The divine comedy — Page 3
These wretches, who ne'er lived,
Ces misérables, qui ne vécurent jamais,
Went on in nakedness, and sorely stung
Allaient nus, et cruellement piqués
By wasps and hornets, which bedew'd their cheeks
Par des guêpes et des frelons, qui couvraient leurs joues
With blood, that mix'd with tears dropp'd to their feet,
De sang, lequel, mêlé de larmes, tombait à leurs pieds,
And by disgustful worms was gather'd there.
Et là était recueilli par de répugnants vers.
Then looking farther onwards I beheld
Puis, regardant plus loin, j'aperçus
A throng upon the shore of a great stream:
Une foule sur le rivage d'un grand fleuve :
Whereat I thus: "Sir! grant me now to know
Sur quoi je dis : « Seigneur ! daignez m'apprendre
Whom here we view, and whence impell'd they seem
Qui sont ceux que nous voyons ici, et pourquoi ils semblent poussés
So eager to pass o'er, as I discern
D'un tel désir de traverser, autant que je puis distinguer
Through the blear light?" He thus to me in few:
À travers cette lumière blafarde ? » Il me répondit brièvement :
"This shalt thou know, soon as our steps arrive
« Tu le sauras, dès que nos pas seront parvenus
Beside the woeful tide of Acheron."
Au bord des flots lugubres de l'Achéron. »
Then with eyes downward cast and fill'd with shame,
Alors, les yeux baissés et remplis de honte,
Fearing my words offensive to his ear,
Craignant que mes paroles ne l'eussent offensé,
Till we had reach'd the river, I from speech
Jusqu'à ce que nous eussions atteint le fleuve, je m'abstins
Abstain'd. And lo! toward us in a bark
De parler. Et voilà que vers nous, dans une barque,
Comes on an old man hoary white with eld,
S'avance un vieillard blanchi par l'âge,
Crying, "Woe to you wicked spirits! hope not
Criant : « Malheur à vous, esprits pervers ! n'espérez pas
Ever to see the sky again. I come
Revoir jamais le ciel. Je viens
To take you to the other shore across,
Vous conduire à l'autre rive,
Into eternal darkness, there to dwell
Dans les ténèbres éternelles, pour y demeurer
In fierce heat and in ice. And thou, who there
Dans une chaleur ardente et dans la glace. Et toi, qui là
Standest, live spirit! get thee hence, and leave
Te tiens, esprit vivant ! éloigne-toi, et laisse
These who are dead." But soon as he beheld
Ceux qui sont morts. » Mais dès qu'il vit
I left them not, "By other way," said he,
Que je ne les quittais pas, « Par une autre voie, » dit-il,
"By other haven shalt thou come to shore,
« C'est par un autre port que tu aborderas,
Not by this passage; thee a nimbler boat
Non par ce passage ; une barque plus légère
Must carry." Then to him thus spake my guide:
Devra te porter. » Alors mon guide lui parla ainsi :
"Charon!
« Charon !
Vocabulary
- Ces
- Plural demonstrative adjective meaning 'these' or 'those'
- misérables
- Wretched or miserable people suffering greatly
- qui
- Relative pronoun meaning 'who' or 'which'
- ne
- Negation particle used with 'pas' or alone
- vécurent
- Past tense of vivre; they lived or existed
- jamais
- Adverb meaning 'never' or 'ever'
- Allaient
- Imperfect tense of aller; they were going
- nus
- Adjective meaning naked or bare, without clothing
- et
- Conjunction meaning 'and', linking words or clauses
- cruellement
- Adverb meaning cruelly, in a harsh painful manner
- piqués
- Stung or pricked, past participle of piquer
- Par
- Preposition meaning 'by' or 'through'
- des
- Indefinite plural article meaning 'some' or 'of the'
- guêpes
- Wasps, stinging insects related to bees
- frelons
- Hornets, large aggressive stinging insects
- couvraient
- Imperfect tense of couvrir; they were covering
- leurs
- Possessive adjective meaning 'their' for plural nouns
- joues
- Cheeks, the sides of a person's face
- De
- Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'with'
- sang
- Noun meaning blood, the red fluid in bodies
- lequel
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' referring to a noun
- mêlé
- Mixed or blended, past participle of mêler
- de
- Preposition meaning 'of', 'from', or 'with'
- larmes
- Tears, drops of liquid shed when crying
- tombait
- Imperfect tense of tomber; it was falling down
- à
- Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'
- pieds
- Feet, the lower extremities used for walking
- Et
- Conjunction meaning 'and', linking words or clauses
- là
- Adverb meaning 'there', indicating a place
- était
- Imperfect tense of être; it was, indicating state
