Translation

1. Nicolas Pelicioni de OLIVEIRA
Licenciatura em Letras - Ibilce, UNESP
http://nicolas-pelicioni.blogspot.com/
nicolaspelicioni@gmail.com
The Raven
By Edgar Allan Poe
translated into Portuguese by Machado de Assis
1.a.
Once upon a midnight dreary1, while I pondered2, weak and weary3,
Over many a quaint4 and curious volume of forgotten lore5—
While I nodded, nearly napping6, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping7 at my chamber door.
“„Tis some visiter”, I muttered, ”tapping at my chamber door —
Only this and nothing more.”
b.
Em certo dia, à hora, à hora
Da meia-noite que apavora,
Eu, caindo de sono e exausto de fadiga,
Ao pé de muita lauda antiga,
De uma velha doutrina, agora morta,
Ia pensando, quando ouvi à porta
Do meu quarto um soar devagarinho,
E disse estas palavras tais:
“É alguém que me bate à porta de mansinho;
Há de ser isso e nada mais.”
1 dreary: that makes you feel sad; dull and not interesting.
2 ponder: to think about something carefully for a period of time.
3 weary: very tired, especially after you have been working hard or doing something for a long time.
4 quaint: attractive in an unusual or old-fashioned way.
5 lore: knowledge and information related to a particular subject, especially when this is not written down
(folklore)
6 nap: to sleep for a short time, especially during the day.
7 rap: to hit a hard object or surface several times quickly, making a noise.

2. 2.a.
Ah, distinctly8 I remember it was in the bleak9 December,
And each separate dying ember10 wrought11 its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly12 I wished the morrow; —vainly I had sought13 to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Nameless14 here for evermore.
b.
Ah! bem me lembro! bem me lembro!
Era no glacial dezembro;
Cada brasa do lar sobre o chão refletia
A sua última agonia.
Eu, ansioso pelo sol, buscava
Sacar daqueles livros que estudava
Repouso (em vão!) à dor esmagadora
Destas saudades imortais
Pela que ora nos céus anjos chamam Lenora.
E que ninguém chamará mais.
8 distinctly: easy or clearly heard, seen, felt, etc.
9 bleak: (of the weather) cold and unpleasant.
10 ember: a piece of wood or coal that is not burning but is still red and hot after a fire has died.
11 wrought: (used only in the past tense) caused something to happen, especially a change ⇒ The storm wrought
havoc in the south.
⇒ wrought is an old form of the past tense of work.
12 eager: very interested and excited by sth that is going to happen or about sth that you want to do.
13 sought ⇒ pt., pp., of seek.
14 nameless: having no name.

3. 3.a.
And the silken15 sad uncertain rustling16 of each purple curtain
Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
“„Tis some visiter entreating17 entrance at my chamber door—
Some late visiter entreating entrance at my chamber door;
This it is and nothing more.”
b.
E o rumor triste, vago, brando
Das cortinas ia acordando
Dentro em meu coração um rumor não sabido,
Nunca por ele padecido.
Enfim, por aplacá-lo aqui no peito,
Levantei-me de pronto, e: “Com efeito,
(Disse) é visita amiga e retardada
Que bate a estas horas tais.
É visita que pede à minha porta entrada:
Há de ser isso e nada mais.”
15 silken: soft, smooth and shiny like silk.
16 rustling: the sound of light, dry things moving together.
17 entreat: to ask sb to do sth in a serious and often emotional way.

4. 4.a.
Presently18 my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
“Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly19 you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce20 was sure I heard you” —here I opened wide the door—
Darkness there and nothing more.
b.
Minh‟alma então sentiu-se forte;
Não mais vacilo e desta sorte
Falo: “Imploro de vós, — ou senhor ou senhora,
Me desculpeis tanta demora.
Mas como eu, precisando de descanso,
Já cochilava, e tão de manso e manso
Batestes, não fui logo, prestemente,
Certificar-me que aí estais.”
Disse; a porta escancaro, acho a noite somente,
Somente a noite, e nada mais.
18 presently: at the time you are speaking or writing; now.
19 faint: that cannot be clearly seen, heard or smelt.
20 scarce: if sth is scarce, there is not enough of it and it is only available in small quantities.

