Page 365 charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living god, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. Inferno bantam classics by dante alighieri and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Dantes inferno is a hollow cone shaped by the displaced territory after lucifers expulsion from heaven and fall to earth. Henry francis cary december 6, 1772 august 14, 1844,an english author and translator.
I have a number of translations of dantes the divine comedy in my home among them the translations of charles singleton, dorothy l. In fact the first english translation was only completed in 1802, almost 500 years after dante wrote his italian original. Italian for hell is the first part of italian writer dante alighieris 14thcentury epic poem divine comedy. It was one of the first major works of literature written in the italian language, rather than latin which was until then still the language of the scholars and poets. The inferno by dante alighieri translated by ciaran. April was to be dante month, with a rigid schedule to read three cantos a day from three different translations.
Jun 19, 2003 buy inferno translation, bilingual by dante, hollander, robert, hollander, jean isbn. Discover dantes original inferno in this modern and acclaimed penguin translation. Different versions of the inferno as interpreted by different translators the divine comedy is regarded as the foundation of modern literary italian. It includes the arguments prefixed to the cantos by the rev. Dantes inferno modern english translation by dante. Eliot called such poetry the most beautiful ever writtenand yet so few of us have ever read it. This translation uses the longfellow translation as a base, but replaces the obscure or antiquated verbiage with the language of modern english. Nov 12, 2004 the inferno of dante alighieri, translated by ciaran carson granta.
Modern english translation kindle edition by dante alighieri. Belonging in the immortal company of the great works of literature, dante alighieris poetic masterpiece, the divine comedy, is a moving human drama, an unforgettable visionary journey through the infinite torment of hell, up the arduous slopes of purgatory, and on to the glorious realm. The hollanders freely acknowledge their debt to the redoubtable john sinclair s 1939 prose translation, among others. Dantes inferno can be translated with linferno di dante. This translation uses the longfellow translation as a base, but replaces. Some translations are so elaborate that they are as difficult to read as the original italian version. New introductions commissioned from todays top writers and scholars.
Today i read he said with a gentle, ironical, disillusioned, rather absentminded smile proust and realized that rather than try to picture what the hell this looks like, i try it out myself, try to find the expression with my own face does that make sense its so much fun because you can easily glance over these descriptions, but if you actually linger on themtry them. Inferno, esolen translation by dante dante penguin books. Listenwise dantes inferno comes alive in latest english. Apr 04, 20 discover dante s original inferno in this modern and acclaimed penguin translation. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Henry wadsworth longfellow 18071882, himself a poet. English translations of dantes divine comedy wikipedia. This book is a modern translation with a fresh spin. Dante s great poem has everything in it, and mary jo s inferno does too. An analysis of dantes autobiography, the vita nuova, establishes the poetic and political circumstances of the comedys composition. In my last post i compared john ciardi and allen mandelbaum s translation of the inferno by looking at how they handled canto xxvi, lines 112120.
Read dantes inferno translated modern english translation by dante alighieri available from rakuten kobo. Start by treating the divine comedy not as a book, with a coherent. Most english translations of inferno are full of colorful, but meaningless language based on today s modern standards. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading dantes inferno translated. It is situated under jerusalem and consists of nine concentric circles that grow ever smaller and house more. Here i want to expand that exercise, comparing 15 different translations in a more systematic way. In the poem, hell is depicted as nine concentric circles of torment located within the earth. As a big horrorthrillerdrama fan, dante is often referenced and used as a structure for many similar novels. An animated epic is a directtodvd animated film released on february 9, 2010. The divine comedy, finished by dante alighieri in 20, is one of the most famous. Much of dantes description of hell had similarities to virgils description in his sixth book of the aeneid. Part of the problem lies in the difficulty that dante poses for english translation. Dante is thirtyfive years old, half of the biblical life expectancy of 70, lost in a dark wood, assailed by beasts he cannot evade, and unable to find.
Ten copies of the inferno were privately printed in 1865 in time for one of them to be sent to florence for the celebration of the six hundredth anniversary of dantes birth. Buy dantes inferno by dante alighieri online at alibris. Longfellows english indeed comes across as italianate. Feb 07, 2010 fifteen translations of dante compared in my last post i compared john ciardi and allen mandelbaums translation of the inferno by looking at how they handled canto xxvi, lines 112120. Dantes inferno new edition by dante alighieri, 1885. So dante s character is a huge wuss, but it fits in with the story. This book includes the italian version at the end of the book, notes on textual. Matthew pearl is the author of the dante club, a literary thriller about a group of 19thcentury harvard scholars secretly working on a translation of the divine comedy who are forced out of. These breathtaking lines conclude dantes divine comedy, a 14,000line. Theirs is the one that keeps coming up when looking for a good verse translation. But perhaps the most neglected one is the battered volumes i found on ebay, translated by henry wadsworth longfellow. Dantes inferno modern english translation by dante alighieri. The 15 translations are those of ciaran carson, john ciardi.