- recueilli
- Collected or gathered, past participle of recueillir
- par
- Preposition meaning 'by' or 'through'
- répugnants
- Adjective meaning repulsive, disgusting, or revolting
- vers
- Worms, small crawling invertebrate creatures
- Puis
- Adverb meaning 'then' or 'next' in sequence
- regardant
- Present participle of regarder; looking or watching
- plus
- Adverb meaning 'more' or 'further' in comparison
- loin
- Adverb meaning 'far' or 'farther away'
- j'
- Contracted form of 'je', first person singular pronoun
- aperçus
- Past tense of apercevoir; I noticed or glimpsed
- Une
- Indefinite feminine article meaning 'a' or 'an'
- foule
- A crowd, a large group of people gathered
- sur
- Preposition meaning 'on' or 'upon' a surface
- le
- Definite masculine article meaning 'the'
- rivage
- Riverbank or shore, the edge of water
- d'
- Contracted preposition 'de' before a vowel sound
- un
- Indefinite masculine article meaning 'a' or 'one'
- grand
- Adjective meaning large, great, or important
- fleuve
- A large river flowing into the sea
- Sur
- Preposition meaning 'on' or 'upon' a surface
- quoi
- Pronoun meaning 'what', used after prepositions
- je
- First person singular subject pronoun meaning 'I'
- dis
- Past tense of dire; I said or told
- Seigneur
- Noun meaning Lord or master, a title of respect
- daignez
- Imperative of daigner; please deign or condescend to
- m'
- Contracted form of 'me', first person object pronoun
- apprendre
- Infinitive meaning to learn or to teach someone
- Qui
- Interrogative pronoun meaning 'who' asking about identity
- sont
- Third person plural of être; they are
- ceux
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' or 'those ones'
- que
- Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that' or 'whom'
- nous
- First person plural pronoun meaning 'we' or 'us'
- voyons
- First person plural of voir; we see or observe
- ici
- Adverb meaning 'here', indicating present location
- pourquoi
- Interrogative adverb meaning 'why', asking for reason
- ils
- Third person masculine plural pronoun meaning 'they'
- semblent
- Third person plural of sembler; they seem or appear
- poussés
- Driven or pushed, past participle of pousser
- D'
- Contracted preposition 'de' before a vowel sound
- tel
- Adjective meaning 'such' or 'such a'
- désir
- Noun meaning desire, a strong wish or longing
- traverser
- Infinitive meaning to cross or traverse something
- autant
- Adverb meaning 'as much' or 'so many'
- puis
- Adverb meaning 'then' or 'next' in sequence
- distinguer
- Infinitive meaning to distinguish or make out clearly
- À
- Preposition meaning 'to', 'at', or 'in'
- travers
- Noun used in 'à travers' meaning through or across
- cette
- Feminine demonstrative adjective meaning 'this' or 'that'
- lumière
- Noun meaning light, illumination or brightness
- blafarde
- Adjective meaning pale, wan, or dim and ghostly
- Il
- Third person masculine singular pronoun meaning 'he'
- me
- First person singular object pronoun meaning 'me'
- répondit
- Past tense of répondre; he replied or answered
- brièvement
- Adverb meaning briefly, in a short concise manner
- Tu
- Second person singular subject pronoun meaning 'you'
- sauras
- Future tense of savoir; you will know or learn
- dès
- Preposition meaning 'as soon as' or 'from'
- nos
- Possessive adjective meaning 'our' for plural nouns
- pas
- Steps or footsteps; also negation particle
- seront
- Future tense of être; they will be or arrive
- parvenus
- Arrived or reached, past participle of parvenir
- Au
- Contracted article 'à le' meaning 'at the' or 'to the'
- bord
- Edge or bank, the border of a body of water
- flots
- Waves or waters, flowing streams or currents
- lugubres
- Adjective meaning mournful, gloomy, or dismal
- l'
- Contracted definite article before a vowel sound
- Alors
- Adverb meaning 'then' or 'at that time'
- les
- Definite plural article meaning 'the'
- yeux
- Eyes, the organs of sight on a face
- baissés
- Lowered or cast down, past participle of baisser
- remplis
- Filled with, past participle of remplir
- honte
- Noun meaning shame, a feeling of disgrace
- Craignant
- Present participle of craindre; fearing or being afraid
- mes
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' for plural nouns
- paroles
- Words or speech, spoken expressions or utterances
- eussent
- Subjunctive past of avoir; had in a hypothetical sense
- offensé
- Offended or hurt, past participle of offenser
