The divine comedy — Page 3
When him in that great desert I espied,
Als ich ihn in jener großen Wüste erblickte,
"Have mercy on me!" cried I out aloud,
„Erbarme dich meiner!" rief ich laut aus,
"Spirit! or living man! what e'er thou be!"
„Geist! oder lebender Mensch! was auch immer du seist!"
He answer'd: "Now not man, man once I was,
Er antwortete: „Kein Mensch jetzt, ein Mensch war ich einst,
And born of Lombard parents, Mantuana both
Und von lombardischen Eltern geboren, beide Mantuaner
By country, when the power of Julius yet
Von Herkunft, als die Macht des Julius noch
Was scarcely firm.
Kaum gefestigt war.
At Rome my life was past
In Rom verlief mein Leben
Beneath the mild Augustus, in the time
Unter dem milden Augustus, in der Zeit
Of fabled deities and false.
Der sagenhaften und falschen Götter.
A bard
Ein Dichter
Was I, and made Anchises' upright son
War ich, und machte Anchises' rechtschaffenen Sohn
The subject of my song, who came from Troy,
Zum Gegenstand meines Gesanges, der aus Troja kam,
When the flames prey'd on Ilium's haughty towers.
Als die Flammen Iliums stolze Türme verzehrten.
But thou, say wherefore to such perils past
Doch du, sag, weshalb zu solchen vergangenen Gefahren
Return'st thou? wherefore not this pleasant mount
Kehrst du zurück? weshalb nicht diesen angenehmen Berg
Ascendest, cause and source of all delight?"
Besteigst du, Ursache und Quelle aller Freude?"
"And art thou then that Virgil, that well-spring,
„Und bist du dann jener Virgil, jener Quell,
From which such copious floods of eloquence
Aus dem solch reiche Ströme der Beredsamkeit
Have issued?" I with front abash'd replied.
Geflossen sind?" erwiderte ich mit beschämter Stirn.
"Glory and light of all the tuneful train!
„Ruhm und Licht aller Dichterschar!
May it avail me that I long with zeal
Möge es mir nützen, dass ich lange mit Eifer
Have sought thy volume, and with love immense
Deinen Band gesucht habe und mit unermesslicher Liebe
Have conn'd it o'er.
Ihn durchstudiert habe.
My master thou and guide!
Du mein Meister und Führer!
Thou he from whom alone I have deriv'd
Du derjenige, von dem allein ich gewonnen habe
That style, which for its beauty into fame
Jenen Stil, der durch seine Schönheit zu Ruhm
Exalts me.
Mich erhebt.
See the beast, from whom I fled.
Sieh das Tier, vor dem ich geflohen bin.
O save me from her, thou illustrious sage!
O rette mich vor ihr, du erlauchter Weiser!
"For every vein and pulse throughout my frame
„Denn jede Ader und jeden Puls in meinem Leibe
She hath made tremble."
Hat sie zittern lassen."
He, soon as he saw
Er, sobald er sah,
That I was weeping, answer'd, "Thou must needs
Dass ich weinte, antwortete: „Du musst unbedingt
Another way pursue, if thou wouldst 'scape
Einen anderen Weg einschlagen, wenn du entfliehen willst
From out that savage wilderness.
Aus jener wilden Einöde.
Vocabulary
- Als
- When; as; in the capacity of.
- ich
- I; first person singular pronoun.
- ihn
- Him; third person singular masculine accusative pronoun.
- in
- In; into; within a place or time.
- jener
- That; that one; referring to distant person or thing.
- großen
- Large; great; big; of considerable size or extent.
- Wüste
- Desert; barren sandy or rocky landscape.
- erblickte
- Caught sight of; spotted; perceived visually.
- dich
- You; second person singular accusative pronoun.
- meiner
- Of me; my; first person singular genitive pronoun.
- rief
- Called; cried out; shouted loudly.
- laut
- Loud; aloud; noisy; audible.
- aus
- Out; out of; away from; finished.
- Geist
- Spirit; ghost; mind; intellect or soul.
- oder
- Or; expressing alternative between options.
- lebender
- Living; alive; animate; in life.
- Mensch
- Human; person; human being; mankind.
- was
- What; that which; whatever; interrogative.
- auch
- Also; too; likewise; even if.
- immer
- Always; forever; ever; constantly.
- du
- You; second person singular nominative pronoun.
- seist
- Are; second person singular subjunctive of sein.
- Er
- He; third person singular masculine nominative.
- antwortete
- Answered; replied; responded; gave answer.
- Kein
- No; not any; no one; zero.
- jetzt
- Now; at present; at this moment.
- ein
- A; an; one; indefinite article.
- war
- Was; past tense of sein.
- einst
- Once; formerly; in former times; long ago.
- Und
- And; joining words, phrases, or clauses.
- von
- Of; from; by; indicating origin or possession.
- Eltern
- Parents; mother and father together.
- geboren
- Born; brought into existence; native to.
- beide
- Both; two together; the two.
- Von
- Of; from; by; indicating origin or possession.
- Herkunft
- Origin; descent; family background; lineage.
- als
- When; as; in the capacity of.
- die
- The; definite article feminine singular.
- Macht
- Power; strength; might; authority or force.
- des
- Of the; genitive article masculine singular.
- noch
- Still; yet; also; furthermore.
- Kaum
- Hardly; scarcely; barely; only just.
- In
- In; into; within a place or time.
- Rom
- Rome; capital city of Italy.
- verlief
- Proceeded; went; took its course; elapsed.
- mein
- My; mine; first person singular possessive.
- Leben
- Life; existence; lifespan; way of living.
- Unter
- Under; beneath; below; subordinate to.
- dem
- The; dative article masculine singular.
- milden
- Mild; gentle; soft; lenient and kind.
- der
- The; definite article feminine or genitive.
- Zeit
- Time; era; period; duration or age.
- Der
- The; definite article masculine nominative singular.
- und
- And; joining words, phrases, or clauses.
- falschen
- False; wrong; untrue; deceitful or spurious.
- Götter
- Gods; deities; divine beings; supernatural powers.
- Ein
- A; an; one; indefinite article.
- Dichter
- Poet; verse writer; author of poetry.
- War
- Was; past tense singular of sein.
- machte
- Made; did; caused; created or produced.
- Sohn
- Son; male child; male offspring.
- Zum
- To the; dative contraction with masculine.
- Gegenstand
- Subject; object; topic; thing under discussion.
- meines
- Of me; my; first person genitive.
- kam
- Came; arrived; approached; past of kommen.
- Flammen
- Flames; fire; burning; blaze of fire.
- stolze
- Proud; lofty; haughty; noble and dignified.
- Türme
- Towers; tall structures; fortified buildings.
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