Dante Alighieri
Overview
Durante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante (IT: /'dante/; ˈdænti; ˈdɑːnteɪ; 1265–1321), was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia (The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...

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Quotations

Love hath so long possessed me for his ownAnd made his lordship so familiar.

La Vita Nuova (1293)

Behold a God more powerful than I who comes to rule over me.

La Vita Nuova (1293)

Love with delight discourses in my mindUpon my lady's admirable gifts...Beyond the range of human intellect.

Il Convivio, Trattato Terzo, line 1 :Various translations have been used in this section.

Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita,Mi ritrovai per una selva oscura,Che la diritta via era smarrita.

When I had journeyed half of our life's way,I found myself within a shadowed forest,for I had lost the path that does not stray.

E come quei che con lena affannata,uscito fuor del pelago a la riva,si volge a l'acqua perigliosa e guata.

And just as he who, with exhausted breath,having escaped from the sea to shore,turns to the perilous waters and gazes.

Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate.

All hope abandon, ye who enter in.

Qui si convien lasciare ogne sospetto;ogne viltà convien che qui sia morta.

Here one must leave behind all hesistation;here every cowardice must meet its death.

Questo misero modotegnon l'anime triste di coloroche visser sanza 'nfamia e sanza lodo.

This miserable state is borne by the wretched souls of those who lived without disgrace and without praise.

Caccianli i ciel per non esser men belli,né lo profondo inferno li riceve,ch'alcuna gloria i rei avrebber d'elli.

Heaven, to keep its beauty, cast them out, but even Hell itself would not receive them for fear the wicked there might glory over them.

 
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