Divine Comedy, Longfellow's Translation, Complete

Dante Alighieri · en
Cacciaguida’s Prophecy of Dante’s Banishment.
    XVIII. The Sixth Heaven, Jupiter: Righteous Kings and Rulers. The
     Celestial Eagle. Dante’s Invectives against ecclesiastical
     Avarice.
    XIX. The Eagle discourses of Salvation, Faith, and Virtue.
     Condemnation of the vile Kings of A.D. 1300.
    XX. The Eagle praises the Righteous Kings of old. Benevolence of
     the Divine Will.
    XXI. The Seventh Heaven, Saturn: The Contemplative. The Celestial
     Stairway. St. Peter Damiano. His Invectives against the Luxury of
     the Prelates.
    XXII. St. Benedict. His Lamentation over the Corruption of Monks.
     The Eighth Heaven, the Fixed Stars.
    XXIII. The Triumph of Christ. The Virgin Mary. The Apostles.
     Gabriel.
    XXIV. The Radiant Wheel. St. Peter examines Dante on Faith.
    XXV. The Laurel Crown. St. James examines Dante on Hope. Dante’s
     Blindness.
    XXVI. St. John examines Dante on Charity. Dante’s Sight. Adam.
    XXVII. St. Peter’s reproof of bad Popes. The Ascent to the Ninth
     Heaven, the ‘Primum Mobile.’
    XXVIII. God and the Angelic Hierarchies.
    XXIX. Beatrice’s Discourse of the Creation of the Angels, and of
     the Fall of Lucifer. Her Reproof of Foolish and Avaricious
      Preachers.
    XXX. The Tenth Heaven, or Empyrean. The River of Light. The Two
     Courts of Heaven. The White Rose of Paradise. The great Throne.
    XXXI. The Glory of Paradise. Departure of Beatrice. St. Bernard.
    XXXII. St. Bernard points out the Saints in the White Rose.
    XXXIII. Prayer to the Virgin. The Threefold Circle of the Trinity.
     Mystery of the Divine and Human Nature.
    APPENDIX




INFERNO




Inferno: 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.