Customer Reviews

Inferno: A New Verse Translation by Michael Palma

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Having explored many translations of Dante's Inferno, I found Palma's translation a revelation. I have read those by Mandelbaum, Sinclair, Singleton, Sayers, Anderson, Ciardi, Pinsky, Zapulla and Musa. Although all of them have things in their favor, none of these versions captured me the way that Palma's has. His ability to incorporate Dante's 'terza rima' (triple rhyme scheme - aba bcb cdc, etc.) into his faithful translation, along with a natural, unforced American English syntax, seems to capture some of what Dante might have had in mind. As a reader I was swept along by the language, from tercet to tercet, the rhyme scheme and poetic language providing a powerful driving force that connected the verses within each canto. The Publisher's Weekly review of the hardbound edition took Palma to task for "some puzzling, clunky passages." Well, yes, but the powerful momentum and overall readability provided by the terza rima more than compensates for the occasional "poetic" word order demanded by the rhymes - Palma's introductory essay accurately points out that Dante's Italian has plenty of its own puzzling, clunky passages. I have appreciated Allen Mandelbaum's scholarly blank verse translation for providing an accurate and poetic sense of Dante's meaning - I still use it when I wish to check the appropriateness of a particular translation - but reading it always felt like work. In another recent translation, Pinsky incorporated consonant-driven rhymes (a la Yeats) to simulate terza rima, and though his translation is elegant, it didn't grab me as did Palma's. (And, I admit to being vaguely, and perhaps unreasonably, disturbed by Pinsky's compression of Dantean tercets into smaller numbers of lines.) In comparison, once I started Palma's translation, I couldn't stop reading. Having finished the first reading, I read it again. And then again. This has never happened to me before. It still is on my bedside table, and I dip into it often. It is a joy to read aloud. I appreciate the facing Italian text - it is enjoyable to sound out the Italian for comparison with the English, even if one doesn't read Italian. I'd love to see Palma do the rest of the Divine Comedy - this translation deserves wide respect and readership.

I have read several previous translations of the Inferno since high school, all of which have ranged unintelligible to passable. Most of the translations I have read previously were so literal in translation that it was like reading Shakespearean English, this translation, while not perfect was so readable that I was amazed. The Palma translations attempts to maintain the original prose, but what sets him apart is his willingness to abandon the rhyming structure at certain points in order to maintain the flow of the story.

Palma is the first translator that does justice to the Divine Comedy, if you are looking for a readable, enjoyable translation of Dante look no further.

I beleve that this translation captures phrases in a poetic diction, that at moments is deeply felt. I admit the voice is very tough, and feels very cold. But this is a really good effect. Since we are gliding in a diction that is Triple Rythme, the voice is very tough and lean. This version alongside Robert Pinsky's Translation, are in my opinion two Wonderful Poems in english. I like Palma's, in that it has so many noble phrases that capture nuances of sharpness and vividness. Some times the phrases are even absoultely touching.
The Inferno is my favorite part of the comedy, it's the only part that has repeated interest. I think purgatorio, is fine to read for the first time, but overall, too much of the 2nd canticle is filled with iron to chew on. Their is some gold to taste, but not nearly enough to keep your interest on repeated hearings. Too Much of the 3rd canticle is just so flimsy and loose, it's very solemn, dry and is itching for action. The only Dante that in my opinion is of true worth is, INFERNO. AND Overall, I still ENJOY Pinsky's verse translation more. The wording he uses is softer, more smoother in the line. Palma's work is still though, a true poem in english. I love it. I beleve that it will take a long time before this translation reaches the public. Since that Michael Palma is a poet who is not as nearly known as Robert Pinsky, nor does he have a distinguished title as maybe Robert Hollander. I would not recomend that you by any other translation than Robert Pinsky's " The Inferno of Dante" or Micheal Palma's new verse translation of "INFERNO". aS MENTioned earlier these our the Pinnacles, because No1, they are poetic, which is refreshing if you've read the boring compacted "Hollander's", or the boring sholastic blank verse of "Mandelbaum". The other translations which are good but not wonderful, like pinsky or palma, would be the Noble blank verse done by Mark Musa, his is very very fine, and has a balance of intelligence coupled with some elegant poetry. Elio Zappula, has done also a blank verse or Iambic Pentameter rendering of the Inferno, and his has a very interesting diction, that once again has a good balance of poetry in it.