The divine comedy — Page 3

English → Fr HELL OR THE INFERNO CANTO I Level 9/10

When him in that great desert I espied,

Quand je l'aperçus dans ce grand désert,

"Have mercy on me!" cried I out aloud,

« Aie pitié de moi ! » m'écriai-je à haute voix,

"Spirit! or living man! what e'er thou be!"

« Esprit ! ou homme vivant ! quoi que tu sois ! »

He answer'd: "Now not man, man once I was,

Il répondit : « Je ne suis plus homme, homme je le fus jadis,

And born of Lombard parents, Mantuana both

Et né de parents lombards, tous deux Mantoуans

By country, when the power of Julius yet

De patrie, lorsque le pouvoir de Jules encore

Was scarcely firm.

N'était guère affermi.

At Rome my life was past

À Rome ma vie s'écoula

Beneath the mild Augustus, in the time

Sous le doux Auguste, au temps

Of fabled deities and false.

Des dieux fabuleux et mensongers.

A bard

Poète

Was I, and made Anchises' upright son

Je fus, et je chantai le vertueux fils d'Anchise

The subject of my song, who came from Troy,

Pour sujet de mes vers, lui qui vint de Troie,

When the flames prey'd on Ilium's haughty towers.

Quand les flammes dévoraient les altières tours d'Ilium.

But thou, say wherefore to such perils past

Mais toi, dis pourquoi vers de tels périls passés

Return'st thou? wherefore not this pleasant mount

Retournes-tu ? pourquoi n'escalades-tu pas cette agréable montagne,

Ascendest, cause and source of all delight?"

Cause et source de toute joie ? »

"And art thou then that Virgil, that well-spring,

« Et es-tu donc ce Virgile, cette source vive,

From which such copious floods of eloquence

D'où de si abondants flots d'éloquence

Have issued?" I with front abash'd replied.

Ont jailli ? » répondis-je, le front rougi de honte.

"Glory and light of all the tuneful train!

« Gloire et lumière de toute la troupe harmonieuse !

May it avail me that I long with zeal

Puisse-t-il m'être utile que j'aie longuement avec zèle

Have sought thy volume, and with love immense

Recherché ton ouvrage, et avec un amour immense

Have conn'd it o'er.

L'aie étudié et médité.

My master thou and guide!

Tu es mon maître et mon guide !

Thou he from whom alone I have deriv'd

Toi celui de qui seul j'ai tiré

That style, which for its beauty into fame

Ce style, qui par sa beauté vers la gloire

Exalts me.

M'élève.

See the beast, from whom I fled.

Vois la bête de qui j'ai fui.

O save me from her, thou illustrious sage!

Ô sauve-moi d'elle, toi illustre sage !

"For every vein and pulse throughout my frame

« Car chaque veine et chaque pouls dans tout mon être

She hath made tremble."

Elle a fait trembler. »

He, soon as he saw

Lui, dès qu'il vit

That I was weeping, answer'd, "Thou must needs

Que je pleurais, répondit : « Tu dois

Another way pursue, if thou wouldst 'scape

Poursuivre une autre voie, si tu veux t'échapper

From out that savage wilderness.

Hors de cette sauvage contrée.