This great work of italian literature has survived the ages and remains a classic today. Mary jo bangs 2012 translation of the inferno in colloquial american english. Most english translations of inferno are full of colorful, but meaningless. Dantes inferno is a series of six comic books based on the above video game. In the poem, hell is depicted as nine concentric circles of. Hi, i was thinking about finally reading the inferno and was struck by the shear amount translations available. I was lucky to find this version, since obviously, the original is in italian, and most english translations are still full of words that we simply don. Of the great poets, dante is one of the most elusive and therefore one of the most difficult to adequately render into english verse. Side by side translations of the inferno dantes inferno. I have a shelf devoted to dante, but as of today, i give the nod to jean and robert hollander for their rather recent translations. How to read dante in the 21st century the american scholar. The first part of dantes divine comedy translated by henry francis cary, the inferno or hell begins on the night before good friday in the year 0, halfway along our lifes path.
Dantes divine comedy in plain and simple english translated. But since force may be used against three persons, in three rounds tis divided and constructed. Describing dante s descent into hell with virgil as a guide, inferno depicts a cruel underworld in which desperate figures are condemned to eternal damnation for committing one or more of seven deadly sins. Notice that the determine article il, that become l is used because we are referring to a particular concept of the hell, the one that dante described in hi. Previous part 1 next part 3 more it displeases god.
Her accurate, deeply pondered translation translates carries over dante into her own world, and ours. The inferno of dante ebook written by dante alighieri. Samuel beckett, whom we would do well to emulate, was once asked what ambitions he had. It is believed that the divine comedy was written somewhere between 8. Buy inferno translation, bilingual by dante, hollander, robert, hollander, jean isbn. Thorntons new translation of dantes inferno immediately joins ranks with the very best available in english. Dantes first leg of his journey out of the dark wood was through the nine concentric circles of hell inferno, escorted by his favorite classical roman poet virgil, author of the aeneid.
Inferno full audiobook greatest audio books dante alighieri duration. Whats the best way to read the divine comedy if you dont know. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the. The present translation, which is the result of over twenty years work with large classes in dante in english at brown university, was undertaken and continued with the object of meeting a need, which did not seem adequately met by the well known translations of cary, longfellow, norton, or others more recent. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the inferno of dante. I had never read dantes inferno before, even in college, and always wished i had. Choosing which translation of dantes divine comedy to read is a very subjective and personal decision. The transition to almost every circle of hell is that he gets frightened or hurt and passes out.
But most of these translations are in verse, and the intellectual. Dantes poetic genius partly resides in his many ingenious inventions for the shape and character of hell. Of dantes many translators, three stand out as the best. The divine comedy by dante aligheri was translated into french and spanish and other european languages well before it was first translated into english. Common types of primary sources include works of literature, historical documents, original philosophical writings, and religious texts. Italian for hell is the first part of italian writer dante alighieri s 14thcentury epic poem divine comedy. Dante alighieri finished writing the three part epic poem divine comedy in 21. A primary source is a work that is being studied, or that provides firsthand or direct evidence on a topic. What is the value of dantes inferno book, translated by. World of dante complete allen mandelbaum translation complete sidebyside comparison of the entire inferno for longfellow, cary, and norton translations complete sidebyside comparisons chosen between original italian, cary, longfellow, and mandelbaum. Jan 11, 2004 matthew pearl is the author of the dante club, a literary thriller about a group of 19thcentury harvard scholars secretly working on a translation of the divine comedy who are forced out of. The nook book ebook of the dantes inferno translated. The divine comedy by dante aligheri was translated into french and spanish and other.
A new telling of dante s inferno, this translation is the most fluent, grippingly readable version of the famous poem yet, andwith all the consummate technical skill that is the hallmark of sean obrien s own poetrymanages the nearimpossible task of preserving the subtle power and lyric nuance of the italian original, while seeking out an entirely natural english music. Robert durling also stands out for his copious annotations and notes. In my last post i compared john ciardi and allen mandelbaums translation of the inferno by looking at how they handled canto xxvi, lines 112120. So dantes character is a huge wuss, but it fits in with the story. I had never read dante s inferno before, even in college, and always wished i had. These breathtaking lines conclude dantes divine comedy, a 14,000line epic written in 21 on the state of the soul after death. Most english translations of inferno are full of colorful, but meaningless language based on todays modern standards. The 15 translations are those of ciaran carson, john ciardi, anthony esolen, robert and jean hollander, robin kirkpatrick, stanley lombardo, henry. Mary jo bang s inferno is an astute and subtle reading of dante that brilliantly reflects the inexhaustible capaciousness of the divine comedy.