5. 5.a.
Deep into that darkness peering21, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting22, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness23 gave no token24,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore?”
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—
Merely this and nothing more.
b.
Com longo olhar escruto a sombra,
Que me amedronta, que me assombra,
E sonho o que nenhum mortal há já sonhado,
Mas o silêncio amplo e calado,
Calado fica; a quietação quieta;
Só tu, palavra única e dileta,
Lenora, tu, como um suspiro escasso,
Da minha triste boca sais;
E o eco, que te ouviu, murmurou-te no espaço;
Foi isso apenas, nada mais.
21 peer: to look closely or carefully at something, especially when you cannot see it clearly.
22 doubt: to feel uncertain about something; to feel that something is not true, will probably not happen.
23 stillness: the quality of being quiet and not moving.
24 token: something that is a symbol of a feeling, a fact, an event, etc. ― done as a symbol to show that you are
serious about something and will keep a promise or an agreement or do more later.

6. 6.a.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within25 me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping something louder than before.
“Surely”, said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice26;
Let me see, then, what thereat is and this mystery explore
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;
Tis the wind and nothing more”.
b.
Entro coa alma incendiada.
Logo depois outra pancada
Soa um pouco mais forte; eu, voltando-me a ela:
“Seguramente, há na janela
Alguma cousa que sussurra. Abramos,
Eia, fora o temor, eia, vejamos
A explicação do caso misterioso
Dessas duas pancadas tais.
Devolvamos a paz ao coração medroso,
Obra do vento e nada mais.”
25 within: inside
26 lattice: a window with small pieces of glass shaped like diamonds in a framework of metal strips.

7. 7.a.
Open here I flung27 the shutter28, when, with many a flirt29 and flutter30,
In there stepped a stately31 Raven of the saintly days of yore32.
Not the least33 obeisance34 made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he,
But, with mien35 of lord or lady, perched36 above my chamber door
Perched upon a bust of Pallas37 just above my chamber door
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
b.
Abro a janela, e de repente,
Vejo tumultuosamente
Um nobre corvo entrar, digno de antigos dias.
Não despendeu em cortesias
Um minuto, um instante. Tinha o aspecto
De um lord ou de uma lady. E pronto e reto,
Movendo no ar as suas negras alas,
Acima voa dos portais,
Trepa, no alto da porta, em um busto de Palas;
Trepado fica, e nada mais.
27 fling: to throw sb/sth somewhere with force, especially because you are angry.
28 shutter: one of a pair of wooden or metal covers that can be closed over the outside of a window to keep out
light or protect the window from damage.
29 flirt: to think about or be interested in sth for a short time but not in very seriously.
30 flutter: when a bird or insect flutters its wings, or it wings flutter, the wings move lightly and quickly up and
down
31 stately: impressive in size, appearance or manner.
32 of yore: long ago.
33 least: smallest in size, amount, degree, etc.
34 obeisance: the act of bending your head or the upper part of your body in order to show respect for sb/sth.
35 mien: a person‟s appearance or manner that shows how they are feeling.
36 perched: (especially a bird) sitting or resting on sth ⇒ There was a bird perched on the roof.
37 Pallas: Athena, the Greek goddess ⇒ As a girl she killed her playmate, Pallas, by accident, while they were
engaged in friendly combat with spear and shield and, in token of grief, set Pallas‟s name before her own.
(GRAVES, 1990)

8. 8.a.
Then the ebony bird beguiling38 my sad fancy39 into smiling,
By the grave and stern40 decorum41 of the countenance42 it wore,
“Though thy43 crest44 be shorn45 and shaven46, thou,” I said, “art sure no craven47,
Ghastly48 grim49 and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Nights Plutonian shore!”
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore”.
b.
Diante da ave feia e escura,
Naquela rígida postura,
Com o gesto severo, — o triste pensamento
Sorriu-me ali por um momento,
E eu disse: “O tu que das noturnas plagas
Vens, embora a cabeça nua tragas,
Sem topete, não és ave medrosa,
Dize os teus nomes senhoriais;
Como te chamas tu na grande noite umbrosa?”
E o corvo disse: “Nunca mais”.
38 beguiling: attractive and interesting but sometimes mysterious or trying to trick you.
39 fancy: something that you imagine; your imagination.
40 stern: serious and often disapproving; expecting somebody to obey you.
41 decorum: polite behavior that is appropriate in a social situation.
42 countenance: a person‟s face or their expression.
43 Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou, I said, art sure no craven…
thee ⇒ (old use or dialect) a word meaning „you‟, used when talking to only one person who is the object of the
verb: We beseech thee, O Lord.
thine ⇒ pronoun: a word meaning „yours‟, used when talking to only one person; determiner: the form of thy that
is used before a vowel or „h‟, meaning „you‟.
thou ⇒ (old use or dialect) a word meaning „you‟, used when talking to only one person who is the subject of the
verb.
thy ⇒ (also thine, before a vowel) determiner (old use) a word meaning „your‟, used when talking to only one
person: Honor thy father and thy mother.
44 crest: a group of feathers that stand up on top of a bird‟s head.
45 shear: to cut off somebody‟s hair.
46 shaven: with all the hair shaved off.
47 craven: lacking courage.
48 ghastly: very frightening and unpleasant, because it involves pain, death, etc.
49 grim: looking or sounding very serious.

