The divine comedy — Page 3
These wretches, who ne'er lived,
Estos miserables, que nunca vivieron,
Went on in nakedness, and sorely stung
Marchaban desnudos, y cruelmente picados
By wasps and hornets, which bedew'd their cheeks
Por avispas y avispones, que empapaban sus mejillas
With blood, that mix'd with tears dropp'd to their feet,
Con sangre, que mezclada con lágrimas caía a sus pies,
And by disgustful worms was gather'd there.
Y allí era recogida por asquerosos gusanos.
Then looking farther onwards I beheld
Luego, mirando más adelante, contemplé
A throng upon the shore of a great stream:
Una multitud en la orilla de un gran río:
Whereat I thus: "Sir! grant me now to know
Ante lo cual dije así: «¡Señor! concededme conocer ahora
Whom here we view, and whence impell'd they seem
A quiénes aquí vemos, y por qué impulsados parecen
So eager to pass o'er, as I discern
Tan ansiosos por cruzar, según puedo distinguir
Through the blear light?" He thus to me in few:
A través de la tenue luz?» Él así me respondió brevemente:
"This shalt thou know, soon as our steps arrive
«Esto lo sabrás, en cuanto nuestros pasos lleguen
Beside the woeful tide of Acheron."
A la orilla de la lúgubre corriente del Aqueronte.»
Then with eyes downward cast and fill'd with shame,
Entonces, con los ojos bajos y llenos de vergüenza,
Fearing my words offensive to his ear,
Temiendo que mis palabras ofendieran su oído,
Till we had reach'd the river, I from speech
Hasta que llegamos al río, me abstuve
Abstain'd. And lo! toward us in a bark
Del habla. ¡Y he aquí que hacia nosotros en una barca
Comes on an old man hoary white with eld,
Se acerca un anciano de blanca cabellera encanecida por los años,
Crying, "Woe to you wicked spirits! hope not
Gritando: «¡Ay de vosotros, espíritus malvados! no esperéis
Ever to see the sky again. I come
Ver jamás el cielo de nuevo. Vengo
To take you to the other shore across,
A llevaros a la otra orilla,
Into eternal darkness, there to dwell
A las tinieblas eternas, donde moraréis
In fierce heat and in ice. And thou, who there
Entre ardiente calor y hielo. Y tú, que allí
Standest, live spirit! get thee hence, and leave
Estás de pie, ¡espíritu viviente! apártate de aquí y deja
These who are dead." But soon as he beheld
A estos que están muertos.» Pero en cuanto vio
I left them not, "By other way," said he,
Que yo no me marchaba, «Por otro camino», dijo,
"By other haven shalt thou come to shore,
«Por otro puerto llegarás a la orilla,
Not by this passage; thee a nimbler boat
No por este paso; una barca más ágil
Must carry." Then to him thus spake my guide:
Ha de llevarte.» Entonces así habló mi guía:
"Charon!
«¡Caronte!
