内容简介
ThissplendidversetranslationbyAllenMandelbaumprovidesanentirelyfreshexperienceofDante'sgreatpoemofpenanceandhope.AsDanteascendstheMountofPurgatorytowardtheEarthlyParadiseandhisbelovedBeatrice,through"thatsecondkingdominwhichthehumansouliscleansedofsin,"allthepassionandsuffering,poetryandphilosophyarerenderedwiththeimmediacyofapoetofourownage.Withextensivenotesandcommentarypreparedespeciallyforthisedition.
作者简介
DanteAlighieriwasborninFlorence,Italyin1265.HisearlypoetryfallsintothetraditionoflovepoetrythatpassedfromtheProvencaltosuchItalianpoetsasGuidoCavalcanti,Dante'sfriendandmentor.Dante'sfirstmajorworkistheVitaNuova,1293-1294.Thissequenceoflyrics,sonnets,andprosenarrativedescribeshislove,firstearthly,thenspiritual,forBeatrice,whomhehadfirstseenasachildofnine,andwhohaddiedwhenDantewas25.Dantemarriedabout1285,servedFlorenceinbattle,androsetoapositionofleadershipinthebitterfactionalpoliticsofthecity-state.Asoneofthecity'smagistrates,hefounditnecessarytobanishleadersoftheso-called"Black"faction,andhisfriendCavalcanti,wholikeDantewasaprominent"White."ButaftertheBlacksseizedcontrolofFlorencein1301,Dantehimselfwastriedinabsentiaandwasbanishedfromthecityonpainofdeath.HeneverreturnedtoFlorence.WeknowlittleaboutDante'slifeinexile.LegendhasitthathestudiedatParis,butifso,hereturnedtoItaly,forhislastyearswerespentinVeronaandRavenna.InexilehewrotehisConvivio,kindofpoeticcompendiumofmedievalphilosophy,aswellasapoliticaltreatise,Monarchia.HebeganhisComedy(latertobecalledtheDivineComedy)around1307-1308.OnadiplomaticmissiontoVenicein1321,Dantefellill,andreturnedtoRavenna,wherehedied.AllenMendelbaum'sfiveversevolumesare:Chelmaxions;TheSavantasseofMontparnasse;Journeyman;LeavesofAbsence;andALiedofLetterpress.HisvolumesofversetranslationincludeTheAeneidofVirgil,aUniversityofCaliforniaPressvolume(nowavailablefromBantam)forwhichhewonaNationalBookAward;theInferno,Purgatorio,andParadisovolumesoftheCaliforniaDante(nowavailablefromBantam);TheOdysseyofHomer(nowavailablefromBantam);TheMetamorphosesofOvid,afinalistforthePulitzerPrizeinpoetry;OvidinSicily;SelectedPoemsofGiuseppeUngaretti;SelectedWritingsofSalvatoreQuasimodo;andDavidMariaTuroldo.Mandelbaumisco-editorwithRobertRichardsonJr.ofThreeCenturiesofAmericanPoetry(BantamBooks)and,withYehudaAmichai,oftheeightvolumesoftheJPSJewishPoetrySeries.AfterreceivinghisPh.D.fromColumbia,hewasintheSocietyofFellowsatHarvard.WhilechairmanofthePh.D.programinEnglishattheGraduateCenterofCUNY,hewasavisitingprofessoratWashingtonUniversityinSt.Louis,andattheuniversitiesofHouston,Denver,Colorado,andPurdue.HishonorarydegreesarefromNotreDameUniversity,PurdueUniversity,theUniversityofAssino,andtheUniversityofTorino.HereceivedtheGoldMedalofHonorfromthecityofFlorencein2000,celebratingthe735thanniversaryofDante'sbirth,theonlytranslatortobesohonored;andin2003hereceivedthePresidentofItaly'sawardfortranslation.HeisnowProfessoroftheHistoryofLiteraryCriticismattheUniversityofTurinandtheW.R.KenanProfessorofHumanitiesatWakeForestUniversity.
