Inferno Canto 01 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABA CAC BCB DAB AEA BBF BAG AAH AIA JKB KAK AAL AAA AAA AEA MNA ELE ELE LAL KOL AAA LPA AGA AAG GKG QRA KGK AGQ GLG GAG LSL BBA SLS ALA LAL AOO ALA LLA LLL ATL LAL AAL AKA LAG EAA GAA AAA ALL AAA LBA GAA LAB AAA GUB ABA LEB BLB VVA LLL ABB LAL LLL AAA BLMNel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita | A |
mi ritrovai per una selva oscura | B |
ch la diritta via era smarrita | A |
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When I had journeyed half of our life's way | C |
I found myself within a shadowed forest | A |
for I had lost the path that does not stray | C |
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Ahi quanto a dir qual era cosa dura | B |
esta selva selvaggia e aspra e forte | C |
che nel pensier rinova la paura | B |
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Ah it is hard to speak of what it was | D |
that savage forest dense and difficult | A |
which even in recall renews my fear | B |
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Tant' amara che poco pi morte | A |
ma per trattar del ben ch'i' vi trovai | E |
dir de l'altre cose ch'i' v'ho scorte | A |
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so bitter death is hardly more severe | B |
But to retell the good discovered there | B |
I'll also tell the other things I saw | F |
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Io non so ben ridir com'i' v'intrai | B |
tant'era pien di sonno a quel punto | A |
che la verace via abbandonai | G |
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I cannot clearly say how I had entered | A |
the wood I was so full of sleep just at | A |
the point where I abandoned the true path | H |
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Ma poi ch'i' fui al pi d'un colle giunto | A |
l dove terminava quella valle | I |
che m'avea di paura il cor compunto | A |
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But when I'd reached the bottom of a hill | J |
it rose along the boundary of the valley | K |
that had harassed my heart with so much fear | B |
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guardai in alto e vidi le sue spalle | K |
vestite gi de' raggi del pianeta | A |
che mena dritto altrui per ogne calle | K |
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I looked on high and saw its shoulders clothed | A |
already by the rays of that same planet | A |
which serves to lead men straight along all roads | L |
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Allor fu la paura un poco queta | A |
che nel lago del cor m'era durata | A |
la notte ch'i' passai con tanta pieta | A |
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At this my fear was somewhat quieted | A |
for through the night of sorrow I had spent | A |
the lake within my heart felt terror present | A |
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E come quei che con lena affannata | A |
uscito fuor del pelago a la riva | E |
si volge a l'acqua perigliosa e guata | A |
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And just as he who with exhausted breath | M |
having escaped from sea to shore turns back | N |
to watch the dangerous waters he has quit | A |
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cos l'animo mio ch'ancor fuggiva | E |
si volse a retro a rimirar lo passo | L |
che non lasci gi mai persona viva | E |
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so did my spirit still a fugitive | E |
turn back to look intently at the pass | L |
that never has let any man survive | E |
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Poi ch' i posato un poco il corpo lasso | L |
ripresi via per la piaggia diserta | A |
s che 'l pi fermo sempre era 'l pi basso | L |
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I let my tired body rest awhile | K |
Moving again I tried the lonely slope | O |
my firm foot always was the one below | L |
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Ed ecco quasi al cominciar de l'erta | A |
una lonza leggera e presta molto | A |
che di pel macolato era coverta | A |
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And almost where the hillside starts to rise | L |
look there a leopard very quick and lithe | P |
a leopard covered with a spotted hide | A |
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e non mi si partia dinanzi al volto | A |
anzi 'mpediva tanto il mio cammino | G |
ch'i' fui per ritornar pi volte v lto | A |
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He did not disappear from sight but stayed | A |
indeed he so impeded my ascent | A |
that I had often to turn back again | G |
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Temp'era dal principio del mattino | G |
e 'l sol montava 'n s con quelle stelle | K |
ch'eran con lui quando l'amor divino | G |
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The time was the beginning of the morning | Q |
the sun was rising now in fellowship | R |
with the same stars that had escorted it | A |
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mosse di prima quelle cose belle | K |
s ch'a bene sperar m'era cagione | G |
di quella fiera a la gaetta pelle | K |
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when Divine Love first moved those things of beauty | A |
so that the hour and the gentle season | G |
gave me good cause for hopefulness on seeing | Q |
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l'ora del tempo e la dolce stagione | G |
ma non s che paura non mi desse | L |
la vista che m'apparve d'un leone | G |
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that beast before me with his speckled skin | G |
but hope was hardly able to prevent | A |
the fear I felt when I beheld a lion | G |
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Questi parea che contra me venisse | L |
con la test'alta e con rabbiosa fame | S |
s che parea che l'aere ne tremesse | L |
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His head held high and ravenous with hunger | B |
