Non è il mondan romore altro ch’un fiato di vento, ch’or vien quinci e or vien quindi, e muta nome perché muta lato. - Dante Alighieri

Nove fiate già appresso lo mio nascimento era tornato lo cielo de la luce quasi a uno medesimo punto, quanto a la sua propria girazione, quando a li miei occhi apparve prima la gloriosa donna de la mia mente, la quale fu chiamata da molti Beatrice, li quali non sapeano che si chiamare.

"So I stood up, pretending I had more
Breath than I had been feeling that I had,
And said: "Lead on! I'm strong. I have no fear.

Now you must needs,' my teacher said, 'shake off your wonted indolence. No fame is won beneath the quilt or sunk in feather cushions. Whoever, fameless, wastes his life away, leaves of himself no greater mark on earth than smoke in air or froth upon the wave. So upwards! On! And vanquish laboured breath! In any battle mind-power will prevail, unless the weight of the body loads it down. There's a yet longer ladder you must scale. You can't just turn and leave all these behind. You understand? Well, make my words avail,