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Dante Alighieri

Inferno

A New Verse Translation by Michael Palma

"Palma's wonderfully readable translation comes close to perfection. I'm tempted to call it a miracle."—X. J. Kennedy

Unlike every known translator before him, Michael Palma re-creates Dante's masterpiece in all its dimensions, without emphasizing some aspects over others, rendering Inferno into contemporary American English while maintaining Dante's original triple rhyme scheme. The result is a translation that can be appreciated for its literal faithfulness and beautiful poetic form, accompanied by facing-page Italian and explanatory notes.

"A superb translation; highly recommended."—Library Journal

"I find Michael Palma's Inferno to be one that I'm having a hard time improving."—Lawrence Ferlinghetti

"I think highly of Michael Palma's Inferno....Readers will find it admirably clear and readable."—Richard Wilbur


Michael Palma is the recipient of the Italo Calvino Award for his translation of My Name on the Wind: Selected Poems of Diego Valeri. He lives in New Rochelle, New York.
Inferno book jacket


March 2003 / paperback / ISBN 0-393-32387-0 / 6" x 8" / 416 pages / Poetry
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