even the air around him seemed to shudder | B |
this lion seemed to make his way against me | A |
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Ed una lupa che di tutte brame | S |
sembiava carca ne la sua magrezza | L |
e molte genti f gi viver grame | S |
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And then a she wolf showed herself she seemed | A |
to carry every craving in her leanness | L |
she had already brought despair to many | A |
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questa mi porse tanto di gravezza | L |
con la paura ch'uscia di sua vista | A |
ch'io perdei la speranza de l'altezza | L |
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The very sight of her so weighted me | A |
with fearfulness that I abandoned hope | O |
of ever climbing up that mountain slope | O |
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E qual quei che volontieri acquista | A |
e giugne 'l tempo che perder lo face | L |
che 'n tutt'i suoi pensier piange e s'attrista | A |
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Even as he who glories while he gains | L |
will when the time has come to tally loss | L |
lament with every thought and turn despondent | A |
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tal mi fece la bestia sanza pace | L |
che venendomi 'ncontro a poco a poco | L |
mi ripigneva l dove 'l sol tace | L |
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so was I when I faced that restless beast | A |
which even as she stalked me step by step | T |
had thrust me back to where the sun is speechless | L |
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Mentre ch'i' rovinava in basso loco | L |
dinanzi a li occhi mi si fu offerto | A |
chi per lungo silenzio parea fioco | L |
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While I retreated down to lower ground | A |
before my eyes there suddenly appeared | A |
one who seemed faint because of the long silence | L |
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Quando vidi costui nel gran diserto | A |
Miserere di me gridai a lui | K |
qual che tu sii od ombra od omo certo | A |
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When I saw him in that vast wilderness | L |
Have pity on me were the words I cried | A |
whatever you may be a shade a man | G |
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Rispuosemi Non omo omo gi fui | E |
e li parenti miei furon lombardi | A |
mantoani per patria ambedui | A |
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He answered me Not man I once was man | G |
Both of my parents came from Lombardy | A |
and both claimed Mantua as native city | A |
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Nacqui sub Iulio ancor che fosse tardi | A |
e vissi a Roma sotto 'l buono Augusto | A |
nel tempo de li d i falsi e bugiardi | A |
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And I was born though late sub Julio | A |
and lived in Rome under the good Augustus | L |
the season of the false and lying gods | L |
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Poeta fui e cantai di quel giusto | A |
figliuol d'Anchise che venne di Troia | A |
poi che 'l superbo Ili n fu combusto | A |
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I was a poet and I sang the righteous | L |
son of Anchises who had come from Troy | B |
when flames destroyed the pride of Ilium | A |
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Ma tu perch ritorni a tanta noia | G |
perch non sali il dilettoso monte | A |
ch' principio e cagion di tutta gioia | A |
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But why do you return to wretchedness | L |
Why not climb up the mountain of delight | A |
the origin and cause of every joy | B |
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Or se' tu quel Virgilio e quella fonte | A |
che spandi di parlar s largo fiume | A |
rispuos'io lui con vergognosa fronte | A |
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And are you then that Virgil you the fountain | G |
that freely pours so rich a stream of speech | U |
I answered him with shame upon my brow | B |
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O de li altri poeti onore e lume | A |
vagliami 'l lungo studio e 'l grande amore | B |
che m'ha fatto cercar lo tuo volume | A |
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O light and honor of all other poets | L |
may my long study and the intense love | E |
that made me search your volume serve me now | B |
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Tu se' lo mio maestro e 'l mio autore | B |
tu se' solo colui da cu' io tolsi | L |
lo bello stilo che m'ha fatto onore | B |
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You are my master and my author you | V |
the only one from whom my writing drew | V |
the noble style for which I have been honored | A |
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Vedi la bestia per cu' io mi volsi | L |
aiutami da lei famoso saggio | L |
ch'ella mi fa tremar le vene e i polsi | L |
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You see the beast that made me turn aside | A |
help me o famous sage to stand against her | B |
for she has made my blood and pulses shudder | B |
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A te convien tenere altro viaggio | L |
rispuose poi che lagrimar mi vide | A |
se vuo' campar d'esto loco selvaggio | L |
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It is another path that you must take | L |
he answered when he saw my tearfulness | L |
if you would leave this savage wilderness | L |
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ch questa bestia per la qual tu gride | A |
non lascia altrui passar per la sua via | A |
ma tanto lo 'mpedisce che l'uccide | A |
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the beast that is the cause of your outcry | B |
allows no man to pass along her track | L |
but blocks him even to the point of death | M |
Dante Alighieri
(1)
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