That said, dantes inferno produces some of the coolest quotes. Dante s first leg of his journey out of the dark wood was through the nine concentric circles of hell inferno, escorted by his favorite classical roman poet virgil, author of the aeneid. So many versions of the divine comedy exist in english that a new one might well seem needless. Dantes inferno translations by 20 poets 1994 hcdj see more like this s 8 q p 0 3 k o 3 n s o v k r e 2 a d o dantes inferno, gustave dore illustrations, charles thompson company, hardcover. Dante is thirtyfive years old, half of the biblical life expectancy of 70, lost in a dark wood, assailed by. Inferno by dante, illustrated gustave dore abebooks.
The first part of dante s divine comedy translated by henry francis cary, the inferno or hell begins on the night before good friday in the year 0, halfway along our life s path. As he descends through nine concentric circles of increasingly agonising torture, dante encounters. For those who want an english crib to aid in study of italian, sinclair is excellent. Inferno is a fourteenthcentury epic poem by dante alighieri in which the poet and pilgrim dante embarks on a spiritual journey at the poems beginning, dante is lost. Gustave dore, new edition, with critical and explanatory notes, life of dante, and chronology, published by p. Dantes divine comedy has been translated maybe 1,000 times with varying success and now robert pinsky has dared to try by translating the first book, the. The inferno tells the journey of dante through hell, guided by the ancient roman poet virgil. Fifteen translations of dante compared boisterous beholding. Next part 2 the divine comedy of dante alighieri translated by henry wadsworth longfellow volume 1 this is all of longfellow s dante translation of inferno minus the illustrations. An extraordinary new verse translation of dantes masterpiece, by poet, scholar, and lauded translator anthony esolen. A complete listing and criticism of all english translations of at least one of the three books cantiche.
Play fulllength songs from dantes inferno modern english translation by dante alighieri on your phone, computer and home audio system with napster. I was lucky to find this version, since obviously, the original is in italian, and most englishtranslations are still full of words that we simply don. That said, dante s inferno produces some of the coolest quotes. What is the value of dantes inferno book, translated by the rev. Which is the best englishlanguage translation of dante. Dante s inferno translations by 20 poets 1994 hcdj see more like this s 8 q p 0 3 k o 3 n s o v k r e 2 a d o dante s inferno, gustave dore illustrations, charles thompson company, hardcover. Ive opted to go with the robert and jean hollander translation. Dantes divine comedy has been translated maybe 1,000 times with varying success and now robert pinsky has dared to try by translating the first book, the inferno, and has produced an eminently readable and successful translation. The poems three parts, hell, purgatory and heaven follow one man on his journey through all three imaginary places. Eliot called such poetry the most beautiful ever writtenand yet. Describing dantes descent into hell with virgil as a guide, inferno depicts a cruel underworld in which desperate figures are condemned to eternal damnation for committing one or more of seven deadly sins. I also took it in a class with an english prof and a history prof who have been best friends for forty years, which was freaking cool. The authoritative translations of the inferno, the purgatorio, and the paradisotogether in one volume. Musa, hollanders, pinsky inferno, merwin purgatorio, and ciardi paradiso.
A new telling of dantes inferno, this translation is the most fluent, grippingly readable version of the famous poem yet, andwith all the consummate technical skill that is the hallmark of sean obriens own poetrymanages the nearimpossible task of preserving the subtle power and lyric nuance of the italian original, while seeking out an entirely natural english music. Having determined that no one translation could capture everything, i attempted to triangulate perfection. Appears in 1215 books from 16602009 page 332 and to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months. Description of the book dantes inferno in modern english.
Much of dante s description of hell had similarities to virgil s description in his sixth book of the aeneid. Side by side translations of the inferno by dante alighieri the divine comedy is regarded as the foundation of modern literary italian. The divine comedy changed my life, and it may do the same to you. Any translation involves balancing the meaning, feel, and artistry of the work, normally at the expense of at least one of these qualities. Dantes inferno translated by dante alighieri bookshop. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The seconds volume was printed in the following year in like manner and the third in the year after. Readings of inferno, purgatory and paradise seek to situate dantes work within the intellectual and social context of the late middle ages, with special attention paid to political, philosophical and theological. Such extreme faithfulness can make the language of the translation feel unnaturalas though the source were shaping the translation into its own alien image. Opting for unrhymed blank verse, the translator succeeds in capturing the poets firstperson narrative voice with unusual accuracy, spontaneity, and vividness, rendering the otherworld journey with vigor and a flair for the dramatic without ever sounding either strained or. The italian text with a translation in english blank verse and a commentary by. Dante alighieri and the divine comedy in popular culture.