Dante Alighieri Quotes

The Love which moves the sun and the other stars.

Our powers, whether of mind or tongue, cannot embrace that measure of understanding

Where the way is hardest, there go thou; Follow your own path and let people talk.

Laß ab, mein Bruder, Sprach dieser, Schatten bist und Schatten siehst du. - Virgil zu Statius, Ende des 21. Gesangs im Läuterungsberg

The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of mortal crisis

ای آفتابی که هر ضعف و فتور بینایی ما را چاره ای، شنیدن منطق تو چنان مایه ی رضایت من است که برایم تردید همان لطف یقین را دارد.

(یعنی منطق تو چنان قوی و شیرین است که همانقدر که خواستار یقین هستم، خواهان تردید هم هستم تا برای رفع آن سخنان زیبای تو را بشنوم )
عجب جمله ی زیبایی در اواسط جهنم دانته!

I by not doing, not by doing, lost

All Being within this order, by the laws
of its own nature is impelled to find
its proper station round its Primal Cause.

Thus every nature moves across the tide
of the great sea of being to its own port,
each with its given instinct as its guide.

There, pride, avarice, and envy are the tongues men know and heed, a Babel of depsair

[Sonetto XI]
Ne li occhi porta la mia donna Amore,
per che si fa gentil ciò ch’ella mira;
ov’ella passa, ogn’om ver lei si gira,
e cui saluta fa tremar lo core,

sì che, bassando il viso, tutto smore,
e d’ogni suo difetto allor sospira:
fugge dinanzi a lei superbia ed ira.
Aiutatemi, donne, farle onore.

Ogne dolcezza, ogne pensero umile
nasce nel core a chi parlar la sente,
ond’è laudato chi prima la vide.

Quel ch’ella par quando un poco sorride,
non si pò dicer né tenere a mente,
sì è novo miracolo e gentile.

Oh cieca cupidigia e ira folle,
che sí ci sproni né la vita corta
e ne l'etterna poi sí mal c'immolle!

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!

So that their fear is turned into desire.

Degenerates! Your fate is sealed! Cry woe! Don't hope you'll ever see the skies again! I'm here to lead you to the farther shore, into eternal shadow, heat and chill. And you there! You! Yes, you, the living soul! Ger right away from this gang! These are dead.

Quanti si tegnon or là sù gran regi
che qui staranno come porci in brago,
di sé lasciando orribili dispregi!

Combien se prennent là-haut pour de grands rois,
qui seront ici comme porcs dans l'ordure,
laissant de soi un horrible mépris.