The divine comedy — Page 1

English → Fr CANTO III Level 9/10

"Through me you pass into the city of woe:

« Par moi vous entrez dans la cité de la douleur :

Through me you pass into eternal pain:

Par moi vous entrez dans la souffrance éternelle :

Through me among the people lost for aye.

Par moi vous rejoignez le peuple à jamais perdu.

Justice the founder of my fabric mov'd:

La Justice anima le fondateur de mon être :

To rear me was the task of power divine,

Me dresser fut l'œuvre de la puissance divine,

Supremest wisdom, and primeval love.

De la suprême sagesse et de l'amour primordial.

Before me things create were none, save things

Avant moi rien n'était créé, hormis les choses

Eternal, and eternal I endure.

Éternelles, et éternel je demeure.

"All hope abandon ye who enter here."

« Vous qui entrez ici, abandonnez toute espérance. »

Such characters in colour dim I mark'd

Ces caractères aux couleurs sombres je remarquai

Over a portal's lofty arch inscrib'd:

Inscrits sur l'arche élevée d'un portail :

Whereat I thus: "Master, these words import

Sur quoi je dis : « Maître, ces mots portent

Hard meaning." He as one prepar'd replied:

Un sens difficile. » Il répondit, comme préparé :

"Here thou must all distrust behind thee leave;

« Ici tu dois laisser derrière toi toute méfiance ;

Here be vile fear extinguish'd. We are come

Ici que la vile crainte soit éteinte. Nous sommes venus

Where I have told thee we shall see the souls

Là où je t'ai dit que nous verrions les âmes

To misery doom'd, who intellectual good

Vouées à la misère, qui le bien intellectuel

Have lost." And when his hand he had stretch'd forth

Ont perdu. » Et lorsqu'il eut tendu sa main

To mine, with pleasant looks, whence I was cheer'd,

Vers la mienne, d'un air bienveillant, dont je fus réconforté,

Into that secret place he led me on.

Il me conduisit en ce lieu secret.

Here sighs with lamentations and loud moans

Ici des soupirs mêlés de lamentations et de grands gémissements

Resounded through the air pierc'd by no star,

Résonnaient dans l'air que nulle étoile ne perçait,

That e'en I wept at entering. Various tongues,

Si bien que moi-même je pleurai en entrant. Des langues diverses,

Horrible languages, outcries of woe,

Des langages horribles, des cris de détresse,

Accents of anger, voices deep and hoarse,

Des accents de colère, des voix graves et rauques,

With hands together smote that swell'd the sounds,

Des mains frappées l'une contre l'autre qui enflaient les sons,

Made up a tumult, that for ever whirls

Formaient un tumulte qui tourbillonne sans cesse

Round through that air with solid darkness stain'd,

À travers cet air souillé d'une obscurité profonde,

Like to the sand that in the whirlwind flies.

Semblable au sable que le tourbillon emporte.

I then, with error yet encompass'd, cried:

Moi alors, encore enveloppé d'incertitude, je m'écriai :

"O master! What is this I hear? What race

« Ô maître ! Qu'est-ce que j'entends là ? Quelle race

Are these, who seem so overcome with woe?

Est celle-ci, qui semble si accablée de douleur ?

