The divine comedy — Page 1
"Through me you pass into the city of woe:
«Por mí se va a la ciudad del llanto:
Through me you pass into eternal pain:
Por mí se va al dolor eterno:
Through me among the people lost for aye.
Por mí se va entre la gente perdida para siempre.
Justice the founder of my fabric mov'd:
La justicia movió a mi sublime arquitecto:
To rear me was the task of power divine,
El poder divino me erigió,
Supremest wisdom, and primeval love.
La suprema sabiduría y el amor primordial.
Before me things create were none, save things
Antes de mí no hubo cosa creada alguna, salvo las cosas
Eternal, and eternal I endure.
Eternas, y eterno es mi perdurar.
"All hope abandon ye who enter here."
«Abandonad toda esperanza, vosotros que entráis aquí.»
Such characters in colour dim I mark'd
Tales caracteres de color sombrío observé
Over a portal's lofty arch inscrib'd:
Inscritos sobre el elevado arco de un portal:
Whereat I thus: "Master, these words import
Ante lo cual dije: «Maestro, estas palabras encierran
Hard meaning." He as one prepar'd replied:
Un significado difícil.» Él, como quien estaba preparado, respondió:
"Here thou must all distrust behind thee leave;
«Aquí debes dejar atrás toda desconfianza;
Here be vile fear extinguish'd. We are come
Aquí ha de extinguirse el vil temor. Hemos llegado
Where I have told thee we shall see the souls
Al lugar donde te dije que veríamos las almas
To misery doom'd, who intellectual good
Condenadas a la miseria, que el bien intelectual
Have lost." And when his hand he had stretch'd forth
Han perdido.» Y cuando extendió su mano
To mine, with pleasant looks, whence I was cheer'd,
Hacia la mía, con semblante apacible, por lo que me animé,
Into that secret place he led me on.
Me condujo hacia aquel lugar secreto.
Here sighs with lamentations and loud moans
Aquí suspiros con lamentos y altos gemidos
Resounded through the air pierc'd by no star,
Resonaban por el aire que ningún astro atravesaba,
That e'en I wept at entering. Various tongues,
Tanto que incluso yo lloré al entrar. Diversas lenguas,
Horrible languages, outcries of woe,
Horribles idiomas, gritos de dolor,
Accents of anger, voices deep and hoarse,
Acentos de ira, voces graves y roncas,
With hands together smote that swell'd the sounds,
Con manos que se golpeaban entre sí engrosando los sonidos,
Made up a tumult, that for ever whirls
Formaban un tumulto que gira eternamente
Round through that air with solid darkness stain'd,
Por aquel aire teñido de oscuridad densa,
Like to the sand that in the whirlwind flies.
Como la arena que vuela en el torbellino.
I then, with error yet encompass'd, cried:
Yo entonces, aún envuelto en confusión, exclamé:
"O master! What is this I hear? What race
«¡Oh maestro! ¿Qué es esto que escucho? ¿Qué gente
Are these, who seem so overcome with woe?
Es esta, que parece tan abatida por el dolor?
Vocabulary
- Por
- Preposition indicating reason, cause, or movement through.
- mí
- Pronoun; me, myself (stressed form).
- se
- Reflexive pronoun; oneself, himself, herself, itself.
- va
- Third person singular present of ir; goes.
- la
- Definite article feminine singular; the.
- ciudad
- Noun; city, urban area.
- del
- Contraction of de + el; of the.
- llanto
- Noun; weeping, tears, crying.
- al
- Contraction of a + el; to the.
- dolor
- Noun; pain, suffering, sorrow.
- eterno
- Adjective; eternal, everlasting, forever.
- entre
- Preposition; between, among.
- gente
- Noun; people, persons.
- perdida
- Adjective feminine; lost, missing.
- para
- Preposition; for, in order to, toward.
- siempre
- Adverb; always, forever, ever.
- La
- Definite article feminine singular; the.
- justicia
- Noun; justice, fairness.
- movió
- Third person singular preterite of mover; moved.
- mi
- Possessive adjective; my.
- sublime
- Adjective; sublime, lofty, exalted.
- arquitecto
- Noun masculine; architect, designer.
- El
- Definite article masculine singular; the.
- poder
- Noun; power, strength, ability.
- divino
- Adjective; divine, of God.
- me
- Pronoun; me, to me.
- suprema
- Adjective feminine; supreme, highest.
- sabiduría
- Noun; wisdom, knowledge.
- el
- Definite article masculine singular; the.
- amor
- Noun; love, affection.
- Antes
- Adverb; before, previously.
- de
- Preposition; of, from.
- no
- Adverb; no, not.
- hubo
- Third person singular preterite of haber; there was.
- cosa
- Noun; thing, matter.
- creada
- Adjective feminine; created, made.
- alguna
- Adjective feminine; some, any.
- salvo
- Preposition; except, save, but.
- las
- Definite article feminine plural; the.
- cosas
- Noun feminine plural; things, matters.
- Eternas
- Adjective feminine plural; eternal, everlasting.
- es
- Third person singular present of ser; is.
- perdurar
- Infinitive verb; to endure, last.
- Abandonad
- Second person plural imperative of abandonar; abandon.
- toda
- Adjective feminine; all, every.
- esperanza
- Noun; hope, expectation.
- vosotros
- Pronoun masculine plural; you (Spain).
- que
- Relative pronoun; that, which, who.
- entráis
- Second person plural present of entrar; you enter.
- aquí
- Adverb; here, in this place.
- Tales
- Adjective plural; such, these kind of.
- caracteres
- Noun plural; characters, letters, traits.
- color
- Noun; color, hue.
- sombrío
- Adjective; somber, dark, gloomy.
- observé
- First person singular preterite of observar; I observed.
- sobre
- Preposition; on, over, about.
- elevado
- Adjective; elevated, high, lofty.
- arco
- Noun; arch, arc.
- un
- Indefinite article masculine singular; a, an.
- portal
- Noun; gateway, entrance, doorway.
- Ante
- Preposition; before, in front of.
- lo
- Definite article neuter; the, that which.
- cual
- Relative pronoun; which, what.
- dije
- First person singular preterite of decir; I said.
- Maestro
- Noun; teacher, master, guide.
- estas
- Demonstrative adjective feminine plural; these.
- palabras
- Noun feminine plural; words, speech.
- encierran
- Third person plural present of encerrar; they enclose.
- Un
- Indefinite article masculine singular; a, an.
- significado
- Noun; meaning, significance, sense.
- difícil
- Adjective; difficult, hard, challenging.
- Él
- Pronoun masculine; he, him (stressed).
- como
- Adverb; like, as, how.
- quien
- Relative pronoun; who, whom.
- estaba
- Third person singular imperfect of estar; was.
- preparado
- Adjective; prepared, ready.
- respondió
- Third person singular preterite of responder; he answered.
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