The divine comedy — Page 3
When him in that great desert I espied,
Cuando lo divisé en aquel gran desierto,
"Have mercy on me!" cried I out aloud,
"¡Ten piedad de mí!" clamé en voz alta,
"Spirit! or living man! what e'er thou be!"
"¡Espíritu! ¡o hombre vivo! ¡lo que quiera que seas!"
He answer'd: "Now not man, man once I was,
Él respondió: "Ya no soy hombre, hombre fui en otro tiempo,
And born of Lombard parents, Mantuana both
Y nacido de padres lombardos, mantuanos ambos
By country, when the power of Julius yet
De origen, cuando el poder de Julio aún
Was scarcely firm.
Era apenas firme.
At Rome my life was past
En Roma transcurrió mi vida
Beneath the mild Augustus, in the time
Bajo el apacible Augusto, en el tiempo
Of fabled deities and false.
De los dioses fabulosos y falsos.
A bard
Un bardo
Was I, and made Anchises' upright son
Fui yo, e hice del noble hijo de Anquises
The subject of my song, who came from Troy,
El tema de mi canto, quien vino de Troya,
When the flames prey'd on Ilium's haughty towers.
Cuando las llamas devoraron las altivas torres de Ilión.
But thou, say wherefore to such perils past
Pero tú, di por qué a tan pasados peligros
Return'st thou? wherefore not this pleasant mount
¿Retornas? ¿por qué no asciendes este grato monte
Ascendest, cause and source of all delight?"
Causa y origen de todo deleite?"
"And art thou then that Virgil, that well-spring,
"¿Y eres tú entonces aquel Virgilio, ese manantial,
From which such copious floods of eloquence
Del que tan copiosas corrientes de elocuencia
Have issued?" I with front abash'd replied.
Han brotado?" respondí yo con frente avergonzada.
"Glory and light of all the tuneful train!
"¡Gloria y luz de todo el linaje de los poetas!
May it avail me that I long with zeal
Ojalá me valga el haber buscado con celo durante largo tiempo
Have sought thy volume, and with love immense
Tu obra, y con inmenso amor
Have conn'd it o'er.
La haber estudiado.
My master thou and guide!
¡Tú eres mi maestro y guía!
Thou he from whom alone I have deriv'd
Tú aquel de quien solo he derivado
That style, which for its beauty into fame
Ese estilo, que por su belleza a la fama
Exalts me.
Me eleva.
See the beast, from whom I fled.
Mira la bestia, de quien huí.
O save me from her, thou illustrious sage!
¡Oh, sálvame de ella, tú ilustre sabio!
"For every vein and pulse throughout my frame
"Pues cada vena y pulso en todo mi cuerpo
She hath made tremble."
Ella ha hecho temblar."
He, soon as he saw
Él, tan pronto como vio
That I was weeping, answer'd, "Thou must needs
Que yo lloraba, respondió: "Debes por necesidad
Another way pursue, if thou wouldst 'scape
Seguir otro camino, si quieres escapar
From out that savage wilderness.
De aquel salvaje yermo.
Vocabulary
- Cuando
- When; at what time or under what circumstances.
- lo
- It; direct object pronoun referring to things.
- divisé
- I caught sight of; I perceived or spotted.
- en
- In; on; at; preposition indicating location or time.
- aquel
- That; demonstrative adjective referring to distant things.
- gran
- Great; large; adjective indicating size or importance.
- desierto
- Desert; a barren, sparsely populated land area.
- Ten
- Have; imperative form of tener (to have).
- piedad
- Pity; compassion; mercy toward someone's suffering.
- de
- Of; from; preposition indicating possession or origin.
- mí
- Me; myself; pronoun referring to the speaker.
- clamé
- I cried out; I shouted or exclaimed loudly.
- voz
- Voice; sound produced by speaking or singing.
- alta
- High; loud; adjective indicating elevation or volume.
- Espíritu
- Spirit; ghost; incorporeal or divine being or essence.
- hombre
- Man; male human being or mankind in general.
- vivo
- Living; alive; adjective describing living beings.
- que
- That; which; relative pronoun introducing subordinate clause.
- quiera
- Might want; subjunctive form of querer (want).
- seas
- May be; subjunctive form of ser (to be).
- Él
- He; him; third person masculine singular pronoun.
- respondió
- He answered; he replied or responded to.
- Ya
- Already; now; adverb indicating present or completion.
- no
- Not; no; negation adverb used in sentences.
- soy
- I am; present tense first person singular of ser.
- fui
- I was; preterite first person singular of ser.
- otro
- Other; another; adjective indicating a different one.
- tiempo
- Time; period; era; span of temporal duration.
- nacido
- Born; past participle of nacer (to be born).
- padres
- Parents; fathers; plural of padre or parents.
- ambos
- Both; two together; adjective indicating both items.
- De
- Of; from; preposition indicating possession or origin.
- origen
- Origin; source; starting point or place of beginning.
- el
- The; definite article masculine singular form.
- poder
- Power; ability; capacity to do something.
- aún
- Still; yet; adverb indicating continuation or persistence.
- Era
- Was; past imperfect tense of ser (to be).
- apenas
- Hardly; scarcely; barely; adverb of negation.
- firme
- Firm; solid; steady; adjective describing stability.
- En
- In; on; at; preposition indicating location or time.
- transcurrió
- Passed; elapsed; occurred over period of time.
- mi
- My; possessive adjective indicating ownership or relation.
- vida
- Life; existence; the state of being alive.
- Bajo
- Under; beneath; below; preposition indicating lower position.
- apacible
- Peaceful; calm; gentle; adjective describing tranquility.
- los
- The; plural masculine definite article form.
- dioses
- Gods; deities; plural of dios (god).
- fabulosos
- Fabulous; legendary; mythical; adjective from fábula.
- falsos
- False; fake; untrue; adjective indicating lack of truth.
- Un
- A; an; indefinite article masculine singular form.
- bardo
- Bard; poet; one who sings or composes verses.
- Fui
- I was; preterite first person singular of ser.
- yo
- I; first person singular pronoun referring to speaker.
- hice
- I made; I did; preterite first person singular hacer.
- noble
- Noble; of high birth; aristocratic; dignified person.
- hijo
- Son; male child; offspring of parents.
- El
- The; definite article masculine singular form.
- tema
- Theme; subject; topic or main idea discussed.
- canto
- Song; chant; division of poem or singing.
- quien
- Who; whom; interrogative or relative pronoun.
- vino
- Came; past tense of venir (to come).
- las
- The; plural feminine definite article form.
- llamas
- Flames; fires; plural of llama (flame).
- devoraron
- Devoured; consumed; past tense of devorar.
- altivas
- Proud; haughty; arrogant; adjective indicating pride.
- torres
- Towers; tall structures; plural of torre.
- Pero
- But; however; conjunction indicating contrast or opposition.
- tú
- You; informal second person singular pronoun.
- di
- Tell; say; imperative form of decir.
- por
- By; through; for; preposition indicating cause or means.
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