The Divine Comedy Selected Cantos

A Dual-Language Book

Dante, Stanley Appelbaum

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9780486411279
• eBook ISBN: 9780486120461
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Classics
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Begun about 1307 and completed in 1321, Dante's sublime poetic masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, is one of the world's great works of literature. It comprises an extraordinarily vivid and imaginative account of the poet's allegorical journey through the afterlife. Complementing its depiction of the world beyond, the poem's abundant allusions to earthly history and politics, vivid portrayals of Dante's friends and enemies, and many references to contemporary Italian affairs make it an intensely human, realistic portrait of life on earth.
Led in his travels by the classical poet Virgil, Dante descends through the nine circles of Hell, where punishment is determined by the gravity of the sinner's transgressions. He then ascends the mountain of Purgatory, encountering souls atoning for their misdeeds, and, at the summit, is met at the entrance to Paradise by Beatrice, his beloved. Throughout his pilgrimage, he meets characters drawn from ancient Roman and medieval times (philosophers, heroes, emperors, popes, and politicians, among others) as well as numerous personalities from the Italy of his day.
This dual-language edition includes the complete texts of 33 of the original 100 cantos or "songs"; each omitted canto is summarized in its proper place to provide continuity. The selection of cantos and the excellent line-for-line translations from Italian into English are by Stanley Appelbaum, who also has provided an informative Introduction and useful notes.

PURGATORIO

Canto I

Per correr migliori acque alza le vele

ornai la navicella del mio ingegno,

che lascia dietro a sè mar sì crudele;

e canterò di quel secondo regno

dove l’umano spirito si purga

e di salire al ciel diventa degno.

Ma qui la morta poesì resurga,

o sante Muse, poi che vostro sono;

e qui Calliopè alquanto surga,

seguitando il mio canto con quel sòno

di cui le Piche misere sentiro

lo colpo tal, che disperar perdono.

Dolce color d’orïental zaffiro,

che s’accoglieva nel sereno aspetto

del mezzo, puro insino al primo giro,

alli occhi miei ricominciò diletto,

tosto ch’io usci’ fuor dell’aura morta

che m’avea contristati li occhi e ’l petto.

Lo bel pianeta che d’amar conforta

faceva tutto rider l’orïente,

velando i Pesci, ch’erano in sua scorta.

I’ mi volsi a man destra, e puosi mente

all’altro polo, e vidi quattro stelle

PURGATORY

Canto I

To travel better waters, the little boat

of my intellect now hoists its sails,

leaving behind a sea so cruel;

and I shall sing about that second realm,

where the human spirit is purged

and becomes worthy of ascending to heaven.

But here let my poetry, which dealt with death, return to life,

O sacred Muses, since I belong to you,

and here let Calliope¹ rise somewhat higher,

accompanying my song with that music

the force of which the unhappy magpies

felt so strongly that they despaired of pardon.²

The gentle color of oriental sapphire,

which was gathering on the serene face

of the atmosphere all the way to the horizon,

brought delight back to my eyes

the moment that I emerged from the dead air

that had saddened my eyes and my breast.

The beautiful planet that encourages us to love³

was making all the east smile,

dimming the Fishes, which were escorting it.⁴

I turned to the right, and set my mind

on that other pole,⁵ and I saw four stars⁶

_________________

1. The muse of epic poetry.

2. The presumptuous daughters of an ancient king of Thessaly challenged the Muses to a singing contest, and were turned into magpies.

3. Venus.

4. Venus is in Pisces; it is about an hour before daybreak.

5. The South Pole.

6. Representing the four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance.

non viste mai fuor ch’alla prima gente.

Goder pareva il ciel di lor fiammelle:

oh settentrïonal vedovo sito,

poi che privato se’ di mirar quelle!

Com’io da loro sguardo fui partito,

un poco me volgendo all’altro polo,

là onde il Carro già era sparito,

vidi presso di me un veglio solo,

degno di tanta reverenza in vista,

che più non dee a padre alcun figliuolo.

Lunga la barba e di pel bianco mista

portava, a’ suoi capelli simigliante,

de’ quai cadeva al petto doppia lista.

Li raggi delle quattro luci sante

fregiavan sì la sua faccia di lume,

ch’i’ ’l vedea come ’l sol fosse davante.

«Chi siete voi che contro al cieco fiume

fuggita avete la pregione etterna?»

diss’el, movendo quelle oneste piume.

«Chi v’ha guidati, o che vi fu lucerna,

uscendo fuor della profonda notte

che sempre nera fa la valle inferna?

Son le leggi d’abisso così rotte?

o è mutato in ciel novo consiglio,

che, dannati, venite alle mie grotte?»

Lo duca mio allor mi diè di piglio,

e con parole e con mani e con cenni

reverenti mi fè le gambe e ’l ciglio.

Poscia rispuose lui: «Da me non venni:

donna scese dal ciel, per li cui prieghi

della mia compagnia costui sovvenni.

Ma da ch’è tuo voler che più si spieghi

di nostra condizion com’ell’è vera,

esser non puote il mio che a te si nieghi.

Questi non vide mai l’ultima sera;

ma per la sua follia le fu sì presso,

che molto poco tempo a volger era.

never before seen except by the first people.⁷

The sky seemed to rejoice in their little flames:

oh, northern hemisphere, how bereft you are,

since you are denied the sight of them!

When I had finished looking at them,

turning a little toward the other pole,⁸

where the Big Dipper had already disappeared,

I saw near me an old man standing alone,

of an appearance deserving of such reverence

that no son owes more to his father.

He bore a long beard that was partly white,

similar to his hair,

the two strands of which fell onto his ches...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• Inferno / Hell
• Purgatorio / Purgatory