9. 9.a.
Much I marvelled this ungainly50 fowl51 to hear discourse so plainly52,
Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore53;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as Nevermore.
b.
Vendo que o pássaro entendia
A pergunta que lhe eu fazia,
Fico atônito, embora a resposta que dera
Dificilmente lha entendera.
Na verdade, jamais homem há visto
Cousa na terra semelhante a isto:
Uma ave negra, friamente posta
Num busto, acima dos portais,
Ouvir uma pergunta e dizer em resposta
Que este é seu nome: “Nunca mais”.
50 ungainly: moving in a way that is not graceful.
51 fowl: a bird that is kept for its meat and eggs, for example a chicken.
52 plainly: in a way that is easy to see, hear, understand or believe.
53 bore: to show something, to carry something so that it can be seen.

10. 10.a.
But the Raven, sitting lonely on that placid54 bust, spoke only
That one word, as if its soul in that one word he did outpour55
Nothing farther56 then he uttered57; not a feather then he fluttered
Till I scarcely more than muttered: “Other friends have flown before
On the morrow he will leave me, as my Hopes have flown before.”
Then the bird said “Nevermore.”
b.
No entanto, o corvo solitário
Não teve outro vocabulário,
Como se essa palavra escassa que ali disse
Toda a sua alma resumisse.
Nenhuma outra proferiu, nenhuma,
Não chegou a mexer uma só pluma,
Até que eu murmurei: “Perdi outrora
Tantos amigos tão leais!
Perderei também este em regressando a aurora.”
E o corvo disse: “Nunca mais!”
54 placid: calm and peaceful, with very little movement.
55 outpour: a large amount of something produced in short time.
56 farther: at or to a great distance in space or time.
Farther and the farthest are only used for distances: London is farther/ further (away) than Bristol. Further can mean
„additional‟, „more‟ or „extra‟: For further information about this product, phone this number. Further and the furthest
may have abstract or figurative senses: His remarks went even further than Mr. Smith’s, but hers went the furthest of
the three.
57 utter: to make a sound with your voice; to say something.

11. 11.a.
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
“Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock58 and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden59 bore
Till the dirges60 of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of Never nevermore.”
b.
Estremeço. A resposta ouvida
É tão exata! é tão cabida!
“Certamente”, digo eu, “essa é toda a ciência
Que ele trouxe da convivência
De algum mestre infeliz e acabrunhado
Que o implacável destino há castigado
Tão tenaz, tão sem pausa, nem fadiga,
Que dos seus cantos usuais
Só lhe ficou, na amarga e última cantiga,
Esse estribilho: “Nunca mais”.”
58 stock: a supply of goods that is available for sale in a shop/store.
59 burden: a duty, responsibility, etc. that causes worry, difficulty or hard work.
60 dirge: a song sung in the past at a funeral or for a dead pearson.

