Dom Casmurro 32.12 · 32.12

The struggle against the wave

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Para não ser arrastado, agarrei-me às outras partes vizinhas, às orelhas, aos braços, aos cabelos espalhados pelos ombros; mas tão depressa buscava as pupilas, a onda que saía delas vinha crescendo, cava e escura, ameaçando envolver-me, puxar-me e tragar-me. Quantos minutos gastamos naquele jogo? Só os relógios do Céu terão marcado esse tempo infinito e breve.

To not be dragged, I held on to the other neighboring parts, to the ears, to the arms, to the hairs spread by the shoulders; but as quickly as I sought the pupils, the wave that came out from them came growing, hollow and dark, threatening to envelop me, pull me and swallow me. How many minutes we spent in that game? Only the clocks of Heaven will have marked that infinite and brief time.

Word by word

ParaPA-ratonãonãwngnotserserbearrastadoa-ras-TA-dudragged,agarrei-mea-ga-REI-miI held onàsasto theoutrasO-trasotherpartesPAR-tispartsvizinhasvi-ZEE-nyasneighboring,àsasto theorelhaso-RE-lyasears,aosa-usto thebraçosBRA-susarms,aosa-usto thecabeloska-BE-lushairsespalhadoses-pa-LYA-dusspreadpelosPE-lusby theombrosOM-brusshoulders;masmasbuttãotãwngsodepressadi-PRE-saquicklybuscavabus-KA-vasoughtasasthepupilaspu-PI-laspupils,aatheondaON-dawavequekithatsaíasa-EE-acame outdelasDE-lasfrom themvinhaVEE-nyacamecrescendokre-SEN-dugrowing,cavaKA-vaholloweiandescuraes-KU-radark,ameaçandoa-me-a-SAN-duthreateningenvolver-meen-vol-VER-mito envelop me,puxar-mepu-SHAR-mito pull meeiandtragar-metra-GAR-mito swallow me.QuantosKWAN-tushow manyminutosmi-NU-tusminutesgastamosgas-TA-muswe spentnaquelena-KE-liin thatjogoJO-gugame?soonlyosustherelógiosre-LO-zhiusclocksdoduof theCéuSE-uHeaventerãote-RÃWNGwill havemarcadomar-KA-dumarkedesseE-sithattempoTEM-putimeinfinitoin-fi-NI-tuinfiniteeiandbreveBRE-vibrief.

The setting

The narrator describes a desperate struggle to avoid being dragged away by a growing dark wave from the eyes of a figure.

A note on this passage

The narrator desperately clings to various parts of a figure to avoid being dragged away by a growing dark wave from its eyes, questioning how long the struggle lasted, a time only measured by heavenly clocks.

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