'Dante in English' is an anthology of English translations of passages from Dante (most of them from the Commedia); it also includes poetry in English by authors who have been influenced by Dante. The authors and translators range from Chaucer and other English writers to non-British poets such as Seamus Heaney, Derek Walcott and W.S. Merwin. Attempts at rendering Dante into English spring from various theories of translation and 'imitation', all of which seem to be on display here. Use terza rima, don't use terza rima; use rhyme, don't use rhyme; use pentameter, don't use pentameter; use archaic language, don't use archaic language; render the poem exactly, render the poem freely. In the end, the translator's mode matters less than his or her poetic powers, which may manifest themselves in an empathy with Dante's style and emotions, and in the handling of rhythm, forms of sonority and verbal intensity.

LRB 1 September 2005 | PDF Download