Pereat Rochus: Bilingual Edition (English – Italian)

By Antonio Fogazzaro

Instead of memorizing vocabulary words, work your way through an actual well-written novel. Even novices can follow along as each individual English paragraph is paired with the corresponding Italian paragraph. It won't be an easy project, but you'll learn a lot.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publishdrive
• Release date: Jul 13, 2018

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PEREAT ROCHUS

Bilingual Edition

English - Italian

Antonio Fogazzaro

translated by

Arthur Lincoln Frothingham

CHAPTER I

I

«It is a fine case, Don Rocco,» said Professor Marin, gathering up the cards and smiling beatifically, while his neighbor on the right raved furiously against poor Don Rocco.

— Bel caso, don Rocco — disse per la quarta volta il professore Marin, raccogliendo le carte e sorridendo beatamente, mentre il suo vicino di destra inveiva furioso contro il povero don Rocco.

The professor continued to look at him with a little laugh on his closed mouth, and with a glance sparkling with benevolent hilarity; then he turned to the lady of the house, who was napping in a corner of the sofa.

Il professore durò a perseguitare costui con un risolino a bocca chiusa, con lo sguardo scintillante di benevola ilarità; poi si volse alla padrona di casa che dormigliava in un angolo del canapè.

«It is a fine case, Countess Carlotta!»

— Un bel caso, contessa Carlotta!

«I understand that well enough,» said she, «and it seems to me time to end it; isn't that so, Don Rocco?»

— Ho capito — rispose la signora — e mi parrebbe anche ora di finirla; non è vero, don Rocco?

«No, Don Rocco,» said the professor seriously, «on reflection it certainly is a case for the ecclesiastical court.»

«I should say it was at least that,» said his neighbor on the right.

— No, don Rocco — riprese il professore, serio. — Se ci pensate bene, è un caso da congrega..

— Altro che da congrega! — disse il vicino di destra.

Don Rocco, red as a poppy, with his two fingers in his snuff-box, kept silence, his head bent forward and his brows knit in a certain contrite way peculiar to him, facing the tempest with his bald spot, and looking slyly between one wink and another at the unfortunate cards.

Don Rocco, rosso come un papavero, ficcate due dita nella tabacchiera, taceva a capo chino con un certo suo cipiglio compunto, opponendo alla tempesta il cranio lucido, guardando sottecchi, fra un batter di ciglia e l′altro, le carte sciagurate.

When he heard the words «ecclesiastical court» repeated by his companion, whom he held in considerable fear, it seemed to him that matters were becoming quite amusing, so he forced a little smile and took a pinch of snuff between his fingers.

Quando udì ripetere dal suo temuto compagno la parola congrega, gli parve che le cose volgessero al faceto, fece un sorrisetto e strinse il tabacco fra le dita.

«Oh, you laugh!»

— Eh, voi ridete!

returned the implacable professor.

— ripigliò l′implacabile professore.

«I hardly know whether, having played at terziglio and having brought such ill luck on your partner, you can say Mass in peace to-morrow morning.»

— Non so se avendo giuocato a terziglio, e fatto prendere un cappotto simile al vostro compagno, possiate celebrare in pace, domattina.

«Oh! I can, I can,» muttered Don Rocco, knitting his brows still more and raising a little his good-natured countryman's face. «We all make mistakes, all of us. Even he, over there, not to mention yourself, sometimes.»

— Eh, posso posso — borbottò don Rocco, aggrottando ancora le ciglia e levando un poco la sua buona faccia contadinesca. — Fallano tutti, fallano. Falla anche lui; e anche Lei forse, qualche volta.

His voice had the tone of a peaceful animal badgered beyond all patience. The professor was laughing with his eyes.

La sua voce pareva il grugnito di una bestia pacifica, tribolata oltre ogni mansuetudine. Al professore scoppiavano le risa dagli occhi.

«You are quite right,» said he.

— Avete ragione — diss′egli.

The game was over, the players got up.

Il giuoco era finito, i giuocatori si alzarono.

«Yes,» said the professor with quizzical seriousness, «the case of Sigismondo is more complicated.»

— Sì — disse il professore con serietà canzonatoria — il caso di Sigismondo è più complicato.

Don Rocco closed his beady little eyes in a smile, bending his head with a peculiar mixture of modesty, complacency, and confusion, and mumbled:

«Even that case can be unravelled.»

Don Rocco strinse in un sorriso gli occhietti lucenti, chinando il capo con un misto incomprensibile di modestia, di compiacenza, di turbamento, e brontolò:

— Anche quello va a tirar fuori!

«You see,» added the professor, «I am well informed.

— Vedete — soggiunse il professore — che sono informato.

It is a case, Countess, which Don Rocco must unravel at the next meeting of the ecclesiastical court.»

«There is no such meeting going on here,» said the countess.

Si tratta, contessa, di un caso che don Rocco deve sciogliere alla prossima congrega.

— Qui non c′è congreghe — disse la contessa.

«Let it alone.»

— Lasci stare.

But it was not so easy to wrest a victim from the clutches of the professor.

«Let us then say no more about it,» said he quietly.

Ma non era così facile cavare una vittima dalle unghie del professore.

— Non ne parliamo più — diss′ egli tranquillamente.

«But listen, Don Rocco; I am not of your opinion on that point.

— Sentite però, don Rocco; io non la penso come voi su quel punto.

As for me, pereat mundus.»

Per me, pereat mundus.

Don Rocco frowned furiously.

«I have n't spoken with any one,» said he.

Don Rocco fece un cipiglio feroce.

— Io non ho parlato con nessuno — diss′egli.

«Don Rocco, you have gossiped, and I know it,» answered the professor.

— Don Rocco, avete chiacchierato, e lo so — riprese il professore.

«Have patience, Countess, and give us your opinion.»

— Abbia pazienza, contessa, giudichi Lei.

Countess Carlotta did not care to enter upon the question, but the professor continued imperturbably to set forth the case of Sigismondo as it had been promulgated by the Episcopal tribunal.

«A certain Sigismondo, fallen suddenly ill, asked for a confessor. Hardly was he alone with the priest when he hastened to tell him that some other person was on the point of committing a homicide, which he had himself instigated. Hardly had he said these words when he lost voice and consciousness. The priest doubted whether Sigismondo had spoken in confession or not; and he could not prevent the crime, could not save this human life in peril, unless he made