Vocabulary

Quand: When; used to introduce a time clause.
je: I; first-person singular subject pronoun.
l': Him, her, or it; elided definite article or pronoun.
aperçus: Noticed or caught sight of; past tense of apercevoir.
dans: In or inside; common preposition indicating location.
ce: This or that; demonstrative adjective or pronoun.
grand: Large, great, or tall; common adjective of size.
désert: Desert or wilderness; a vast, empty, desolate place.
Aie: Have; imperative of avoir, expressing a command.
pitié: Pity or mercy; compassion felt toward another's suffering.
de: Of or from; very common French preposition.
moi: Me; stressed first-person singular pronoun.
m': Me; elided first-person singular object pronoun.
écriai: Cried out; past tense of s'écrier, to exclaim.
à: At, to, or in; extremely common French preposition.
haute: High or loud; feminine adjective describing pitch or volume.
voix: Voice; the sound produced when speaking or singing.
Esprit: Spirit or mind; an incorporeal being or intellect.
ou: Or; conjunction presenting an alternative between two options.
homme: Man; an adult male human being.
vivant: Living or alive; present participle of vivre.
quoi: What; interrogative or relative pronoun for things.
que: That, which, or what; very versatile conjunction or pronoun.
tu: You; informal second-person singular subject pronoun.
sois: Be; subjunctive of être, used in subordinate clauses.
Il: He or it; third-person singular masculine subject pronoun.
répondit: Replied or answered; simple past of répondre.
Je: I; first-person singular subject pronoun.
ne: Not; negative particle used with pas or other words.
suis: Am; first-person singular present tense of être.
plus: No longer or more; adverb of degree or negation.
le: The or him; masculine definite article or object pronoun.
fus: Was; first-person simple past of être.
jadis: Once or long ago; literary adverb referring to the past.
Et: And; basic coordinating conjunction linking words or clauses.
né: Born; past participle of naître, to be born.
parents: Parents or relatives; those who gave birth to someone.
tous: All or both; masculine plural of tout.
deux: Two; the cardinal number between one and three.
De: Of or from; preposition indicating origin or possession.
patrie: Homeland or native country; one's place of birth or origin.
lorsque: When; conjunction introducing a temporal clause.
pouvoir: Power or to be able; noun or infinitive verb.
encore: Still, yet, or again; adverb indicating continuation or repetition.
N': Not; elided negative particle before a vowel sound.
était: Was or were; third-person imperfect tense of être.
guère: Hardly or scarcely; literary negative adverb of quantity.
À: At, to, or in; preposition indicating location or direction.
ma: My; first-person singular feminine possessive adjective.
vie: Life; the existence of a living person or creature.
s': Oneself; elided reflexive pronoun before a vowel.
écoula: Passed or elapsed; simple past of s'écouler, to flow by.
Sous: Under or beneath; preposition indicating position or rule.
doux: Sweet, gentle, or mild; adjective describing a calm temperament.
au: At the or to the; contraction of à and le.
temps: Time or weather; noun referring to a period or era.
Des: Of the or some; plural indefinite article or contraction.
dieux: Gods; plural of dieu, referring to divine beings.
fabuleux: Fabulous or mythical; belonging to legend or fable.
et: And; coordinating conjunction joining words or clauses.
Poète: Poet; a person who writes poetry or verse.
chantai: Sang or celebrated in verse; simple past of chanter.
vertueux: Virtuous or righteous; having high moral qualities.
fils: Son; a male child in relation to his parents.
d': Of or from; elided preposition before a vowel sound.
Pour: For or in order to; preposition indicating purpose or benefit.
sujet: Subject or topic; the main theme or focus of something.
mes: My; first-person plural possessive adjective.
vers: Verses or toward; lines of poetry or a preposition.
lui: Him or to him; third-person singular stressed pronoun.
qui: Who or which; relative or interrogative pronoun.
vint: Came; third-person simple past of venir.
les: The; plural definite article for masculine and feminine nouns.
flammes: Flames; burning tongues of fire consuming something.
dévoraient: Were devouring; imperfect tense of dévorer, to consume.
tours: Towers or turns; tall structures or circular movements.
Mais: But; conjunction introducing contrast or opposition.
toi: You; informal stressed second-person singular pronoun.
dis: Tell or say; imperative or present tense of dire.
pourquoi: Why; interrogative adverb asking for a reason.
tels: Such; masculine plural adjective meaning of that kind.
périls: Perils or dangers; serious risks threatening safety.
passés: Passed or past; adjective or past participle indicating elapsed time.
Retournes: Return or go back; second-person present of retourner.
n': Not; elided negative particle before a vowel.
escalades: Climb; second-person present of escalader, to scale.
pas: Not or step; negation particle or a footstep noun.
cette: This or that; feminine singular demonstrative adjective.
agréable: Pleasant or agreeable; producing a sense of enjoyment.
montagne: Mountain; a large natural elevation of earth and rock.
Cause: Cause or reason; what produces an effect or result.
source: Source or spring; the origin or starting point of something.
toute: All or every; feminine singular of tout.
