The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African: Written By Himself — Page 6
Some time after she is brought home to her husband, and then another feast is made, to which the relations of both parties are invited: her parents then deliver her to the bridegroom, accompanied with a number of blessings, and at the same time they tie round her waist a cotton string of the thickness of a goose-quill, which none but married women are permitted to wear: she is now considered as completely his wife; and at this time the dowry is given to the new married pair, which generally consists of portions of land, slaves, and cattle, household goods, and implements of husbandry.
Quelque temps après, elle est ramenée chez son mari, et l'on organise alors un autre festin auquel sont conviés les proches des deux familles : ses parents la remettent ensuite au marié, accompagnée de nombreuses bénédictions, et en même temps ils lui nouent autour de la taille un cordon de coton de l'épaisseur d'une plume d'oie, que seules les femmes mariées sont autorisées à porter : elle est désormais considérée comme son épouse à part entière ; et c'est à ce moment que la dot est remise au nouveau couple marié, laquelle consiste généralement en portions de terres, en esclaves et en bétail, en biens ménagers et en outils d'agriculture.
These are offered by the friends of both parties; besides which the parents of the bridegroom present gifts to those of the bride, whose property she is looked upon before marriage; but after it she is esteemed the sole property of her husband.
Ceux-ci sont offerts par les amis des deux familles ; outre cela, les parents du marié offrent des cadeaux à ceux de la mariée, dont elle est considérée comme la propriété avant le mariage ; mais après celui-ci, elle est regardée comme la propriété exclusive de son mari.
The ceremony being now ended the festival begins, which is celebrated with bonefires, and loud acclamations of joy, accompanied with music and dancing.
La cérémonie étant à présent terminée, les festivités commencent, célébrées par des feux de joie et de bruyantes acclamations de joie, accompagnées de musique et de danses.
We are almost a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets.
Nous sommes presque une nation de danseurs, de musiciens et de poètes.
Thus every great event, such as a triumphant return from battle, or other cause of public rejoicing is celebrated in public dances, which are accompanied with songs and music suited to the occasion.
Ainsi, chaque grand événement, tel qu'un retour triomphant de la bataille, ou toute autre cause de réjouissance publique, est célébré par des danses publiques, accompagnées de chants et de musique adaptés à l'occasion.
The assembly is separated into four divisions, which dance either apart or in succession, and each with a character peculiar to itself.
L'assemblée est divisée en quatre groupes, qui dansent soit séparément soit l'un après l'autre, chacun avec un caractère qui lui est propre.
Vocabulary
- Quelque
- Some, a few, or a certain amount
- temps
- Time or weather, a common noun
- après
- After, following in time or order
- elle
- She, third-person singular feminine pronoun
- est
- Is, third-person singular of être
- ramenée
- Brought back, returned to a place
- chez
- At or to someone's home or place
- son
- His, her, or its possessive adjective
- mari
- Husband, a married male partner
- organise
- Organizes, arranges or plans an event
- alors
- Then, at that time or consequently
- festin
- Feast, a large elaborate celebratory meal
- auquel
- To which, contracted relative pronoun form
- conviés
- Invited, formally summoned to attend an event
- proches
- Close ones, family members or dear friends
- familles
- Families, groups of related individuals
- parents
- Parents or relatives, family members
- remettent
- Hand over, give something back to someone
- ensuite
- Then, next, afterwards in sequence
- marié
- Married man, a groom or husband
- accompagnée
- Accompanied, joined by someone or something
- nombreuses
- Numerous, many in quantity or number
- bénédictions
- Blessings, expressions of goodwill or divine favor
- même
- Same, even, or very, emphasizing identity
- nouent
- Tie, fasten by knotting around something
- autour
- Around, encircling a person or object
- taille
- Waist or size, a body measurement term
- cordon
- Cord, a thin rope or string
