The Discovery of New Worlds, 24. Dante's Great Poem

24. Dante's Great Poem

"The poet is a heroic figure belonging to all ages. " —CARLYLE. While Marco Polo was living his curious life in the Chinese Court of the Great Khan, there was growing up in Florence a man who was to become famous for all time. This Italian, Dante, was to be the spokesman of the Middle Ages: he was to be the voice of the last ten silent centuries—a very landmark of history.

Of his life itself there is but little worthy of record. He first makes his appearance at the age of nine—a shy, sensitive boy with large dark dreamy eyes and a curly head full of the strangest fancies.

One day at a children's party in Florence, Dante met the little Beatrice, simply enough dressed in a crimson frock. To the dreamy poet-boy the little girl was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and from that day she became, what knighthood was to the young men of the Middle Ages, his ideal, something he must live to be worthy of. Though Beatrice died when Dante was yet a young man of twenty-four, he kept her as his ideal right through his life; and as she plays a large part in his life, so she plays a large part in his great poem.

He was educated after the fashion of his day, but with no printed books his knowledge was necessarily limited. All that he learnt was in Latin, which was the language of all learned people at this time. He served in the wars of his country, for Florence was torn by strife and divided by party; and Dante loved Florence as Socrates had loved Athens. The State accepted his talents and devotion, and by the time he was thirty-five he had risen to a post of honour in the city.

Then disturbances arose, feeling ran high, parties were divided; and the result was that Dante, in the full vigour of his manhood, was exiled from his own city, doomed henceforth to a life of woe and wandering. Not only was he banished from Florence, but if caught he was to be burnt alive. Later it was proposed that Dante should apologise, pay a fine to the State, and return.

"If I cannot return without calling myself guilty, I will never return," answered this man with fixed stern pride. For Dante now there was no home in the world. He wandered from place to place, from patron to patron, always working to get back to his beloved Florence, but in vain.

"How hard is the path," he exclaims bitterly. Hard it was indeed. Alone, friendless, hopeless, cast out of his home for ever, to wander over the face of the cold earth, with no living heart to love him, no kindred soul to comfort him, Dante now turned his thoughts to another world, and tried to imagine what it would all be like. And so, brooding over the unknown in speechless gloom, he bursts forth at last into the wonderful song we delight in to this day, known as the Divine Comedy.

It was the story of a vision Dante supposed he saw—a vision of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. It took him years to write, for it was written with pain and toil, with "his heart's blood." None could hinder him now, he had found his work to do, he would not rest till that work was done.

"Follow thou thy star," he could say to himself in his extremest need; "thou shalt not fail of a glorious haven. " He has passed from the cold world of reality into the spirit world, and all the Christianity that had been creeping over Europe during the Middle Ages is summed up in Dante's great poem. But not only is this Divine Comedy of Dante's the first great Christian poem, but it is the opening of a new European era of song, the beginning of a language and a national literature. For it is written in the Italian language, the language of the people, and not in Latin or Greek, the language of the learned only. A few books had been translated into the language of the people by Alfred the Great of England and other scholars, a few songs had been composed in the language of France. But no great work had been written in any of the languages of modern Europe till Dante wrote his great poem in the language of Italy.

So he did more for his country than he can ever have expected to do, when he left it sorrowing and alone, for he laid the foundation of the union of divided Italy. The people in the cities, such as Venice, Milan, and Genoa, were eager to claim Dante as a countryman, one who spoke and wrote in the language of their country. He had become the one world-voice.

The great work done, the poet died, still an exile, it is said, broken-hearted. In the vision of his life he had reached Paradise and had seen again the Beatrice whom he loved, his goal and his ideal.

Here we must leave the poet, but from out the long ages Dante still speaks for those to hear who will:—

"I will be thy guide And bring thee hence by an eternal place. "

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24. Dante's Great Poem Dantovo|| 24\. قصيدة دانتي العظيمة 24. Dantes großes Gedicht 24. El gran poema de Dante 24. Le grand poème de Dante 24. Il Grande Poema di Dante 24. Wielki poemat Dantego 24. O grande poema de Dante 24. Великая поэма Данте 24.但丁的伟大诗歌

"The poet is a heroic figure belonging to all ages. "Поет - це героїчна постать, яка належить усім епохам. " —CARLYLE. While Marco Polo was living his curious life in the Chinese Court of the Great Khan, there was growing up in Florence a man who was to become famous for all time. Поки Марко Поло жив своїм цікавим життям при китайському дворі великого хана, у Флоренції зростала людина, якій судилося прославитися на всі часи. This Italian, Dante, was to be the spokesman of the Middle Ages: he was to be the voice of the last ten silent centuries—a very landmark of history. |||||||mluvčí||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||representative|||||||||||||||||||significant point|| |||||||portavoz||||||||||||||||||||| Цей італієць, Данте, мав стати речником Середньовіччя: він мав стати голосом останніх десяти мовчазних століть - дуже важливої віхи історії.