12. 12.a.
But the Raven still beguiling61 all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled62 a cushioned63 seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet64 sinking, I betook65 myself to linking66
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous67 bird of yore
What this grim, ungainly68, ghastly69, gaunt70, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking71 “Nevermore.”
b.
Segunda vez, nesse momento,
Sorriu-me o triste pensamento;
Vou sentar-me defronte ao corvo magro e rudo;
E mergulhando no veludo
Da poltrona que eu mesmo ali trouxera
Achar procuro a lúgubre quimera,
A alma, o sentido, o pávido segredo
Daquelas sílabas fatais,
Entender o que quis dizer a ave do medo
Grasnando a frase: “Nunca mais”.
61 beguiling: attractive and interesting but sometimes mysterious or trying to trick you.
62 wheel: to push or pull something that has wheels: She wheeled her bicycle across the road.
63 cushion: a cloth bag filled with soft material or feathers that is used, for example, to make a seat more
comfortable.
64 velvet: a fabric woven from silk, cotton or nylon, with a thick soft surface made of a mass of threads.
65 betake: (literary) betake yourself ⇒ to go somewhere.
66 link: a connection between two or more people or things.
67 ominous: suggesting that something bad is going to happen in the future.
68 ungainly: moving in a way that is not graceful.
69 ghastly: very bad; unpleasant.
70 gaunt: very thin, usually because of illness, hunger or worry.
71 croak: to make a low harsh sound, like the sound of a frog makes.

13. 13.a.
This I sat engaged72 in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery73 eyes now burned into my bosom‟s74 core75;
This and more I sat divining76, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion‟s velvet lining77 that the lamp-light gloated78 o‟er79,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o‟er
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
b.
Assim posto, devaneando,
Meditando, conjeturando,
Não lhe falava mais; mas, se lhe não falava,
Sentia o olhar que me abrasava.
Conjeturando fui, tranquilo a gosto,
Com a cabeça no macio encosto
Onde os raios da lâmpada caíam,
Onde as tranças angelicais
De outra cabeça outrora ali se desparziam,
E agora não se esparzem mais.
72 engaged: busy doing something.
73 fiery: looking like fire; consisting of fire.
74 boson: a woman‟s chest or breast.
75 core: the central part of an object; the most important part of something.
76 divine: (formal) to find out something by guessing.
77 line: a layer of material used to cover the inside surface of something.
78 gloat: to show that you are happy about your own success or somebody else‟s failure, in a unpleasant way.
79 o’er: (old use) over.

14. 14.a.
Then, methought80, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen81 censer82
Swung83 by Seraphim84 whose foot-falls tinkled85 on the tufted86 floor.
“Wretch”87, I cried, “thy88 God hath lent thee89 by these angels he hath90 lent91 thee
Respite92—respite and nepenthe93 from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff94, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”
Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”
b.
Supus então que o ar, mais denso,
Todo se enchia de um incenso,
Obra de serafins que, pelo chão roçando
Do quarto, estavam meneando
Um ligeiro turíbulo invisível;
E eu exclamei então: “Um Deus sensível
Manda repouso à dor que te devora
Destas saudades imortais.
Eia, esquece, eia, olvida essa extinta Lenora.”
E o corvo disse: “Nunca mais”.
80 methinks: I think.
81 unseen: that cannot be seen.
82 censer: a container for holding and burning incense, used especially during religious ceremonies.
83 swung: pt., pp. of swing.
84 seraphim: 1. A celestial being having three pairs of wings. 2. (Christianity) the first of the nine orders of angels
in medieval angelology.
85 tinkle: to make a series of light high ringing sound; to make something produce this sound.
86 tuft: a number of pieces of hair, grass, etc. growing or held closely together at the base.
87 wretch: a person that you feel sympathy or pity for.
88 thy: see note 43.
89 thee: see note 43.
90 hath: (old use) has.
91 lent: pt., pp. of lend.
92 respite: a short break or scape from something difficult or unpleasant.
93 nepenthe: 1. a drug or drink, or the plant yielding it, mentioned by ancient writers as having the power to
bring forgetfulness of sorrow or trouble. 2. anything inducing a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, especially
of sorrow or trouble.
94 quaff: (old-fashioned or literary) to drink a large amount of something quickly.

