Stars Citations in Dante's Purgatorio

TABLE 9: Stars Citations in Dante's Purgatorio

Allen Mandelbaum's translation (1980)

1.23 I' mi volsi a man destra, e puosi mente
a l'altro polo, e vidi quattro stelle
non viste mai fuor ch'a la prima gente.
Then I turned to the right, setting my mind
upon the other pole, and saw four stars
not seen before except by the first people.

6.100 giusto giudicio da le stelle caggia
sovra 'l tuo sangue, e sia novo e aperto,
tal che 'l tuo successor temenza n'aggia!
upon your blood may the just judgment of
the stars descend with signs so strange and plain
that your successor has to feel its terror!

8.86 Li occhi miei ghiotti andavan pur al cielo,
pur là dove le stelle son più tarde,
sì come rota più presso a lo stelo.
My avid eyes were steadfast, staring at
that portion of the sky where stars are slower,
even as spokes when they approach the axle.

8.91 Ond'elli a me: "Le quattro chiare stelle
che vedevi staman, son di là basse,
e queste son salite ov'eran quelle."
Then he to me: "The four bright stars you saw
this morning now are low, beyond the pole,
and where those four stars were, these three now are."

12.90 A noi venìa la creatura bella,
biancovestito e ne la faccia quale
par tremolando mattutina stella.
That handsome creature came toward us; his clothes
were white, and in his aspect he seemed like
the trembling star that rises in the morning.

17.72 Già eran sovra noi tanto levati
li ultimi raggi che la notte segue,
che le stelle apparivan da più lati.
Above us now the final rays before;
the fall of night were raised to such a height
that we could see the stars on every side.

18.77 La luna, quasi a mezza notte tarda,
facea le stelle a noi parer più rade,
fatta com'un secchion che tuttor arda;
The moon, with midnight now behind us, made
the stars seem scarcer to us; it was shaped
just like a copper basin, gleaming, new;

27.89 Poco parer potea lì del di fori;
ma, per quel poco, vedea io le stelle
di lor solere e più chiare e maggiori.
From there, one saw but little of the sky,
but in that little, I could see the stars
brighter and larger than they usually are.

30.111 Non pur per ovra de le rote magne,
che drizzan ciascun seme ad alcun fine
secondo che le stelle son compagne,
Not only through the work of the great spheres—
which guide each seed to a determined end,
depending on what stars are its companions

31.106 "Noi siam qui ninfe e nel ciel siamo stelle:
pria che Beatrice discendesse al mondo,
fummo ordinate a lei per sue ancelle.
"Here we are nymphs; in heaven, stars; before
she had descended to the world, we were
assigned, as her handmaids, to Beatrice;

32.57 turgide fansi, e poi si rinovella
di suo color ciascuna, pria che 'l sole
giunga li suoi corsier sotto altra stella;
with buds— each plant renews its coloring
before the sun has yoked its steeds beneath
another constellation: so the tree,

33.41 ch'io veggio certamente, e però il narro,
a darne tempo già stelle propinque,
secure d'ogn'intoppo e d'ogni sbarro,
without an heir; for I can plainly see,
and thus I tell it: stars already close
at hand, which can't be blocked or checked, will bring

33.145 Io ritornai da la santissima onda
rifatto sì come piante novelle
rinnovellate di novella fronda,
puro e disposto a salire alle stelle.
From that most holy wave I now returned
to Beatrice; remade, as new trees are
renewed when they bring forth new boughs, I was
pure and prepared to climb unto the stars.

1.23	I' mi volsi a man destra, e puosi mente a l'altro polo, e vidi quattro stelle non viste mai fuor ch'a la prima gente.	Then I turned to the right, setting my mind upon the other pole, and saw four stars not seen before except by the first people.
6.100	giusto giudicio da le stelle caggia sovra 'l tuo sangue, e sia novo e aperto, tal che 'l tuo successor temenza n'aggia!	upon your blood may the just judgment of the stars descend with signs so strange and plain that your successor has to feel its terror!
8.86	Li occhi miei ghiotti andavan pur al cielo, pur là dove le stelle son più tarde, sì come rota più presso a lo stelo.	My avid eyes were steadfast, staring at that portion of the sky where stars are slower, even as spokes when they approach the axle.
8.91	Ond'elli a me: "Le quattro chiare stelle che vedevi staman, son di là basse, e queste son salite ov'eran quelle."	Then he to me: "The four bright stars you saw this morning now are low, beyond the pole, and where those four stars were, these three now are."
12.90	A noi venìa la creatura bella, biancovestito e ne la faccia quale par tremolando mattutina stella.	That handsome creature came toward us; his clothes were white, and in his aspect he seemed like the trembling star that rises in the morning.
17.72	Già eran sovra noi tanto levati li ultimi raggi che la notte segue, che le stelle apparivan da più lati.	Above us now the final rays before; the fall of night were raised to such a height that we could see the stars on every side.
18.77	La luna, quasi a mezza notte tarda, facea le stelle a noi parer più rade, fatta com'un secchion che tuttor arda;	The moon, with midnight now behind us, made the stars seem scarcer to us; it was shaped just like a copper basin, gleaming, new;
27.89	Poco parer potea lì del di fori; ma, per quel poco, vedea io le stelle di lor solere e più chiare e maggiori.	From there, one saw but little of the sky, but in that little, I could see the stars brighter and larger than they usually are.
30.111	Non pur per ovra de le rote magne, che drizzan ciascun seme ad alcun fine secondo che le stelle son compagne,	Not only through the work of the great spheres— which guide each seed to a determined end, depending on what stars are its companions
31.106	"Noi siam qui ninfe e nel ciel siamo stelle: pria che Beatrice discendesse al mondo, fummo ordinate a lei per sue ancelle.	"Here we are nymphs; in heaven, stars; before she had descended to the world, we were assigned, as her handmaids, to Beatrice;
32.57	turgide fansi, e poi si rinovella di suo color ciascuna, pria che 'l sole giunga li suoi corsier sotto altra stella;	with buds— each plant renews its coloring before the sun has yoked its steeds beneath another constellation: so the tree,
33.41	ch'io veggio certamente, e però il narro, a darne tempo già stelle propinque, secure d'ogn'intoppo e d'ogni sbarro,	without an heir; for I can plainly see, and thus I tell it: stars already close at hand, which can't be blocked or checked, will bring
33.145	Io ritornai da la santissima onda rifatto sì come piante novelle rinnovellate di novella fronda, puro e disposto a salire alle stelle.	From that most holy wave I now returned to Beatrice; remade, as new trees are renewed when they bring forth new boughs, I was pure and prepared to climb unto the stars.