Of his life itself there is but little worthy of record. Della sua vita in sé non c'è molto da raccontare. Про його життя залишилося небагато, що варте уваги. He first makes his appearance at the age of nine—a shy, sensitive boy with large dark dreamy eyes and a curly head full of the strangest fancies. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||fantazie |||||||||||||||||||||||||||imaginative ideas Він вперше з'являється на світ у віці дев'яти років - сором'язливий, чутливий хлопчик з великими темними мрійливими очима і кучерявою головою, сповненою найдивніших фантазій.

One day at a children's party in Florence, Dante met the little Beatrice, simply enough dressed in a crimson frock. |||||||||||||||||||ドレス Одного разу на дитячому святі у Флоренції Данте зустрів маленьку Беатріче, досить просто одягнену в малинову сукню. To the dreamy poet-boy the little girl was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and from that day she became, what knighthood was to the young men of the Middle Ages, his ideal, something he must live to be worthy of. Для мрійливого хлопчика-поета маленька дівчинка була найпрекраснішим, що він коли-небудь бачив, і з того дня вона стала, як лицарство для юнаків Середньовіччя, його ідеалом, чимось, чого він повинен жити, щоб бути гідним. Though Beatrice died when Dante was yet a young man of twenty-four, he kept her as his ideal right through his life; and as she plays a large part in his life, so she plays a large part in his great poem. Хоча Беатріче померла, коли Данте був ще двадцятичотирирічним юнаком, він зберігав її як свій ідеал протягом усього життя; і оскільки вона відіграє важливу роль у його житті, вона відіграє важливу роль у його великій поемі.

He was educated after the fashion of his day, but with no printed books his knowledge was necessarily limited. |||||||||||||||vědomosti||| Він отримав освіту за модою свого часу, але через відсутність друкованих книг його знання були неминуче обмеженими. All that he learnt was in Latin, which was the language of all learned people at this time. Все, що він вивчав, було на латині, яка була мовою всіх освічених людей того часу. He served in the wars of his country, for Florence was torn by strife and divided by party; and Dante loved Florence as Socrates had loved Athens. |||||||||||||rozbroje||||||||||Sokrates||| Він брав участь у війнах своєї країни, бо Флоренцію роздирали міжусобиці та партійні чвари; а Данте любив Флоренцію, як Сократ любив Афіни. The State accepted his talents and devotion, and by the time he was thirty-five he had risen to a post of honour in the city. ||||||oddanost||||||||||||||||||| Держава визнала його таланти і відданість, і до тридцяти п'яти років він піднявся до почесної посади в місті.

Then disturbances arose, feeling ran high, parties were divided; and the result was that Dante, in the full vigour of his manhood, was exiled from his own city, doomed henceforth to a life of woe and wandering. ||||||||||||||||||síla||||||||||||||||utrpení|| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||sorrow and suffering|| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||悲しみ|| |disturbios|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||aflicción y sufrimiento|| Allora nacquero disordini, i sentimenti si accesero, i partiti si divisero; e il risultato fu che Dante, nel pieno vigore della sua virilità, fu esiliato dalla sua stessa città, condannato d'ora in poi a una vita di sventura e di vagabondaggio. Тоді піднялися заворушення, пристрасті розгорілися, партії розділилися, і в результаті Данте, в повній чоловічій зрілості, був вигнаний з власного міста, приречений відтепер на життя, сповнене горя і блукань. Not only was he banished from Florence, but if caught he was to be burnt alive. Його не тільки вигнали з Флоренції, але якщо його спіймають, то мали спалити живцем. Later it was proposed that Dante should apologise, pay a fine to the State, and return. |||||||se disculpara|||||||| Пізніше було запропоновано, щоб Данте вибачився, заплатив штраф державі і повернувся.

"If I cannot return without calling myself guilty, I will never return," answered this man with fixed stern pride. |||||||vinný||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||severo y firme| "Якщо я не можу повернутися, не визнавши себе винним, я ніколи не повернуся", - відповів цей чоловік з непохитною суворою гордістю. For Dante now there was no home in the world. Для Данте тепер не було дому в світі. He wandered from place to place, from patron to patron, always working to get back to his beloved Florence, but in vain. Він мандрував з місця на місце, від покровителя до покровителя, завжди прагнучи повернутися до своєї улюбленої Флоренції, але марно.