Vocabulary

Par: Preposition meaning 'by' or 'through'.
moi: First-person singular stressed pronoun meaning 'me'.
vous: Second-person plural or formal pronoun meaning 'you'.
entrez: Imperative form of 'entrer', meaning 'enter' or 'come in'.
dans: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into'.
la: Definite feminine article meaning 'the'.
cité: Noun meaning 'city' or 'settlement'.
de: Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from'.
douleur: Noun meaning 'pain', 'grief', or 'sorrow'.
souffrance: Noun meaning 'suffering' or 'torment'.
éternelle: Feminine adjective meaning 'eternal' or 'everlasting'.
rejoignez: Imperative form of 'rejoindre', meaning 'join' or 'rejoin'.
le: Definite masculine article meaning 'the'.
peuple: Noun meaning 'people' or 'folk'.
à: Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'.
jamais: Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever', depending on context.
perdu: Past participle of 'perdre', meaning 'lost'.
La: Definite feminine article meaning 'the'.
Justice: Noun meaning 'justice' or 'fairness'.
anima: Past tense of 'animer', meaning 'animated' or 'drove'.
fondateur: Noun meaning 'founder' or 'creator'.
mon: Possessive adjective meaning 'my' (masculine).
être: Noun or infinitive meaning 'being' or 'to be'.
Me: First-person singular object pronoun meaning 'me'.
dresser: Infinitive meaning 'to raise up' or 'to erect'.
fut: Simple past of 'être', meaning 'was'.
l: Elided definite article before a vowel sound.
œuvre: Noun meaning 'work', 'deed', or 'creation'.
puissance: Noun meaning 'power' or 'might'.
divine: Feminine adjective meaning 'divine' or 'godly'.
De: Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'by'.
suprême: Adjective meaning 'supreme' or 'highest'.
sagesse: Noun meaning 'wisdom' or 'good sense'.
et: Conjunction meaning 'and'.
amour: Noun meaning 'love' or 'affection'.
primordial: Adjective meaning 'primordial', 'fundamental', or 'original'.
Avant: Preposition or adverb meaning 'before'.
rien: Pronoun meaning 'nothing'.
n: Elided negative particle 'ne' before a vowel.
était: Imperfect of 'être', meaning 'was' or 'existed'.
créé: Past participle of 'créer', meaning 'created'.
hormis: Preposition meaning 'except for' or 'apart from'.
les: Plural definite article meaning 'the'.
choses: Plural noun meaning 'things'.
Éternelles: Plural feminine adjective meaning 'eternal' or 'everlasting'.
éternel: Masculine adjective meaning 'eternal' or 'perpetual'.
je: First-person singular subject pronoun meaning 'I'.
demeure: Verb meaning 'I remain' or noun meaning 'dwelling'.
Vous: Second-person pronoun meaning 'you' (plural or formal).
qui: Relative or interrogative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'.
ici: Adverb meaning 'here'.
abandonnez: Imperative or indicative of 'abandonner', meaning 'abandon'.
toute: Feminine adjective meaning 'all' or 'every'.
espérance: Noun meaning 'hope' or 'expectation'.
Ces: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those'.
caractères: Noun meaning 'characters', 'letters', or 'inscriptions'.
aux: Contraction of 'à les', meaning 'with the' or 'of the'.
couleurs: Noun meaning 'colors'.
sombres: Adjective meaning 'dark', 'gloomy', or 'somber'.
remarquai: Simple past of 'remarquer', meaning 'I noticed'.
Inscrits: Past participle of 'inscrire', meaning 'inscribed' or 'written'.
sur: Preposition meaning 'on' or 'upon'.
arche: Noun meaning 'arch' or 'archway'.
élevée: Feminine past participle meaning 'high', 'raised', or 'elevated'.
d: Elided preposition 'de' before a vowel.
un: Indefinite masculine article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
portail: Noun meaning 'portal', 'gate', or 'entrance'.
Sur: Preposition meaning 'on', 'upon', or 'about'.
quoi: Interrogative pronoun meaning 'what'.
dis: Simple past of 'dire', meaning 'I said'.
