The divine comedy — Page 1

English → De CANTO III Level 9/10

"Through me you pass into the city of woe:

„Durch mich gelangt ihr in die Stadt der Qual:

Through me you pass into eternal pain:

Durch mich gelangt ihr in den ewigen Schmerz:

Through me among the people lost for aye.

Durch mich zu den auf ewig Verlorenen.

Justice the founder of my fabric mov'd:

Gerechtigkeit trieb meinen Schöpfer an:

To rear me was the task of power divine,

Göttliche Macht war es, die mich erschuf,

Supremest wisdom, and primeval love.

Höchste Weisheit und uranfängliche Liebe.

Before me things create were none, save things

Vor mir war nichts Erschaffenes, nur das

Eternal, and eternal I endure.

Ewige, und ewig währe ich.

"All hope abandon ye who enter here."

„Lasst alle Hoffnung fahren, die ihr hier eintretet."

Such characters in colour dim I mark'd

Solche Worte in matter Farbe erblickte ich

Over a portal's lofty arch inscrib'd:

Über dem hohen Bogen eines Tores eingraviert:

Whereat I thus: "Master, these words import

Woraufhin ich sprach: „Meister, diese Worte tragen

Hard meaning." He as one prepar'd replied:

Harte Bedeutung." Er antwortete wie einer, der gefasst ist:

"Here thou must all distrust behind thee leave;

„Hier musst du alles Misstrauen hinter dir lassen;

Here be vile fear extinguish'd. We are come

Hier sei alle feige Furcht erloschen. Wir sind gekommen

Where I have told thee we shall see the souls

Dorthin, wo ich dir sagte, dass wir die Seelen sehen werden,

To misery doom'd, who intellectual good

Die zum Elend verdammt sind, welche das geistige Gut

Have lost." And when his hand he had stretch'd forth

Verloren haben." Und als er seine Hand ausgestreckt hatte

To mine, with pleasant looks, whence I was cheer'd,

Nach meiner, mit freundlichem Blick, wodurch ich Mut fasste,

Into that secret place he led me on.

Führte er mich in jenen verborgenen Ort hinein.

Here sighs with lamentations and loud moans

Hier hallten Seufzer mit Klagen und lauten Stöhnen

Resounded through the air pierc'd by no star,

Durch die Luft wider, die kein Stern durchdringt,

That e'en I wept at entering. Various tongues,

So dass selbst ich beim Eintreten weinte. Verschiedene Zungen,

Horrible languages, outcries of woe,

Grässliche Sprachen, Schmerzensschreie,

Accents of anger, voices deep and hoarse,

Laute des Zorns, tiefe und heisere Stimmen,

With hands together smote that swell'd the sounds,

Mit zusammenschlagenden Händen, die den Lärm anschwellen ließen,

Made up a tumult, that for ever whirls

Ergaben ein Getümmel, das für immer wirbelt

Round through that air with solid darkness stain'd,

Rund durch jene Luft, die von dichter Finsternis erfüllt ist,

Like to the sand that in the whirlwind flies.

Gleich dem Sand, der im Wirbelwind fliegt.

I then, with error yet encompass'd, cried:

Ich dann, noch von Verwirrung umfangen, rief:

"O master! What is this I hear? What race

„O Meister! Was ist das, was ich höre? Was für ein Volk

Are these, who seem so overcome with woe?

Sind diese, die so überwältigt von Qual zu sein scheinen?

