Chapter 3 of The Certain Hour (Dizain des Poëtes) is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Certain Hour (Dizain des Poëtes) is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Raimbaut said: "What do you want of me? Whose blood is on that knife?" "Have you forgotten it is Walburga's Eve?" Makrisi said. Raimbaut did not regret he could not see his servant's countenance.
Chapter 3 of The Certain Hour (Dizain des Poëtes) is here in full — 187 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading “Whose blood is on that knife?"”
the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading “Raimbaut did not regret he could not see his servant's countenance.”
(Old Testament) Adam's wife in Judeo-Christian mythology: the first woman and mother of the human race; God created Eve from Adam's rib and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
From this reading “"Have you forgotten it is Walburga's Eve?"”
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading “"Have you forgotten it is Walburga's Eve?"”
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading “Whose blood is on that knife?"”
feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about
From this reading “Raimbaut did not regret he could not see his servant's countenance.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading “Raimbaut said: "What do you want of me?”
belonging to which person
From this reading “Whose blood is on that knife?"”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading Whose blood is on that knife?"
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Raimbaut did not regret he could not see his servant's countenance.
the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading Raimbaut did not regret he could not see his servant's countenance.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Raimbaut did not regret he could not see his servant's countenance.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Raimbaut said: "What do you want of me?
(Old Testament) Adam's wife in Judeo-Christian mythology: the first woman and mother of the human race; God created Eve from Adam's rib and placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
From this reading "Have you forgotten it is Walburga's Eve?"
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading "Have you forgotten it is Walburga's Eve?"
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "Have you forgotten it is Walburga's Eve?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Raimbaut did not regret he could not see his servant's countenance.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Raimbaut did not regret he could not see his servant's countenance.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Whose blood is on that knife?"
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Have you forgotten it is Walburga's Eve?"
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading Whose blood is on that knife?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Makrisi said.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Raimbaut said: "What do you want of me?
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Raimbaut did not regret he could not see his servant's countenance.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Raimbaut said: "What do you want of me?
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Whose blood is on that knife?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Raimbaut said: "What do you want of me?
feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about
From this reading Raimbaut did not regret he could not see his servant's countenance.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Raimbaut said: "What do you want of me?
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Raimbaut did not regret he could not see his servant's countenance.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Raimbaut did not regret he could not see his servant's countenance.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Whose blood is on that knife?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Have you forgotten it is Walburga's Eve?"
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading Raimbaut said: "What do you want of me?
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Raimbaut said: "What do you want of me?
belonging to which person
From this reading Whose blood is on that knife?"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Raimbaut said: "What do you want of me?
Chapter 3 of The Certain Hour (Dizain des Poëtes) by James Branch Cabell holds 187 sentences, grouped into 38 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 3 holds 187 sentences of The Certain Hour (Dizain des Poëtes), unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Certain Hour (Dizain des Poëtes) by James Branch Cabell exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 187 sentences, grouped into 38 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 38 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The Certain Hour (Dizain des Poëtes) by James Branch Cabell on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3303 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #288 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #288, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 275 minutes of reading across 661 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Certain Hour (Dizain des Poëtes) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 18 chapters of The Certain Hour (Dizain des Poëtes) to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Certain Hour (Dizain des Poëtes), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
