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Divine Comedy Divine Comedy Author(s): Alighieri, Dante (1265-1321) Publisher: CCEL Description: Dante©s Divine Comedy is the masterpiece of the Italian lan- guage. Written between 1308 and 1321, the three-part epic poem is well-known as a literary classic. The poem features Dante as the main character (though it is fiction), and de- scribes his journey through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Pur- gatorio) and Heaven (Paradiso). He meets many angels, demons, and other human travelers on this trip, and his guides are the Latin poet Virgil and Beatrice, a woman he loved. Under the surface, though, Divine Comedy is an al- legory. Dante uses his journey to represent the soul©s movement toward God, and the poem has many other reli- gious themes, mostly gathered from the medieval theology of Thomas Aquinas. The poem is extremely intricate, and mathematical and scientific patterns can be found throughout. Dante also makes many cultural references and allusions, Greek and Roman myth provide many of the characters and history, and the story even has political themes. Divine Comedy is a work that explores the afterlife from a medieval perspective. It is a fascinating read that will entrance all who take the journey with Dante. Abby Zwart CCEL Staff Writer i Contents Divine Comedy 1 Title Page 1 Credits 2 Inferno 3 Canto I 4 Canto II 8 Canto III 12 Canto IV 16 Canto V 20 Canto VI 24 Canto VII 28 Canto VIII 32 Canto IX 36 Canto X 40 Canto XI 44 Canto XII 48 Canto XIII 52 Canto XIV 56 Canto XV 60 Canto XVI 64 Canto XVII 68 Canto XVIII 72 Canto XIX 76 Canto XX 80 Canto XXI 84 Canto XXII 88 ii Canto XXIII 92 Canto XXIV 96 Canto XXV 100 Canto XXVI 104 Canto XXVII 108 Canto XXVIII 112 Canto XXIX 116 Canto XXX 120 Canto XXXI 124 Canto XXXII 128 Canto XXXIII 132 Canto XXXIV 137 Purgatorio 141 Canto I 142 Canto II 146 Canto III 150 Canto IV 154 Canto V 158 Canto VI 162 Canto VII 167 Canto VIII 171 Canto IX 175 Canto X 179 Canto XI 183 Canto XII 187 Canto XIII 191 Canto XIV 196 Canto XV 201 Canto XVI 205 Canto XVII 209 Canto XVIII 213 Canto XIX 217 iii Canto XX 221 Canto XXI 226 Canto XXII 230 Canto XXIII 235 Canto XXIV 239 Canto XXV 244 Canto XXVI 248 Canto XXVII 253 Canto XXVIII 257 Canto XXIX 261 Canto XXX 266 Canto XXXI 270 Canto XXXII 274 Canto XXXIII 279 Paradiso 283 Canto I 284 Canto II 288 Canto III 292 Canto IV 296 Canto V 300 Canto VI 304 Canto VII 308 Canto VIII 312 Canto IX 316 Canto X 320 Canto XI 324 Canto XII 328 Canto XIII 332 Canto XIV 336 Canto XV 340 Canto XVI 344 Canto XVII 349 iv Canto XVIII 353 Canto XIX 357 Canto XX 361 Canto XXI 365 Canto XXII 369 Canto XXIII 374 Canto XXIV 378 Canto XXV 383 Canto XXVI 387 Canto XXVII 391 Canto XXVIII 395 Canto XXIX 399 Canto XXX 403 Canto XXXI 407 Canto XXXII 411 Canto XXXIII 416 Appendix 420 Postscript 423 v This PDF file is from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, www.ccel.org. The mission of the CCEL is to make classic Christian books available to the world. • This book is available in PDF, HTML, ePub, Kindle, and other formats. See http://www.ccel.org/ccel/dante/divinecomedy.html. • Discuss this book online at http://www.ccel.org/node/5780. The CCEL makes CDs of classic Christian literature available around the world through the Web and through CDs. We have distributed thousands of such CDs free in developing countries. If you are in a developing country and would like to receive a free CD, please send a request by email to [email protected]. The Christian Classics Ethereal Library is a self supporting non-profit organization at Calvin College. If you wish to give of your time or money to support the CCEL, please visit http://www.ccel.org/give. This PDF file is copyrighted by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library. It may be freely copied for non-commercial purposes as long as it is not modified. All other rights are re- served. Written permission is required for commercial use. vi Divine Comedy DivineTitle Comedy Page Divine Comedy Translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1 Credits Credits The base text for this edition has been provided by Digital Dante, a project sponsored by Columbia University's Institute for Learning Technologies. Specific thanks goes to Jennifer Hogan (Project Editor/Director), Tanya Larkin (Assistant to Editor), Robert W. Cole (Proofreader/Assistant Editor), and Jennifer Cook (Proofreader). The Digital Dante Project is a digital 'study space' for Dante studies and scholarship. The project is multi-faceted and