"How hard is the path," he exclaims bitterly. ||||||vykřikne| ||||||exclama| "Який важкий шлях", - з гіркотою вигукує він. Hard it was indeed. Це було справді важко. Alone, friendless, hopeless, cast out of his home for ever, to wander over the face of the cold earth, with no living heart to love him, no kindred soul to comfort him, Dante now turned his thoughts to another world, and tried to imagine what it would all be like. |bez přátel||||||||||||||||||||||||||příbuzný|||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||alma afín|||||||||||||||||||||| Самотній, без друзів, безнадійний, вигнаний з дому назавжди, щоб блукати по холодній землі, без живого серця, яке б його любило, без спорідненої душі, яка б його втішила, Данте тепер звернув свої думки до іншого світу, і намагався уявити, як це все буде. And so, brooding over the unknown in speechless gloom, he bursts forth at last into the wonderful song we delight in to this day, known as the Divine Comedy. ||tíživý|||||beze slov|||vypukne|||||||||||||||||| ||deeply contemplating|||||||||||||||||||||||||| ||meditando|||||||||||||||||||||||||| І ось, роздумуючи над невідомим у німому мороці, він нарешті виривається у чудову пісню, якою ми насолоджуємося донині, відому під назвою "Божественна комедія".

It was the story of a vision Dante supposed he saw—a vision of Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. |||||||||||||||čistící oheň|| |||||||||||||||Intermediate state|| |||||||||||||||Purgatorio|| Це була історія про видіння, яке Данте нібито бачив - видіння пекла, чистилища та раю. It took him years to write, for it was written with pain and toil, with "his heart's blood." Він писав її роками, бо вона була написана з болем і працею, "кров'ю його серця". None could hinder him now, he had found his work to do, he would not rest till that work was done. ||bránit|||||||||||||||||| ||impediría que|||||||||||||||||| Тепер ніхто не міг йому перешкодити, він знайшов свою роботу, і не заспокоїться, поки не виконає її.

"Follow thou thy star," he could say to himself in his extremest need; "thou shalt not fail of a glorious haven. " |||||||||||nejextrémnější||||||||| |||||||||||greatest||||||||| |||||||||||máxima necesidad||||||||| "Іди за своєю зіркою, - міг би він сказати собі в найскрутнішій потребі, - і ти не залишишся без славного притулку". " He has passed from the cold world of reality into the spirit world, and all the Christianity that had been creeping over Europe during the Middle Ages is summed up in Dante's great poem. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||shrnutá||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||encapsulated in||||| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||se resume||||| Він перейшов з холодного світу реальності у світ духу, і все християнство, яке повзло Європою протягом Середньовіччя, підсумовано у великій поемі Данте. But not only is this Divine Comedy of Dante's the first great Christian poem, but it is the opening of a new European era of song, the beginning of a language and a national literature. Але "Божественна комедія" Данте є не лише першою великою християнською поемою, але й відкриттям нової європейської ери пісні, початком мови та національної літератури. For it is written in the Italian language, the language of the people, and not in Latin or Greek, the language of the learned only. Бо вона написана італійською мовою, мовою народу, а не латиною чи грецькою, мовами лише вчених. A few books had been translated into the language of the people by Alfred the Great of England and other scholars, a few songs had been composed in the language of France. |||||přeloženo|||||||||||||||vědci||||||||||| Кілька книг було перекладено на народну мову Альфредом Великим Англійським та іншими вченими, кілька пісень було складено французькою мовою. But no great work had been written in any of the languages of modern Europe till Dante wrote his great poem in the language of Italy. Але жоден великий твір не був написаний жодною з мов сучасної Європи, поки Данте не написав свою велику поему італійською мовою.

So he did more for his country than he can ever have expected to do, when he left it sorrowing and alone, for he laid the foundation of the union of divided Italy. |||||||||||||||||||s žalem||||||||||||| Таким чином, він зробив для своєї країни більше, ніж міг би коли-небудь очікувати, покидаючи її в скорботі та самотності, бо він заклав фундамент об'єднання розділеної Італії. The people in the cities, such as Venice, Milan, and Genoa, were eager to claim Dante as a countryman, one who spoke and wrote in the language of their country. ||||||||||||||reclamar como propio||||compatriota||||||||||| Жителі таких міст, як Венеція, Мілан і Генуя, прагнули визнати Данте своїм співвітчизником, який говорив і писав мовою їхньої країни. He had become the one world-voice. Він став єдиним світовим голосом.

The great work done, the poet died, still an exile, it is said, broken-hearted. Велику роботу виконано, поет помер, все ще вигнанцем, кажуть, з розбитим серцем. In the vision of his life he had reached Paradise and had seen again the Beatrice whom he loved, his goal and his ideal. |||||||||||||||Beatriz|||||||| У візії свого життя він досягнув Раю і знову побачив Беатріче, яку кохав, свою мету і свій ідеал.

Here we must leave the poet, but from out the long ages Dante still speaks for those to hear who will:— Тут ми повинні залишити поета, але з далеких віків Данте все ще промовляє до тих, хто хоче почути:-

"I will be thy guide And bring thee hence by an eternal place. " "Я буду твоїм провідником і приведу тебе звідси до місця вічного. "