The divine comedy — Page 2
a panther, nimble, light,
una pantera, ágil, ligera,
And cover'd with a speckled skin, appear'd,
Y cubierta de una piel moteada, apareció,
Nor, when it saw me, vanish'd, rather strove
Ni, cuando me vio, desapareció, sino que procuró
To check my onward going; that ofttimes
Detener mi avance; tanto que a menudo
With purpose to retrace my steps I turn'd.
Con intención de desandar mis pasos me volví.
The hour was morning's prime, and on his way
La hora era el amanecer, y en su curso
Aloft the sun ascended with those stars,
El sol ascendía en lo alto con aquellas estrellas,
That with him rose, when Love divine first mov'd
Que con él salieron, cuando el Amor divino movió por vez primera
Those its fair works: so that with joyous hope
Aquellas sus hermosas obras: de modo que con alegre esperanza
All things conspir'd to fill me, the gay skin
Todo conspiró para colmarme, la vistosa piel
Of that swift animal, the matin dawn
De aquel veloz animal, el alba matutina
And the sweet season. Soon that joy was chas'd,
Y la dulce estación. Pronto aquella alegría fue ahuyentada,
And by new dread succeeded, when in view
Y sucedida por nuevo terror, cuando a la vista
A lion came, 'gainst me, as it appear'd,
Apareció un león, contra mí, según parecía,
With his head held aloft and hunger-mad,
Con la cabeza erguida y enloquecido de hambre,
That e'en the air was fear-struck. A she-wolf
Que hasta el aire quedó sobrecogido de espanto. Una loba
Was at his heels, who in her leanness seem'd
Le seguía de cerca, quien en su flacura parecía
Full of all wants, and many a land hath made
Llena de toda carencia, y a muchas tierras ha dejado
Disconsolate ere now. She with such fear
Desconsoladas hasta ahora. Ella con tal terror
O'erwhelmed me, at the sight of her appall'd,
Me abrumó, horrorizado ante su presencia,
That of the height all hope I lost. As one,
Que perdí toda esperanza de la cima. Como aquel
Who with his gain elated, sees the time
Que, envanecido con su ganancia, ve llegar el momento
When all unwares is gone, he inwardly
En que todo se ha ido sin advertirlo, y en su interior
Mourns with heart-griping anguish; such was I,
Llora con angustia que oprime el corazón; tal era yo,
Haunted by that fell beast, never at peace,
Acosado por aquella fiera bestia, nunca en paz,
Who coming o'er against me, by degrees
Que avanzando hacia mí, poco a poco
Impell'd me where the sun in silence rests.
Me empujaba hacia donde el sol en silencio se pone.
While to the lower space with backward step
Mientras hacia el lugar más bajo con paso retrógrado
I fell, my ken discern'd the form one of one,
Caía, mi vista distinguió la figura de alguien,
Whose voice seem'd faint through long disuse of speech.
Cuya voz parecía débil por el largo desuso de la palabra.
Vocabulary
- pantera
- Large wild cat with spotted or black fur
- ágil
- Quick and nimble; moving with ease and grace
- ligera
- Light in weight; not heavy or burdensome
- cubierta
- Covered; also deck of a ship
- piel
- Skin; outer covering of animal or person
- moteada
- Spotted or marked with small dots
- apareció
- Appeared; came into view or existence
- Ni
- Conjunction meaning neither or not even
- cuando
- When; at the time that something occurs
- vio
- Saw; past tense of ver to see
- desapareció
- Disappeared; ceased to be visible or present
- sino
- But rather; on the contrary
- procuró
- Tried or endeavored to do something
- Detener
- To stop or halt the movement of
- avance
- Advance; forward movement or progress
- tanto
- So much; to such a degree or extent
- menudo
- Often; frequently or repeatedly
- intención
- Intention; purpose or plan to do something
- desandar
- To retrace one's steps; go back
- pasos
- Steps; footsteps or movements forward
- volví
- Returned; came back to a place
- hora
- Hour; unit of time equal to sixty minutes
- era
- Was; past tense of ser to be
- amanecer
- Dawn; the first light of day
- curso
- Course; path or direction of movement
- sol
- Sun; star at center of solar system
- ascendía
- Rose or climbed upward in sky
- alto
- High or tall; at great elevation
- aquellas
- Those; feminine plural demonstrative pronoun
- estrellas
- Stars; celestial bodies that shine brightly
- salieron
- Left or departed from a place
- Amor
- Love; strong affection or attachment
- divino
- Divine; of or relating to deity
- movió
- Moved; caused to change position
- vez
- Time or occasion; instance of occurrence
- primera
- First; coming before all others
- Aquellas
- Those; feminine plural demonstrative pronoun
- hermosas
- Beautiful; pleasing to eye or mind
- obras
- Works; creations or artistic compositions
- modo
- Way or manner; method of doing
- alegre
- Happy or cheerful; full of joy
- esperanza
- Hope; feeling of expectation for future
- Todo
- Everything; all things or persons
- conspiró
- Conspired; worked together toward goal
- colmarme
- To fill me to the brim
- vistosa
- Showy or visually striking appearance
- aquel
- That; masculine singular demonstrative pronoun
- veloz
- Swift or fast; moving at speed
- animal
- Animal; living creature that is not plant
- alba
- Dawn; early morning light of day
- matutina
- Morning; relating to early part day
- dulce
- Sweet; pleasant to taste or manner
- estación
- Season; one of four yearly periods
- Pronto
- Soon; in near future or quickly
- alegría
- Joy; state of happiness or delight
- fue
- Was; past tense of ser to be
- ahuyentada
- Chased away or driven off
- sucedida
- Succeeded or followed after
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