- Jusqu'
- Preposition meaning 'until' or 'up to' a point
- ce
- Demonstrative adjective or pronoun meaning 'this' or 'that'
- eussions
- Subjunctive past of avoir; we had in hypothetical sense
- atteint
- Reached or attained, past participle of atteindre
- abstins
- Past tense of s'abstenir; I refrained or abstained
- parler
- Infinitive meaning to speak or to talk
- voilà
- Exclamation meaning 'there it is' or 'behold'
- dans
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside' something
- une
- Indefinite feminine article meaning 'a' or 'an'
- barque
- A small boat used for river or lake travel
- S'
- Contracted reflexive pronoun 'se' before a vowel
- avance
- Present tense of avancer; advances or moves forward
- vieillard
- An old man, an elderly male person
- blanchi
- Whitened or gone white, past participle of blanchir
- âge
- Noun meaning age, the length of time lived
- Criant
- Present participle of crier; shouting or crying out
- Malheur
- Noun meaning misfortune, woe, or terrible fate
- vous
- Second person plural or formal pronoun meaning 'you'
- esprits
- Spirits or souls, non-physical beings or minds
- pervers
- Adjective meaning wicked, perverse, or morally corrupt
- n'
- Contracted negation particle 'ne' before a vowel
- espérez
- Imperative of espérer; do not hope or expect
- Revoir
- Infinitive meaning to see again or revisit
- ciel
- Noun meaning sky or heaven, realm above earth
- Je
- First person singular subject pronoun meaning 'I'
- viens
- First person singular of venir; I come or arrive
- Vous
- Second person plural or formal pronoun meaning 'you'
- conduire
- Infinitive meaning to lead, drive, or conduct someone
- autre
- Adjective meaning 'other' or 'another' different one
- rive
- Noun meaning riverbank or shore of a river
- Dans
- Preposition meaning 'in' or 'inside' something
- ténèbres
- Darkness or shadows, deep gloom and obscurity
- éternelles
- Adjective meaning eternal, everlasting, never-ending
- pour
- Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in order to'
- y
- Pronoun meaning 'there' or 'in it', replacing a place
- demeurer
- Infinitive meaning to stay, remain, or dwell somewhere
- chaleur
- Noun meaning heat or warmth, thermal sensation
- ardente
- Adjective meaning burning, blazing, or intense heat
- la
- Definite feminine article meaning 'the'
- glace
- Noun meaning ice, frozen water or intense cold
- toi
- Stressed second person singular pronoun meaning 'you'
- Te
- Second person singular object pronoun meaning 'you' or 'yourself'
- tiens
- Present tense of tenir; hold yourself or stand there
- esprit
- Noun meaning spirit, soul, or mind of a being
- vivant
- Adjective meaning living or alive, not dead
- éloigne-
- Imperative of éloigner; move away or get away
- laisse
- Imperative of laisser; leave or let pass
- Ceux
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' or 'those ones'
- morts
- The dead, deceased persons no longer living
- Mais
- Conjunction meaning 'but', introducing a contrast
- qu'
- Contracted conjunction 'que' before a vowel sound
- il
- Third person masculine singular pronoun meaning 'he'
- vit
- Past tense of voir; he saw or noticed something
- Que
- Conjunction or pronoun meaning 'that' or 'whom'
- quittais
- Imperfect of quitter; I was leaving or abandoning
- voie
- Noun meaning way, path, or road to follow
- dit-
- Past tense of dire; said, in inverted question form
- C'
- Contracted demonstrative 'ce' before a vowel sound
- est
- Third person singular of être; is, indicating existence
- port
- Noun meaning port or harbor where boats dock
- tu
- Second person singular subject pronoun meaning 'you'
- aborderas
- Future of aborder; you will reach or dock at
- Non
- Adverb meaning 'no', expressing negation or refusal
- passage
- Noun meaning passage, crossing, or transit through
- légère
- Adjective meaning light in weight, not heavy
- Devra
- Future of devoir; will have to or must
- te
- Second person singular object pronoun meaning 'you'
- porter
- Infinitive meaning to carry or bear someone across
- mon
- Possessive adjective meaning 'my' for masculine nouns
- guide
- Noun meaning guide, one who leads the way
- lui
- Third person singular pronoun meaning 'him' or 'her'
- parla
- Past tense of parler; spoke or addressed someone
- ainsi
- Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'
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