- coton
- Cotton, a natural textile fiber material
- épaisseur
- Thickness, the measurement of how thick something is
- plume
- Feather or pen, a light quill-like object
- oie
- Goose, a large domesticated waterfowl bird
- seules
- Only or alone, exclusively feminine plural form
- femmes
- Women or wives, adult female individuals
- mariées
- Married women, females in a wedded union
- autorisées
- Authorized, permitted or allowed to do something
- porter
- To wear or carry, common everyday verb
- désormais
- Henceforth, from now on going forward
- considérée
- Considered, regarded or viewed as something
- épouse
- Wife or spouse, a married female partner
- part
- Part or share, a portion of something
- entière
- Entire, whole, full and complete
- moment
- Moment, a brief point in time
- dot
- Dowry, property given at marriage
- remise
- Handed over, given formally to someone
- nouveau
- New, recently formed or beginning fresh
- couple
- Couple, two people in a relationship
- laquelle
- Which, feminine singular relative pronoun
- consiste
- Consists, is made up of certain elements
- généralement
- Generally, usually or in most cases
- portions
- Portions, allocated shares or sections of something
- terres
- Lands, parcels of earth or territory
- bétail
- Livestock, domesticated farm animals collectively
- biens
- Goods, possessions or property owned
- ménagers
- Household, relating to domestic home items
- outils
- Tools, implements used to perform work
- agriculture
- Agriculture, farming and cultivation of land
- offerts
- Offered or given, presented as gifts
- amis
- Friends, people with whom one is friendly
- outre
- Beyond, besides, in addition to something
- cadeaux
- Gifts, presents given on special occasions
- propriété
- Property, something owned by a person
- avant
- Before, earlier in time or position
- mariage
- Marriage, the legal union of partners
- regardée
- Regarded, considered or viewed in a way
- exclusive
- Exclusive, belonging solely to one person
- cérémonie
- Ceremony, a formal event or ritual occasion
- présent
- Present, now or currently at this time
- terminée
- Finished, completed or ended entirely
- festivités
- Festivities, celebratory activities and joyful events
- commencent
- Begin, start to take place or happen
- célébrées
- Celebrated, marked with festive activities
- feux
- Fires or lights, plural of feu
- joie
- Joy, a feeling of great happiness
- bruyantes
- Noisy, loud and producing much sound
- acclamations
- Acclamations, loud shouts of approval or praise
- accompagnées
- Accompanied, paired together with something else
- musique
- Music, organized sound for artistic expression
- danses
- Dances, rhythmic movement to music
- sommes
- Are, first-person plural of être
- presque
- Almost, nearly but not quite completely
- nation
- Nation, a people sharing culture and territory
- danseurs
- Dancers, people who perform dance movements
- musiciens
- Musicians, people who play musical instruments
- poètes
- Poets, people who write poetic works
- Ainsi
- Thus, so, in this way or therefore
- chaque
- Each, every individual one separately
- grand
- Great or big, large in size or importance
- événement
- Event, a notable occurrence or happening
- tel
- Such, of that kind or type
- retour
- Return, the act of coming back
- triomphant
- Triumphant, victorious and celebrating success
- bataille
- Battle, a fight between opposing forces
- cause
- Cause or reason behind an action or event
- réjouissance
- Rejoicing, a celebration or expression of joy
- publique
- Public, open to or involving everyone
- célébré
- Celebrated, honored with festivities or praise
- publiques
- Public, relating to the general population
- chants
- Songs or chants, vocal musical expressions
- adaptés
- Adapted, adjusted or suited to a purpose
- occasion
- Occasion, a particular time or special event
- assemblée
- Assembly, a gathered group of people
- divisée
- Divided, split into separate parts or groups
- quatre
- Four, the number between three and five
- groupes
- Groups, sets of people or things together
- dansent
- Dance, they perform rhythmic movement to music
- séparément
- Separately, apart from each other independently
- caractère
- Character, a distinctive quality or personality trait
- propre
- Own or clean, belonging specifically to oneself
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