Vocabulary
- Estos
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning these (masculine plural)
- miserables
- Wretched or miserable people deserving pity
- que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning that or who
- nunca
- Adverb meaning never or not ever
- vivieron
- Third person plural preterite of vivir to live
- Marchaban
- They were marching or walking in a group
- desnudos
- Adjective meaning naked or without clothing
- y
- Conjunction meaning and connecting words or clauses
- cruelmente
- Adverb meaning cruelly or in a cruel manner
- picados
- Stung or bitten by insects repeatedly
- Por
- Preposition meaning by for through or because of
- avispas
- Wasps small stinging flying insects
- avispones
- Hornets large aggressive stinging insects
- empapaban
- They were soaking or drenching something thoroughly
- sus
- Possessive adjective meaning their or his her
- mejillas
- Cheeks the sides of the human face
- Con
- Preposition meaning with indicating accompaniment or mixture
- sangre
- Blood the fluid circulating in living bodies
- mezclada
- Mixed or blended together with something else
- con
- Preposition meaning with indicating accompaniment or mixture
- lágrimas
- Tears drops of fluid from weeping eyes
- caía
- It was falling or dropping downward continuously
- a
- Preposition meaning to at or toward something
- pies
- Feet the lower extremities used for walking
- Y
- Conjunction meaning and connecting words or clauses
- allí
- Adverb meaning there in that place over there
- era
- Third person singular imperfect of ser to be
- recogida
- Collected or gathered up from somewhere below
- por
- Preposition meaning by for through or because of
- asquerosos
- Disgusting or revolting causing strong repulsion
- gusanos
- Worms small crawling invertebrate creatures
- Luego
- Adverb meaning then afterward or later
- mirando
- Looking or gazing at something nearby
- más
- Adverb meaning more or further in degree
- adelante
- Adverb meaning ahead or forward in direction
- contemplé
- First person singular preterite of contemplar to contemplate
- Una
- Indefinite article meaning a or one (feminine)
- multitud
- A large crowd or multitude of people
- en
- Preposition meaning in on or at a place
- la
- Definite article meaning the (feminine singular)
- orilla
- Shore bank or edge of a body of water
- de
- Preposition meaning of from or belonging to
- un
- Indefinite article meaning a or one (masculine)
- gran
- Adjective meaning great or large in size
- río
- A river large natural flowing body of water
- Ante
- Preposition meaning before or in front of
- lo
- Neuter pronoun or direct object pronoun meaning it
- cual
- Relative pronoun meaning which or who in formal contexts
- dije
- First person singular preterite of decir to say
- así
- Adverb meaning thus so or in this way
- Señor
- Noun meaning Lord Sir or Mister respectful address
- concededme
- Grant me or allow me imperative formal request
- conocer
- Infinitive meaning to know or to meet someone
- ahora
- Adverb meaning now or at this present moment
- A
- Preposition meaning to at or toward something
- quiénes
- Interrogative pronoun meaning who (plural) asking identity
- aquí
- Adverb meaning here in this place nearby
- vemos
- First person plural present of ver to see
- qué
- Interrogative pronoun meaning what asking about something
- impulsados
- Driven or compelled by some force or urge
- parecen
- Third person plural present of parecer to seem
- Tan
- Adverb meaning so or as indicating degree
- ansiosos
- Anxious or eager with great desire or urgency
- cruzar
- Infinitive meaning to cross over a boundary or water
- según
- Preposition or conjunction meaning according to or as
- puedo
- First person singular present of poder can or able
- distinguir
- Infinitive meaning to distinguish or discern differences
- través
- Noun used in a través de meaning through or across
- tenue
- Adjective meaning faint dim or feeble in light
- luz
- Noun meaning light illumination from a source
- Él
- Third person singular masculine pronoun meaning he
- me
- First person singular object pronoun meaning me
- respondió
- Third person singular preterite of responder to answer
- brevemente
- Adverb meaning briefly or in a short manner
- Esto
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning this (neuter) referring vaguely
- sabrás
- Second person singular future of saber to know
- cuanto
- Conjunction meaning as soon as or when
- nuestros
- Possessive adjective meaning our (masculine plural)
- pasos
- Steps or paces movements made while walking
- lleguen
- Third person plural present subjunctive of llegar to arrive
- lúgubre
- Adjective meaning gloomy mournful or dismal in tone
- corriente
- Current or stream a flow of water or air
- del
- Contraction of de and el meaning of the
- Entonces