Vocabulary

Durch: Through; by means of something.
mich: Me; first-person singular accusative pronoun.
gelangt: Reached; arrived at a place or state.
ihr: You (plural); or her possessive pronoun.
in: In; into; preposition indicating location or direction.
die: The; definite article for feminine or plural nouns.
Stadt: City; an urban settlement of significant size.
der: The; definite article for masculine or genitive nouns.
Qual: Agony; intense physical or mental suffering.
den: The; accusative definite article for masculine nouns.
ewigen: Eternal; lasting forever without end (adjective, inflected).
Schmerz: Pain; physical or emotional suffering or hurt.
zu: To; toward; also used as infinitive particle.
auf: On; onto; up; preposition of location or direction.
ewig: Eternal; forever; lasting for all time.
Verlorenen: The lost ones; those who are damned or forsaken.
Gerechtigkeit: Justice; fairness and righteousness in moral matters.
trieb: Drove; impelled; past tense of treiben.
meinen: My; accusative masculine possessive pronoun (inflected).
Schöpfer: Creator; one who makes or brings something into existence.
an: At; on; to; preposition indicating proximity or direction.
Göttliche: Divine; of or relating to God or godly power.
Macht: Power; authority; great force or influence.
war: Was; past tense of sein (to be).
es: It; third-person singular neuter pronoun.
erschuf: Created; past tense of erschaffen, to bring into being.
Höchste: Highest; supreme; the utmost degree of something.
Weisheit: Wisdom; deep knowledge and good judgment in life.
und: And; coordinating conjunction connecting words or clauses.
uranfängliche: Primordial; existing from the very beginning of time.
Liebe: Love; deep affection or devotion toward someone.
Vor: Before; in front of; prior to something.
mir: Me; first-person singular dative pronoun.
nichts: Nothing; not anything; absence of all things.
Erschaffenes: Created thing; something brought into existence.
nur: Only; merely; restricting to a single thing.
das: The; neuter definite article; also demonstrative pronoun.
Ewige: The Eternal; that which lasts forever without end.
währe: Lasted; endured; subjunctive of währen (to last).
ich: I; first-person singular nominative pronoun.
Lasst: Let; allow; imperative plural of lassen.
alle: All; every; the entirety of a group.
Hoffnung: Hope; desire and expectation for something good.
fahren: Go; travel; here: abandon, let go.
hier: Here; in this place or location.
eintretet: Enter; step in; second-person plural imperative of eintreten.
Solche: Such; of this kind or character.
Worte: Words; spoken or written expressions conveying meaning.
matter: Dull; faint; of subdued color or brightness.
Farbe: Color; the visual property of light and pigment.
erblickte: Caught sight of; glimpsed; past tense of erblicken.
Über: Over; above; across; preposition of position.
dem: The; dative definite article for masculine or neuter.
hohen: High; tall; lofty (adjective, inflected form).
Bogen: Arch; bow; curved structure spanning an opening.
eines: Of a; genitive indefinite article for neuter or masculine.
Tores: Of the gate; genitive of Tor, a large gate.
eingraviert: Engraved; carved or etched into a surface.
Woraufhin: Whereupon; after which; following that event.
sprach: Spoke; said; past tense of sprechen.
Meister: Master; teacher; one with great skill or authority.
diese: These; this; demonstrative pronoun or article.
tragen: Bear; carry; to hold or convey something.
Harte: Hard; harsh; difficult; stern (adjective, inflected).
Bedeutung: Meaning; significance; the sense a word conveys.
Er: He; third-person singular masculine nominative pronoun.
antwortete: Answered; replied; past tense of antworten.
wie: How; as; like; used in comparisons or questions.
einer: One; someone; indefinite pronoun or article (inflected).
gefasst: Composed; calm; having collected oneself mentally.
ist: Is; third-person singular present of sein.
Hier: Here; at this place or point in time.
musst: Must; have to; second-person singular of müssen.
du: You; second-person singular informal nominative pronoun.
alles: Everything; all things without exception.
Misstrauen: Distrust; suspicion; lack of confidence in someone.
hinter: Behind; at the back of; after in position.
dir: You; second-person singular dative pronoun (informal).
lassen: Leave; let; allow; to permit or abandon something.
sei: Be; imperative or subjunctive form of sein.
feige: Cowardly; lacking courage; timid in the face of danger.
Furcht: Fear; fright; a strong feeling of dread or alarm.
erloschen: Extinguished; gone out; ceased to exist or burn.
Wir: We; first-person plural nominative pronoun.
sind: Are; first or third-person plural present of sein.
gekommen: Come; arrived; past participle of kommen.
Dorthin: To there; toward that place or destination.
wo: Where; at which place; relative or interrogative adverb.
sagte: Said; told; past tense of sagen.
dass: That; subordinating conjunction introducing a clause.
wir: We; first-person plural nominative pronoun.
Seelen: Souls; the spiritual or immortal parts of persons.
sehen: See; to perceive with the eyes or understand.
werden: Will; become; auxiliary for future or passive voice.
Die: The; definite article or relative pronoun (feminine/plural).
zum: To the; contraction of zu dem (dative masculine).
Elend: Misery; wretchedness; a state of great suffering.
