The divine comedy — Page 4

English → De CANTO III Level 9/10

thyself torment not: so 't is will'd,

Quäl dich nicht selbst: so ist es gewollt,

Where will and power are one: ask thou no more."

Wo Wille und Macht eins sind: frag nicht weiter."

Straightway in silence fell the shaggy cheeks

Sogleich sanken in Schweigen die zottigen Wangen

Of him the boatman o'er the livid lake,

Des Fährmanns über dem fahlen See,

Around whose eyes glar'd wheeling flames. Meanwhile

Um dessen Augen wirbelnde Flammen glühten. Unterdessen

Those spirits, faint and naked, color chang'd,

Veränderten jene Geister, matt und nackt, die Farbe,

And gnash'd their teeth, soon as the cruel words

Und knirschten mit den Zähnen, sobald die grausamen Worte

They heard. God and their parents they blasphem'd,

Sie vernahmen. Gott und ihre Eltern lästerten sie,

The human kind, the place, the time, and seed

Das Menschengeschlecht, den Ort, die Zeit und den Samen,

That did engender them and give them birth.

Der sie gezeugt und ihnen das Leben gegeben hatte.

Then all together sorely wailing drew

Dann zogen alle zusammen laut jammernd hin

To the curs'd strand, that every man must pass

Zu dem verfluchten Ufer, das jeder Mensch durchqueren muss,

Who fears not God. Charon, demoniac form,

Der Gott nicht fürchtet. Charon, dämonische Gestalt,

With eyes of burning coal, collects them all,

Mit Augen wie glühende Kohlen, sammelt sie alle ein,

Beck'ning, and each, that lingers, with his oar

Winkend, und jeden, der zögert, mit seinem Ruder

Strikes. As fall off the light autumnal leaves,

Schlägt er. Wie die leichten Herbstblätter herabfallen,

One still another following, till the bough

Eines dem anderen folgend, bis der Ast

Strews all its honours on the earth beneath;

All seinen Schmuck auf die Erde darunter streut;

E'en in like manner Adam's evil brood

Ebenso warf Adams böses Geschlecht

Cast themselves one by one down from the shore,

Sich eines nach dem anderen vom Ufer hinab,

Each at a beck, as falcon at his call.

Jedes auf einen Wink, wie ein Falke auf seinen Ruf.

Thus go they over through the umber'd wave,

So ziehen sie hinüber durch die dunkle Welle,

And ever they on the opposing bank

Und immer landen sie am gegenüberliegenden Ufer,

Be landed, on this side another throng

Während auf dieser Seite eine andere Schar

Still gathers. "Son," thus spake the courteous guide,

Sich noch versammelt. „Sohn," so sprach der höfliche Führer,

"Those, who die subject to the wrath of God,

„Jene, die dem Zorne Gottes unterworfen sterben,

All here together come from every clime,

Kommen alle hier zusammen aus jedem Lande,

And to o'erpass the river are not loth:

Und sind nicht abgeneigt, den Fluss zu überqueren:

For so heaven's justice goads them on, that fear

Denn so treibt sie die Gerechtigkeit des Himmels an, dass Furcht

Is turn'd into desire. Hence ne'er hath past

In Verlangen verwandelt wird. Daher ist noch nie

Good spirit.

Ein guter Geist hindurchgegangen.

Vocabulary

Quäl: Torment, cause suffering or pain to someone
dich: You (accusative pronoun, reflexive form)
nicht: Not, negation particle used in German sentences
selbst: Self, oneself; also means even or myself
so: So, thus, in this way or manner
ist: Is, third person singular of verb sein
es: It, third person singular neuter pronoun
gewollt: Wanted, desired; past participle of wollen
Wo: Where, interrogative adverb asking for location
Wille: Will, desire; the power to make decisions
und: And, conjunction connecting words or clauses
Macht: Power, strength, authority or control over something
eins: One, the number 1; also united or same
sind: Are, third person plural of verb sein
frag: Ask, imperative form of fragen
weiter: Further, farther; also continue or proceed
Sogleich: Immediately, at once, without delay or hesitation
sanken: Sank, past tense of sinken meaning descended
in: In, into; preposition indicating position or direction
Schweigen: Silence, the state of being silent or quiet
die: The, definite article feminine or plural form
Wangen: Cheeks, the side of the face below eyes
Des: Of the, genitive article masculine or neuter
über: Over, above; preposition indicating position or movement
dem: The, dative article masculine or neuter form
See: Lake, large body of water surrounded by land
Um: Around, about; preposition showing location or extent
dessen: Whose, of which; relative or demonstrative pronoun
Augen: Eyes, organs of sight in humans and animals
Flammen: Flames, visible parts of fire with light and heat
Unterdessen: Meanwhile, during that time; in the interim
Veränderten: Changed, altered; past tense of verändern
jene: Those, that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective
Geister: Spirits, ghosts; supernatural or immaterial beings
nackt: Naked, nude; without clothes or covering
Farbe: Color, hue or shade of visual appearance
Und: And, conjunction connecting words or clauses
mit: With, preposition showing association or accompaniment
den: The, definite article dative or accusative plural
Zähnen: Teeth, hard structures in mouth for chewing food
sobald: As soon as, immediately when something happens
grausamen: Cruel, merciless; causing pain and suffering
Worte: Words, units of language with meaning
Sie: They, she; third person plural or formal pronoun
Gott: God, supreme being in monotheistic religions
ihre: Their, her; possessive pronoun feminine or plural
Eltern: Parents, mother and father collectively
sie: They, she; third person pronoun
Das: The, definite article neuter nominative form
Ort: Place, location; a specific position or area
Zeit: Time, passage of moments, hours, days, years
Samen: Seed, plant reproductive unit or sperm
Der: The, definite article masculine nominative form
ihnen: Them, to them; dative pronoun plural form
das: The, definite article neuter nominative or accusative
Leben: Life, state of being alive and conscious
gegeben: Given, provided; past participle of geben
hatte: Had, past tense of haben auxiliary verb
Dann: Then, at that time; in sequence
zogen: Pulled, dragged; past tense of ziehen
alle: All, every one; everyone collectively together
zusammen: Together, jointly; in one place or group
laut: Loud, noisy; making much sound or noise
hin: There, toward; directional particle in German
Zu: To, toward; preposition indicating direction or purpose
Ufer: Shore, bank; edge of water like lake
jeder: Each, every; every one individually

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