15. 15.a.
“Prophet”95! said I, “thing of evil96! prophet still, if bird or devil!
Whether97 Tempter98 sent, or whether tempest99 tossed100 thee here ashore101,
Desolate, yet all undaunted102, on this desert land enchanted103
On this home by Horror haunted104—tell me truly, I implore
Is there—is there balm105 in Gilead106?—tell me—tell me, I implore!”
Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”
b.
“Profeta, ou o que quer que sejas!
Ave ou demônio que negrejas!
Profeta sempre, escuta: Ou venhas tu do inferno
Onde reside o mal eterno,
Ou simplesmente náufrago escapado
Venhas do temporal que te há lançado
Nesta casa onde o Horror, o Horror profundo
Tem os seus lares triunfais,
Dize-me: existe acaso um bálsamo no mundo?”
E o corvo disse: “Nunca mais”.
95 prophet: (in the Christian, Jewish and Muslim religions) a person sent by God to teach the people and give
them messages from God.
96 evil: connected with Devil and with what is bad in the world.
97 whether: used to express a doubt or choice between two possibilities.
98 Tempter: a person who tries to persuade somebody to do something, especially something bad or wrong. In
the Bible, devil ⇒ Also, the Tempter came and said to him: “If you are a son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of
bread.” (Matthew 4:3)
99 tempest: a violent storm.
100 toss: to throw something lightly or carelessly.
101 ashore: towards, onto or on land, having come from an area of water such as the sea or a river ⇒ a drowned
body found washed ashore on the beach.
102 undaunted: still enthusiastic and determined, in spite of difficulties or disappointment.
103 enchanted: placed under a spell.
104 haunted: believed to be visited by ghosts.
105 balm: oil with a pleasant smell that is obtained from some types of trees and plants, used in the past to help
heal wounds, for example.
106 Gilead: a mountainous region of ancient Palestine east of the Jordan River in what is now northwest Jordan.

16. 16.a.
“Prophet”! said I, “thing of evil! ― prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us ― by that God we both adore
Tell this soul with sorrow107 laden108 if, within the distant Aidenn109,
It shall clasp110 a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”
Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”
b.
“Profeta, ou o que quer que sejas!
Ave ou demônio que negrejas!
Profeta sempre, escuta, atende, escuta, atende!
Por esse céu que além se estende,
Pelo Deus que ambos adoramos, fala,
Dize a esta alma se é dado inda escutá-la
No éden celeste a virgem que ela chora
Nestes retiros sepulcrais,
Essa que ora nos céus anjos chamam Lenora!”
E o corvo disse: “Nunca mais”.
107 sorrow: a feeling of great sadness because something very bad has happened.
108 laden: full of something, especially something unpleasant.
109 Aidenn: Eden
110 clasp: to hold something tightly in your hand.

17. 17.a.
“Be that our sign of parting111, bird or fiend112!” I shrieked113, upstarting114 ―
“Get thee back into the tempest and the Nights Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token115 of that lie thy soul has spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! ― quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak116 from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”
Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”
b.
“Ave ou demônio que negrejas!
Profeta, ou o que quer que sejas!
Cessa, ai, cessa! clamei, levantando-me, cessa!
Regressa ao temporal, regressa
À tua noite, deixa-me comigo.
Vai-te, não fique no meu casto abrigo
Pluma que lembre essa mentira tua.
Tira-me ao peito essas fatais
Garras que abrindo vão a minha dor já crua.”
E o corvo disse: “Nunca mais”.
111 parting: the act or occasion of leaving a person or place.
112 fiend: a very cruel or unpleasant person.
113 shriek: to give a loud high shout, for example when you are excited, frightened or in a pain.
114 upstart: a person who was just started in a new position or job but who behaves as if they are more important
than other people.
115 token: see note 24.
116 beak: the hard pointed or curved outer part of a bird‟s mouth.

18. 18.a.
And the Raven, never flitting117, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming118 of a demons that is dreaming
And the lamp-light o‟er him streaming119 throws120 his shadows on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted121 nevermore!
b.
E o corvo aí fica; ei-lo trepado
No branco mármore lavrado
Da antiga Palas; ei-lo imutável, ferrenho.
Parece, ao ver-lhe o duro cenho,
Um demônio sonhando. A luz caída
Do lampião sobre a ave aborrecida
No chão espraia a triste sombra; e, fora
Daquelas linhas funerais
Que flutuam no chão, a minha alma que chora
Não sai mais, nunca, nunca mais!
117 flit: to move lightly and quickly from one place or thing to another.
118 seeming: appearing to be something that may not be true.
119 streaming: to move freely, especially in the wind or water.
120 throw: to make somebody/something be in a particular state.
121 lift: to take hold of somebody/something and move them/it to a different position; to become or make
somebody more cheerful.

19. Bibliografia:
GRAVES, Robert. The Greek Myths. London: Penguin Books, 1990.
ASSIS, Joaquim Maria Machado de. O corvo. In: Poesias Completas. Rio de Janeiro: Garnier,
1901.
POE, Edgar Allan. The raven. In: The works of Edgar Allan Poe. Disponível em: <
http://www.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/jimspdf.htm >. Acessado em 20.6.2013.