verdammt: Damned; condemned; doomed to eternal punishment.
welche: Which; who; relative pronoun referring to persons or things.
geistige: Intellectual; spiritual; pertaining to the mind or spirit.
Gut: Good; a thing of value or moral worth.
Verloren: Lost; forfeited; no longer possessed or found.
haben: Have; to possess or hold something (auxiliary verb).
Und: And; coordinating conjunction joining words or clauses.
als: When; as; than; used in comparisons or temporal clauses.
er: He; third-person singular masculine nominative pronoun.
seine: His; third-person masculine possessive adjective (inflected).
Hand: Hand; the part of the body at the end of the arm.
ausgestreckt: Stretched out; extended outward (past participle of ausstrecken).
hatte: Had; past tense of haben (to have).
Nach: After; to; toward; preposition of direction or time.
meiner: My; first-person singular possessive (genitive/dative feminine).
mit: With; together with; preposition of accompaniment.
freundlichem: Friendly; kind; warm in manner (adjective, inflected).
Blick: Glance; gaze; a look directed at something or someone.
wodurch: Through which; by means of which; relative adverb.
Mut: Courage; bravery; the strength to face danger.
fasste: Gathered; seized; took hold of (past tense of fassen).
Führte: Led; guided; past tense of führen.
jenen: That; those; demonstrative pronoun (accusative masculine).
verborgenen: Hidden; concealed; secret (adjective, inflected form).
Ort: Place; location; a specific spot or site.
hinein: Into; inward; indicating movement to the inside.
hallten: Echoed; resounded; past tense of hallen.
Seufzer: Sighs; deep audible exhalations expressing emotion.
Klagen: Laments; complaints; expressions of grief or sorrow.
lauten: Loud; to sound; loud (adjective, inflected) or to ring.
Stöhnen: Groaning; moaning; sounds of pain or distress.
Luft: Air; the gaseous substance surrounding the earth.
wider: Against; contrary to; reverberating (preposition or adverb).
kein: No; not a; negating article before a noun.
Stern: Star; a luminous celestial body in the night sky.
durchdringt: Penetrates; pierces through; third-person of durchdringen.
So: So; thus; in this way or to this degree.
selbst: Myself; himself; even; used for emphasis or reflexivity.
beim: At the; upon the; contraction of bei dem.
Eintreten: Entering; the act of stepping or going inside.
weinte: Wept; cried; past tense of weinen.
Verschiedene: Various; different; several distinct kinds or types.
Zungen: Tongues; languages; also the physical organ of speech.
Grässliche: Horrible; dreadful; causing horror or revulsion (inflected).
Sprachen: Languages; spoken or written systems of communication.
Schmerzensschreie: Screams of pain; cries of agony or anguish.
Laute: Sounds; tones; audible noises produced by voices.
des: Of the; genitive definite article for masculine or neuter.
Zorns: Of anger; of wrath; genitive form of Zorn.
tiefe: Deep; low; profound (adjective, inflected form).
heisere: Hoarse; raspy; rough-sounding (adjective, inflected form).
Stimmen: Voices; tones produced by human vocal cords.
Mit: With; together with; preposition of accompaniment.
zusammenschlagenden: Clashing; striking together (present participle, inflected).
Händen: Hands; dative plural of Hand.
Lärm: Noise; racket; a loud, unpleasant sound.
anschwellen: Swell; grow louder; to increase in volume or size.
ließen: Let; allowed; caused; past tense of lassen.
Ergaben: Produced; yielded; past tense of ergeben.
ein: A; an; the indefinite article (neuter or masculine).
Getümmel: Tumult; commotion; a noisy confused situation.
für: For; on behalf of; preposition of purpose or benefit.
immer: Always; forever; at all times without ceasing.
wirbelt: Whirls; spins; swirls around rapidly in circles.
Rund: Around; round; in a circular manner or direction.
durch: Through; across; by means of something.
jene: That; those; demonstrative pronoun referring to something distant.
von: From; of; by; preposition of origin or possession.
dichter: Dense; thick; impenetrable (adjective, comparative or inflected).
Finsternis: Darkness; obscurity; the complete absence of light.
erfüllt: Filled; fulfilled; pervaded by something completely.
Gleich: Like; just as; equal; similar in manner or degree.
Sand: Sand; fine granular material found on beaches or deserts.
im: In the; contraction of in dem (dative).
Wirbelwind: Whirlwind; a small rotating column of wind.
fliegt: Flies; moves through the air; third-person of fliegen.
Ich: I; first-person singular nominative pronoun.
dann: Then; at that time; afterward in a sequence.
noch: Still; yet; even; indicating continuation or addition.
Verwirrung: Confusion; bewilderment; a state of disorder or disorientation.
umfangen: Embraced; surrounded; enveloped on all sides.
rief: Called out; cried; past tense of rufen.
Was: What; interrogative or relative pronoun asking for information.
höre: Hear; I hear; first-person singular present of hören.
Volk: People; folk; a nation or group sharing common culture.
Sind: Are; first or third-person plural present of sein.
so: So; such; thus; indicating degree or manner.
überwältigt: Overwhelmed; overpowered; overcome by force or emotion.
sein: Be; to be; infinitive of the copular verb sein.
scheinen: Seem; appear; also to shine (said of light).

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