joie: Joy; a feeling of great happiness and delight.
es: Are; second-person singular present tense of être.
donc: So, therefore, or then; conjunction indicating a conclusion.
vive: Long live; exclamatory subjunctive expressing acclaim or wish.
D': Of or from; elided preposition before a vowel sound.
où: Where or from which; relative or interrogative adverb of place.
si: So, if, or yes; adverb or conjunction of condition.
abondants: Abundant or plentiful; existing in large quantities.
flots: Waves or floods; large flowing quantities of liquid or sound.
éloquence: Eloquence; the ability to speak fluently and persuasively.
Ont: Have; third-person plural present tense of avoir.
jailli: Gushed or sprung forth; past participle of jaillir.
répondis: Replied; first-person simple past of répondre.
front: Forehead or front; the part of the face above the eyes.
rougi: Blushed or reddened; past participle of rougir.
honte: Shame or embarrassment; a feeling of dishonor or guilt.
Gloire: Glory or fame; great honor and admiration from others.
lumière: Light; the natural agent that makes things visible.
la: The or her; feminine definite article or object pronoun.
troupe: Troop or company; a group of performers or people.
harmonieuse: Harmonious; producing a pleasing combination of sounds or elements.
Puisse: May or might; subjunctive of pouvoir expressing a wish.
il: He or it; third-person singular masculine subject pronoun.
être: To be; infinitive of the most fundamental French verb.
utile: Useful or helpful; serving a practical purpose.
j': I; elided first-person singular subject pronoun.
aie: Have; first-person subjunctive of avoir.
longuement: At length or for a long time; adverb of duration.
avec: With; preposition indicating accompaniment or manner.
zèle: Zeal or enthusiasm; great energy devoted to a cause.
Recherché: Sought or studied; past participle of rechercher, to seek.
ton: Your; second-person singular masculine possessive adjective.
ouvrage: Work or opus; a literary or artistic creation.
un: A or one; masculine singular indefinite article or numeral.
amour: Love; a deep affection or passion for someone or something.
immense: Immense or vast; extremely large in size or extent.
L': The or it; elided definite article or object pronoun.
étudié: Studied; past participle of étudier, to study carefully.
médité: Meditated on; past participle of méditer, to reflect deeply.
Tu: You; informal second-person singular subject pronoun.
mon: My; first-person singular masculine possessive adjective.
maître: Master or teacher; one who guides or instructs another.
guide: Guide; a person who leads or directs another's way.
Toi: You; emphatic second-person singular stressed pronoun.
celui: He or the one; masculine singular demonstrative pronoun.
seul: Only or alone; adjective indicating singularity or solitude.
ai: Have; first-person singular present tense of avoir.
tiré: Drawn or extracted; past participle of tirer, to pull.
Ce: This or that; demonstrative pronoun or adjective.
style: Style; a distinctive manner of expression or writing.
par: By or through; preposition indicating means or agent.
sa: His, her, or its; third-person singular possessive adjective.
beauté: Beauty; the quality of being pleasing to the senses.
gloire: Glory; honor and great fame achieved through achievement.
M': Me; elided first-person object pronoun before a vowel.
élève: Elevates or raises; third-person present of élever.
Vois: See or look; imperative or present tense of voir.
bête: Beast or animal; a wild or fearsome creature.
fui: Fled; past participle of fuir, to flee or escape.
sauve: Save or rescue; imperative or present of sauver.
elle: She or her; third-person singular feminine subject pronoun.
illustre: Illustrious or famous; renowned for great achievements.
sage: Wise or sage; showing good judgment and deep knowledge.
Car: For or because; conjunction giving a reason or cause.
chaque: Each or every; adjective indicating individual members of a group.
veine: Vein; a blood vessel or figurative thread of feeling.
pouls: Pulse; the rhythmic throbbing of arteries felt on skin.
tout: All or everything; adjective or pronoun of totality.
Elle: She; third-person singular feminine subject pronoun.
a: Has; third-person singular present tense of avoir.
fait: Made or done; past participle of faire.
trembler: To tremble or shiver; to shake from fear or cold.
Lui: Him or to him; stressed third-person singular pronoun.
dès: From or as soon as; preposition indicating an immediate starting point.
qu': That or when; elided conjunction before a vowel sound.
vit: Saw or lived; simple past of voir or vivre.
Que: That or what; conjunction or pronoun linking clauses.
pleurais: Was crying; first-person imperfect of pleurer, to weep.
dois: Must or owe; first-person present of devoir.
Poursuivre: To pursue or continue; infinitive meaning to carry on.
une: A or one; feminine singular indefinite article.
autre: Other or another; adjective indicating a different thing.
voie: Way or path; a route or course of action.
veux: Want; first or second person present of vouloir.
t': You; elided second-person reflexive or object pronoun.
échapper: To escape or avoid; to get away from danger.
Hors: Outside or beyond; preposition indicating exclusion or departure.
sauvage: Wild or savage; untamed, uncivilized, or fierce in nature.
contrée: Land or region; a geographical area or stretch of territory.

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