Maître: Noun meaning 'master', 'teacher', or 'guide'.
ces: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those'.
mots: Noun meaning 'words'.
portent: Third-person plural of 'porter', meaning 'carry' or 'bear'.
Un: Indefinite masculine article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
sens: Noun meaning 'meaning', 'sense', or 'direction'.
difficile: Adjective meaning 'difficult' or 'hard'.
Il: Third-person masculine singular pronoun meaning 'he'.
répondit: Simple past of 'répondre', meaning 'he replied'.
comme: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'as', 'like', or 'since'.
préparé: Past participle of 'préparer', meaning 'prepared' or 'ready'.
Ici: Adverb meaning 'here'.
tu: Second-person singular informal pronoun meaning 'you'.
dois: Present tense of 'devoir', meaning 'must' or 'have to'.
laisser: Infinitive meaning 'to leave' or 'to let'.
derrière: Preposition or adverb meaning 'behind'.
toi: Second-person singular stressed pronoun meaning 'you'.
méfiance: Noun meaning 'distrust', 'suspicion', or 'mistrust'.
que: Conjunction meaning 'that', or pronoun meaning 'what'.
vile: Adjective meaning 'vile', 'base', or 'contemptible'.
crainte: Noun meaning 'fear' or 'apprehension'.
soit: Subjunctive of 'être', meaning 'be' or 'may be'.
éteinte: Feminine past participle of 'éteindre', meaning 'extinguished'.
Nous: First-person plural pronoun meaning 'we'.
sommes: Present tense of 'être', meaning 'we are'.
venus: Past participle of 'venir', meaning 'come' or 'arrived'.
Là: Adverb meaning 'there'.
où: Relative or interrogative adverb meaning 'where'.
t: Elided second-person pronoun 'te' before a vowel.
ai: First-person singular of 'avoir', meaning 'have'.
dit: Past participle of 'dire', meaning 'said' or 'told'.
nous: First-person plural pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us'.
verrions: Conditional of 'voir', meaning 'we would see'.
âmes: Noun meaning 'souls'.
Vouées: Feminine past participle of 'vouer', meaning 'devoted' or 'condemned'.
misère: Noun meaning 'misery', 'poverty', or 'wretchedness'.
bien: Adverb or noun meaning 'well' or 'good'.
intellectuel: Adjective or noun meaning 'intellectual' or 'of the mind'.
Ont: Third-person plural of 'avoir', meaning 'they have'.
Et: Conjunction meaning 'and'.
lorsqu: Elided conjunction 'lorsque', meaning 'when' (at the moment).
il: Third-person masculine singular pronoun meaning 'he' or 'it'.
eut: Simple past of 'avoir', meaning 'had'.
tendu: Past participle of 'tendre', meaning 'stretched out' or 'extended'.
sa: Possessive adjective meaning 'his', 'her', or 'its' (feminine).
main: Noun meaning 'hand'.
Vers: Preposition meaning 'toward' or noun meaning 'verse'.
mienne: Feminine possessive pronoun meaning 'mine'.
air: Noun meaning 'air', 'look', or 'expression'.
bienveillant: Adjective meaning 'benevolent', 'kind', or 'well-meaning'.
dont: Relative pronoun meaning 'of which', 'whose', or 'from which'.
fus: Simple past of 'être', meaning 'I was'.
réconforté: Past participle of 'réconforter', meaning 'comforted' or 'reassured'.
me: First-person singular object pronoun meaning 'me'.
conduisit: Simple past of 'conduire', meaning 'led' or 'guided'.
en: Preposition meaning 'in', 'into', or 'as'.
ce: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'.
lieu: Noun meaning 'place' or 'location'.
secret: Adjective or noun meaning 'secret' or 'hidden'.
des: Contraction of 'de les', meaning 'of the' (plural).
soupirs: Noun meaning 'sighs'.
mêlés: Past participle of 'mêler', meaning 'mixed' or 'mingled'.
lamentations: Noun meaning 'lamentations', 'wails', or 'grieving cries'.
grands: Plural masculine adjective meaning 'great', 'big', or 'loud'.
gémissements: Noun meaning 'moans', 'groans', or 'wails'.
Résonnaient: Imperfect of 'résonner', meaning 'resounded' or 'echoed'.
nulle: Feminine adjective meaning 'no', 'none', or 'null'.
