L ' I N F E R N O

INF C34 136-138 / DANTE
salimmo sù, el primo e io secondo, we climbed up, he first, and I second,
tanto ch'i' vidi de le cose belle until, through a round opening,
che porta 'l ciel, per un pertugio tondo. I saw the beautiful things that the sky holds:
DANTE:
INF C34 136-138 / DANTE INF C34 136-138 / KLINE
salimmo sù, el primo e io secondo, we climbed up, he first, and I second,
tanto ch'i' vidi de le cose belle until, through a round opening,
che porta 'l ciel, per un pertugio tondo. I saw the beautiful things that the sky holds:
INF C34 137-138 / DANTE
tanto ch'i' vidi de le cose belle until, through a round opening,
che porta 'l ciel, per un pertugio tondo. I saw the beautiful things that the sky holds:
220
VIRGIL
INF C34 139 / DANTE INF C34 139 / KLINE
E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle. and we issued came out, from there, to see, again,
the stars.
DANTE:
INF C34 139 / DANTE INF C34 139 / KLINE
E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle. and we issued out, from there, to see, again, the
stars.
THE MUSES EMERGE FROM BELOW AS THEY ENTERED – AT A FAST TROT IN SINGLE FILE. THEY FORM
THEIR LINES.
OFFSTAGE SINGERS, THE SPOKEN VOICES, THE DIRECTOR, THE MUSICAL DIRECTOR ETC. COME ON STAGE
TO RECEIVE THEIR PLAUDITS AND STAY.
THE LIGHT DIMS. DANTE RAISES HIS ARM AND HALF-TURNS TO RECITES HIS GREAT SONNET.
EVERYBODY ELSE TURNS TO FACE BACKSTAGE.
LA VITA NOVA 26 DANTE / MUSA Società Dantesca Italiana
THIS MOST GRACIOUS LADY OF WHOM I HAVE SPOKEN IN THE PRECEDING POEMS CAME INTO SUCH
WIDESPREAD FAVOR THAT, WHEN SHE WALKED DOWN THE STREET, PEOPLE RAN TO SEE HER. THIS MADE ME
WONDERFULLY HAPPY. AND WHEN SHE PASSED BY SOMEONE, SUCH MODESTY FILLED HIS HEART THAT HE DID
NOT DARE TO RAISE HIS EYES OR TO RETURN HER GREETING (MANY PEOPLE, WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS,
COULD TESTIFY TO IT IF ANYONE SHOULD NOT BELIEVE ME).
CROWNED AND CLOTHED WITH HUMILITY, SHE WOULD GO HER WAY, TAKING NO GLORY FROM WHAT SHE
HEARD AND SAW. MANY WOULD SAY AFTER SHE HAD PASSED: "THIS IS NO WOMAN, THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL ANGELS OF HEAVEN." AND OTHERS WOULD SAY: "SHE IS A MIRACLE! BLESSED BE THE LORD WHO
CAN WORK SO WONDROUSLY."
LET ME SAY THAT SHE SHOWED SUCH DECORUM AND WAS POSSESSED OF SUCH CHARMING QUALITIES THAT
THOSE WHO LOOKED AT HER EXPERIENCED A PURE AND SWEET DELIGHT, SUCH THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO
DESCRIBE IT; AND THERE WAS NO ONE WHO COULD LOOK AT HER WITHOUT IMMEDIATELY SIGHING.
THESE AND STILL MORE MARVELOUS THINGS WERE THE RESULT OF HER POWERS. THINKING ABOUT THIS, AND
WISHING TO TAKE UP AGAIN THE THEME OF HER PRAISE, I DECIDED TO WRITE SOMETHING WHICH WOULD
DESCRIBE HER MAGNIFICENT AND BENEFICENT EFFICACY, SO THAT NOT ONLY THOSE WHO COULD SEE HER
WITH THEIR OWN EYES, BUT OTHERS, AS WELL, MIGHT KNOW OF HER WHATEVER CAN BE SAID IN WORDS. AND
SO I WROTE THIS SONNET WHICH BEGINS: SUCH SWEET DECORUM.
THIS SONNET IS SO EASY TO UNDERSTAND FROM WHAT HAS PRECEDED THAT IT HAS NO NEED OF DIVISIONS.
AND SO, LEAVING IT ASIDE, LET ME SAY THAT MY LADY CAME INTO SUCH HIGH FAVOR THAT NOT ONLY SHE
WAS HONORED AND PRAISED, BUT ALSO MANY OTHER LADIES WERE HONORED AND PRAISED BECAUSE OF HER.