- Adverb meaning then or at that moment
- los
- Definite article meaning the (masculine plural)
- ojos
- Eyes the organs of sight in the face
- bajos
- Adjective meaning low or downcast in position
- llenos
- Adjective meaning full or filled completely with something
- vergüenza
- Shame or embarrassment a feeling of dishonor
- Temiendo
- Fearing or being afraid of something happening
- mis
- Possessive adjective meaning my (plural) belonging to me
- palabras
- Words units of spoken or written language
- ofendieran
- Imperfect subjunctive of ofender meaning to offend
- su
- Possessive adjective meaning his her its or their
- oído
- Ear or hearing the sense or organ of sound
- Hasta
- Preposition meaning until up to a point
- llegamos
- First person plural preterite of llegar to arrive
- al
- Contraction of a and el meaning to the
- abstuve
- First person singular preterite of abstenerse to refrain
- Del
- Contraction of de and el meaning of the
- habla
- Speech or speaking the act of talking
- he
- First person singular present of haber auxiliary verb
- hacia
- Preposition meaning toward or in the direction of
- nosotros
- First person plural pronoun meaning we or us
- una
- Indefinite article meaning a or one (feminine singular)
- barca
- A small boat or bark used on water
- Se
- Reflexive pronoun used with reflexive or passive verbs
- acerca
- Third person singular present of acercarse to approach
- anciano
- An elderly man or old person
- blanca
- Adjective meaning white in color (feminine singular)
- cabellera
- Head of hair a full growth of hair
- encanecida
- Gone white or gray with age hair color
- años
- Years units of time equal to twelve months
- Gritando
- Shouting or yelling speaking very loudly
- Ay
- Exclamation expressing pain sorrow or dismay oh alas
- vosotros
- Second person plural pronoun meaning you all (Spain)
- espíritus
- Spirits or souls non-physical beings or essences
- malvados
- Wicked evil or villainous people
- no
- Adverb meaning no or not negating a statement
- esperéis
- Second person plural present subjunctive of esperar to hope
- Ver
- Infinitive meaning to see or to watch something
- jamás
- Adverb meaning never ever emphasizing strong negation
- el
- Definite article meaning the (masculine singular)
- cielo
- Sky or heaven the expanse above or paradise
- nuevo
- Adjective meaning new or recent not old
- Vengo
- First person singular present of venir to come
- llevaros
- Infinitive llevar plus vos pronoun meaning to take you
- otra
- Adjective meaning another or other (feminine singular)
- las
- Definite article meaning the (feminine plural)
- tinieblas
- Darkness or gloom thick obscuring absence of light
- eternas
- Adjective meaning eternal or everlasting never ending
- donde
- Relative adverb meaning where in which place
- moraréis
- Second person plural future of morar to dwell
- Entre
- Preposition meaning between or among two or more things
- ardiente
- Adjective meaning burning ardent or intensely hot
- calor
- Heat warmth or high temperature
- hielo
- Ice frozen water solid state of water
- tú
- Second person singular pronoun meaning you informal
- Estás
- Second person singular present of estar to be
- pie
- Foot the lower extremity or base of something
- espíritu
- Spirit or soul non-physical essence of a being
- viviente
- Adjective meaning living or alive currently existing
- apártate
- Move away or stand aside reflexive imperative command
- deja
- Imperative of dejar meaning leave or let go
- estos
- Demonstrative adjective meaning these (masculine plural)
- están
- Third person plural present of estar to be
- muertos
- Adjective or noun meaning dead deceased no longer alive
- Pero
- Conjunction meaning but introducing a contrasting idea
- vio
- Third person singular preterite of ver to see
- Que
- Conjunction or relative pronoun meaning that or who
- yo
- First person singular pronoun meaning I
- marchaba
- First person singular imperfect of marchar to march
- otro
- Adjective meaning another or other (masculine singular)
- camino
- Road path or way a route to travel
- dijo
- Third person singular preterite of decir to say
- puerto
- Port harbor or gateway for ships or passage
- llegarás
- Second person singular future of llegar to arrive
- No
- Adverb meaning no or not negating a statement
- este
- Demonstrative adjective meaning this (masculine singular)
- paso
- Step pace or passage a point of crossing
- ágil
- Adjective meaning agile nimble or quick in movement
- Ha
- Third person singular present of haber auxiliary verb
- llevarte
- Infinitive llevar plus te meaning to take you
- habló
- Third person singular preterite of hablar to speak
- mi
- Possessive adjective meaning my belonging to the speaker
- guía
- Guide a person who leads or directs others
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