étoile: Noun meaning 'star'.
ne: Negative particle used with 'pas', 'jamais', etc.
perçait: Imperfect of 'percer', meaning 'pierced through' or 'penetrated'.
Si: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'if' or 'so'.
même: Adjective or adverb meaning 'same', 'even', or 'itself'.
pleurai: Simple past of 'pleurer', meaning 'I cried' or 'I wept'.
entrant: Present participle of 'entrer', meaning 'entering'.
Des: Partitive or plural article meaning 'some' or 'of the'.
langues: Noun meaning 'languages' or 'tongues'.
diverses: Feminine plural adjective meaning 'diverse' or 'various'.
langages: Noun meaning 'languages', 'speech', or 'manner of speaking'.
horribles: Adjective meaning 'horrible', 'dreadful', or 'terrible'.
cris: Noun meaning 'cries', 'shouts', or 'screams'.
détresse: Noun meaning 'distress' or 'anguish'.
accents: Noun meaning 'accents', 'tones', or 'intonations'.
colère: Noun meaning 'anger' or 'wrath'.
voix: Noun meaning 'voice' or 'voices'.
graves: Adjective meaning 'deep', 'grave', or 'serious'.
rauques: Adjective meaning 'hoarse', 'husky', or 'rasping'.
mains: Noun meaning 'hands'.
frappées: Feminine past participle of 'frapper', meaning 'struck' or 'beaten'.
une: Indefinite feminine article meaning 'a' or 'one'.
contre: Preposition meaning 'against'.
autre: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'another'.
enflaient: Imperfect of 'enfler', meaning 'swelled' or 'amplified'.
sons: Noun meaning 'sounds'.
Formaient: Imperfect of 'former', meaning 'they formed' or 'made up'.
tumulte: Noun meaning 'tumult', 'uproar', or 'commotion'.
tourbillonne: Present tense of 'tourbillonner', meaning 'whirls' or 'swirls'.
sans: Preposition meaning 'without'.
cesse: Noun meaning 'ceasing'; 'sans cesse' means 'unceasingly'.
À: Preposition meaning 'at', 'to', or 'in'.
travers: Noun; 'à travers' means 'through' or 'across'.
cet: Masculine demonstrative adjective before a vowel, meaning 'this'.
souillé: Past participle of 'souiller', meaning 'soiled', 'tainted', or 'defiled'.
obscurité: Noun meaning 'darkness' or 'obscurity'.
profonde: Feminine adjective meaning 'deep' or 'profound'.
Semblable: Adjective meaning 'similar', 'like', or 'resembling'.
au: Contraction of 'à le', meaning 'to the' or 'at the'.
sable: Noun meaning 'sand'.
tourbillon: Noun meaning 'whirlwind', 'whirlpool', or 'vortex'.
emporte: Third-person singular of 'emporter', meaning 'carries away'.
Moi: First-person singular stressed pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me'.
alors: Adverb meaning 'then', 'at that time', or 'so'.
encore: Adverb meaning 'still', 'yet', or 'again'.
enveloppé: Past participle of 'envelopper', meaning 'wrapped' or 'enveloped'.
incertitude: Noun meaning 'uncertainty' or 'doubt'.
m: Elided first-person object pronoun 'me' before a vowel.
écriai: Simple past of 's'écrier', meaning 'I cried out' or 'exclaimed'.
Ô: Exclamation 'O' used to address someone dramatically.
maître: Noun meaning 'master', 'teacher', or 'guide'.
Qu: Elided interrogative pronoun 'que', meaning 'what'.
est: Third-person singular of 'être', meaning 'is'.
j: Elided first-person pronoun 'je', meaning 'I'.
entends: Present tense of 'entendre', meaning 'I hear'.
là: Adverb meaning 'there'.
Quelle: Feminine interrogative adjective meaning 'what' or 'which'.
race: Noun meaning 'race', 'breed', or 'kind of people'.
Est: Third-person singular of 'être', meaning 'is'.
celle: Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this one' or 'that one' (feminine).
ci: Particle meaning 'here'; used in 'celle-ci' meaning 'this one'.
semble: Third-person singular of 'sembler', meaning 'seems'.
si: Adverb meaning 'so' or conjunction meaning 'if'.
accablée: Feminine past participle of 'accabler', meaning 'overwhelmed' or 'burdened'.

← Previous Next →

Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.

Create free account →