fluid by nature of the Web. Digital Dante attempts to or- ganize the information most significant for students first engaging with Dante and scholars researching Dante. The digital of Digital Dante incurs a new challenge to the student, the scholar, and teacher, perusing the Web: to become proficient in the new tools, e.g., Search, the Discussion Group, well enough to look beyond the technology and delve into the content. For more information and access to the project, please visit its web site at: ht- tp://www.ilt.columbia.edu/projects/dante/ For this Project Gutenberg edition the e-text was rechecked. The editor greatly thanks Dian McCarthy for her assistance in proofreading the Paradiso. Also deserving praise are Herbert Fann for programming the text editor "Desktop Tools/Edit" and the late August Dvorak for designing his keyboard layout. Please refer to Project Gutenberg's e-text listings for other editions or translations of 'The Divine Comedy.' Please refer to the end of this file for supplemental materials. Dennis McCarthy, July 1997 [email protected] 2 Inferno Inferno Inferno 3 Canto I Canto I Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark, For the straightforward pathway had been lost. Ah me! how hard a thing it is to say What was this forest savage, rough, and stern, Which in the very thought renews the fear. So bitter is it, death is little more; But of the good to treat, which there I found, Speak will I of the other things I saw there. I cannot well repeat how there I entered, So full was I of slumber at the moment In which I had abandoned the true way. But after I had reached a mountain©s foot, At that point where the valley terminated, Which had with consternation pierced my heart, Upward I looked, and I beheld its shoulders, Vested already with that planet©s rays Which leadeth others right by every road. Then was the fear a little quieted That in my heart©s lake had endured throughout The night, which I had passed so piteously. And even as he, who, with distressful breath, Forth issued from the sea upon the shore, Turns to the water perilous and gazes; So did my soul, that still was fleeing onward, Turn itself back to re-behold the pass Which never yet a living person left. After my weary body I had rested, The way resumed I on the desert slope, So that the firm foot ever was the lower. And lo! almost where the ascent began, A panther light and swift exceedingly, Which with a spotted skin was covered o©er! And never moved she from before my face, Nay, rather did impede so much my way, That many times I to return had turned. The time was the beginning of the morning, And up the sun was mounting with those stars 4 Canto I That with him were, what time the Love Divine At first in motion set those beauteous things; So were to me occasion of good hope, The variegated skin of that wild beast, The hour of time, and the delicious season; But not so much, that did not give me fear A lion©s aspect which appeared to me. He seemed as if against me he were coming With head uplifted, and with ravenous hunger, So that it seemed the air was afraid of him; And a she-wolf, that with all hungerings Seemed to be laden in her meagreness, And many folk has caused to live forlorn! She brought upon me so much heaviness, With the affright that from her aspect came, That I the hope relinquished of the height. And as he is who willingly acquires, And the time comes that causes him to lose, Who weeps in all his thoughts and is despondent, E©en such made me that beast withouten peace, Which, coming on against me by degrees Thrust me back thither where the sun is silent. While I was rushing downward to the lowland, Before mine eyes did one present himself, Who seemed from long-continued silence hoarse. When I beheld him in the desert vast, "Have pity on me," unto him I cried, "Whiche©er thou art, or shade or real man!" He answered me: "Not man; man once I was, And both my parents were of Lombardy, And Mantuans by country both of them. ©Sub Julio© was I born, though it was late, And lived at Rome under the good Augustus, During the time of false and lying gods. A poet was I, and I sang that just Son of Anchises, who came forth from Troy, After that Ilion the superb was burned. But thou, why goest thou back to such annoyance? 5 Canto I Why climb©st thou not the Mount Delectable, Which is the source and cause of every joy?" "Now, art thou that Virgilius and that fountain Which spreads abroad so wide a river of speech?" I made response to him with bashful forehead.
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