaining constant and immutable forever.
まま: mama — As it is; remaining in the same state.
理性: risei — Reason, rationality, or logical faculty of mind.
時間: jikan — Time; a period or duration of time.
持た: mota — Stem of 'motsu'; to hold or possess something.
理: ri — Reason, logic, or natural principle of things.
そこ: soko — There; that place previously mentioned.
て: te — Conjunctive particle connecting verb phrases.
い: i — Stem of 'iru'; to be or exist (animate).
祈り: inori — Prayer; act of praying or making a request.
願う: negau — To wish, hope, or earnestly request something.
者: mono — Person, one who does something (nominalizer).
ある: aru — To exist, to be, to have (inanimate).
私: watashi — First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
仰せ: oose — Honorific word for a command or divine utterance.
ください: kudasai — Please do; polite request form.
を: wo — Object-marking particle indicating direct object.
憐れむ: awaremu — To pity, show mercy, or have compassion.
よ: yo — Sentence-final particle for assertion or address.
べき: beki — Should, ought to; expressing obligation or expectation.
幼少: youshō — Early childhood; young and tender age period.
期: ki — Period, phase, or era of time.
それ: sore — That; referring to something previously mentioned.
より: yori — Than; from; comparative or source particle.
死ん: shin — Conjunctive form of 'shinu'; having died.
だ: da — Copula meaning 'is' or 'was' (plain form).
別: betsu — Separate, different, or another; distinct from this.
時代: jidai — Era, age, or period in history.
後: nochi / ato — After, later, or subsequent in time.
来た: kita — Past tense of 'kuru'; came or arrived.
でしょう: deshō — Probably, right? Polite conjecture or question.
か: ka — Question-marking sentence-final particle.
母: haha — Mother; one's own mother.
胎内: tainai — Inside the womb; within the mother's uterus.
過ごし: sugoshi — Stem of 'sugosu'; to spend time somewhere.
た: ta — Past tense auxiliary verb suffix.
時: toki — Time, moment, or occasion when something occurs.
その: sono — That (attributive); referring to something nearby contextually.
つい: tsui — Unintentionally; just recently; inadvertently.
多少: tashō — More or less; somewhat; a little bit.
聞き: kiki — Stem of 'kiku'; to hear or listen.
及ん: oyon — Conjunctive form of 'oyobu'; to reach or extend.
おり: ori — Humble form of 'iru'; to be or exist.
自分: jibun — Oneself; one's own self or person.
自身: jishin — Oneself; emphasizes the self directly.
身重: miomo — Pregnant; being heavy with child.
女性: josei — Woman, female; adult female person.
見た: mita — Past tense of 'miru'; saw or observed.
そして: soshite — And then; conjunction linking events or clauses.
命: inochi — Life; the living force within a being.
喜び: yorokobi — Joy, delight, or happiness felt deeply.
神よ: kami yo — O God; direct address to a deity.
どこ: doko — Where; interrogative pronoun asking about location.
存在: sonzai — Existence; the state of existing or being.
何者: nanimono — Who; what kind of person or being.
あっ: a' — Exclamation of realization or surprise.
この: kono — This (attributive); referring to something close by.
教え: oshie — Teaching, lesson, or instruction given to someone.
くれる: kureru — To give (to me); to do a favor.
誰: dare — Who; interrogative pronoun referring to a person.
父: chichi — Father; one's own male parent.
他者: tasha — Others; other people; those other than oneself.
経験: keiken — Experience; knowledge gained through personal involvement.
記憶: kioku — Memory; the ability to remember past events.
頼り: tayori — Reliance, support, or something to depend on.
なり: nari — Become; conjunctive form of 'naru'.
尋ねる: tazuneru — To ask, inquire, or seek information from someone.
嘲り: azakeri — Mockery, scorn, or derision toward someone.
知っ: shit' — Conjunctive form of 'shiru'; knowing or having known.
いる: iru — To exist, to be (for animate subjects).
讃え: tatae — Stem of 'tataeru'; to praise or glorify.
認めよ: mitomeyо — Imperative of 'mitomeru'; acknowledge or recognize this.
命じる: meijiru — To command, order, or give a directive.
天: ten — Heaven, sky, or the divine realm above.
地: chi — Earth, ground, or land beneath us.
認め: mitome — Stem of 'mitomeru'; to acknowledge or admit.
最初: saisho — The first; the very beginning of something.
萌芽: hōga — Bud, sprout, or the first signs of emergence.
覚え: oboe — Memory, recollection; stem of 'oboeru' to remember.
人: hito — Person, human being, or people in general.
から: kara — From; because; starting point particle.
多く: ōku — Many, much, or a large amount of something.
推し: oshi — Stem of 'osu'; to infer, push, or deduce.
量り: hakari — Measurement, estimation; stem of 'hakaru' to measure.
か弱い: kayowai — Frail, delicate, or feeble; physically weak.
たち: tachi — Pluralizing suffix for people or animate beings.
証言: shōgen — Testimony, witness account, or sworn statement.
信じる: shinjiru — To believe, trust, or have faith in something.
よう: yō — Like, as if; expressing manner or purpose.
定め: sadame — Decree, fate, or ordained rule; stem of 'sadameru'.
られ: rare — Passive or potential verb inflection suffix.
です: desu — Polite copula meaning 'is', 'am', or 'are'.

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