Why should you read Dante’s “Divine Comedy”? - Sheila Marie Orfano

Prevoditelj: Jelena Končar Recezent: Sanda L

“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here… ”

"Napustite svu nadu, vi koji ulazite."

Inscribed above the Gate of Hell,

Zapisane nad vratima Pakla,

these ominous words warn dark tidings for Dante

ove zloslutne riječi

mračni su nagovještaj onoga što slijedi.

as he begins his descent into inferno.

Yet despite the grim tone,

Ipak, unatoč sablasnom tonu,

this prophecy sets into motion what is perhaps the greatest love story ever told;

ovo proročanstvo pokreće možda najveću ljubavnu priču ikad ispričanu:

an epic journey that encompasses both the human and the divine.

čudesno putovanje koje obuhvaća ljudsko i božansko.

But for Dante to reach benevolent salvation,

No da bi došao do spasenja,

he must first find his way through Hell.

Dante se najprije mora probiti kroz Pakao.

This landscape of torture is the setting for "Inferno,"

Prizori mučenja temelj su mizanscene "Pakla",

the first in a three-part narrative poem

prvog od triju epskih spjevova

written by Dante Alighieri in the 14th century.

koje je Dante Alighieri napisao u 14. stoljeću.

Casting himself as the protagonist,

Dodijelivši sebi ulogu protagonista,

Dante travels deeper and deeper into Hell’s abyss,

Dante putuje sve dublje u ponore Pakla,

witnessing obscene punishments distinct to each of its nine realms.

gdje svjedoči brutalnim kaznama specifičnima za svaki od devet krugova.

Beginning in Limbo, he travels through the circles of Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath,

Počevši od Limba, putuje kroz Požudu, Proždrljivost, Pohlepu, Srditost,

Heresy, Violence, and Fraud,

Krivovjerje, Nasilje i Prijevaru,

to the horrific ninth circle of Treachery,

sve do zastrašujućeg devetog kruga

where sinners are trapped under the watchful eyes of Satan himself.

u kojem na zarobljene izdajice budno pazi Sotona glavom i bradom.

The following two parts, "Purgatorio" and "Paradiso," continue Dante’s journey,

Sljedeća dva dijela, "Čistilište" i "Raj", nastavak su Danteovog putovanja.

as he scales the Mount of Purgatory

Ondje se uspinje na Planinu Čistilišta

and ascends the nine celestial spheres of Heaven.

i uzdiže kroz devet nebesa Raja.

Written together over 10 years, these 3 sections comprise the "Divine Comedy"–

Pisana više od deset godina, ova tri spjeva čine "Božanstvenu komediju",

an allegorical imagining of the soul’s journey towards God.

alegorijski prikaz putovanja duše prema Bogu.

But Dante’s "Divine Comedy" is more than just religious allegory.

No Danteova "Božanstvena komedija" više je od religijske alegorije.

It’s also a witty, scathing commentary on Italian politics.

Predstavlja i duhovit, oštar komentar o talijanskoj politici.

A soldier and statesman from Florence, Dante was staunchly faithful to God,

Dante, vojnik i državnik iz Firence, snažno je vjerovao u Boga,

but often critical of the Roman Catholic Church.

ali i često kritizirao Rimokatoličku Crkvu.

He particularly disliked its rampant nepotism and practice of simony,

Posebno joj je zamjerao neobuzdani nepotizam i prakticiranje simonije,

the buying and selling of religious favours such as pardons from sin.

kupovanje i prodavanje vjerskih usluga poput oprosta grijeha.

Many groups took advantage of these corrupt customs,

Mnogi su iskorištavali ove korumpirane običaje,

but few supported them as much as the Guelfi Neri, or Black Guelphs.

no rijetki su ih podržavali kao Guelfi Neri ili Crni gvelfi.

This was a political and religious faction

Riječ je o političkoj i vjerskoj frakciji

which sought to expand the pope’s political influence.

koja se zalagala za jačanje papine političke moći.

Dante was a member of the Guelfi Bianchi, or White Guelphs–

Dante je bio član frakcije Guelfi Bianchi, odnosno Bijeli gvelfi,

who believed Florence needed more freedom from Roman influence.

prema kojoj je Firenci trebalo više slobode od rimskog utjecaja.

As a public representative for the White Guelphs,

Kao javni predstavnik Bijelih gvelfa,

Dante frequently spoke out against the pope’s power,

Dante je redovito otvoreno govorio protiv papine moći,

until the Black Guelphs leveraged their position

sve dok Crni gvelfi nisu stupili na vlast

to exile him from Florence in 1302.

i protjerali ga iz Firence 1302.

But rather than silencing him,

Umjesto da ga ušutka,

this lifelong exile led to Dante’s greatest critique of all.

doživotan izgon urodio je njegovom najžustrijom kritikom.

Dishonored and with little hope of return,

Osramoćen i bez nade za povratak,

the author freely aired his grievances with the Church and Italian society.

Dante je nesputano izrazio osudu Crkve i talijanskog društva.

Writing the "Divine Comedy" in Italian,

Napisavši "Božanstvenu komediju" na talijanskom,

rather than the traditional Latin of the educated elite,

umjesto na latinskom, jeziku obrazovane elite,

Dante ensured the widest possible audience for his biting political commentary.

Dante se pobrinuo da dopre do čim veće publike za svoj britak politički komentar.

In the "Inferno’s" circle of the Wrathful,

U petom krugu pakla s dušama srditih,

Dante eagerly witnesses sinners

Dante zadovoljno promatra

kako grešnici Filippu Argentiju, Crnom gvelfu, trgaju ud po ud.

tear Black Guelph Filippo Argenti limb from limb.

In the circle of Fraud,

U krugu Prijevare

Dante converses with a mysterious sinner burning in the circle’s hottest flames.

Dante razgovara sa zagonetnim grešnikom koji gori u najvrelijim plamenovima.

He learns that this is Pope Nicholas III,

Doznaje da je riječ o papi Nikoli III.

who tells Dante that his two successors will take his place when they die—

On mu kaže da će ga, kad umru, zamijeniti njegova dva nasljednika.

all three guilty of simony and corruption.

Sva trojica kriva su za simoniju i korupciju.

Despite the bleak and sometimes violent imagery in "Inferno,"

Unatoč turobnim i na mahove nasilnim slikama iz "Pakla",

the "Divine Comedy" is also a love story.

"Božanstvena komedija" ujedno je i ljubavna priča.

Though Dante had an arranged marriage

Iako su mu dogovorili brak

with the daughter of a powerful Florentine family,

s djevojkom iz jedne moćne firentinske obitelji,

he had also been unrequitedly in love with another woman since he was nine years old:

Dante je bio nesretno zaljubljen u drugu ženu od svoje devete godine:

Beatrice Portinari.

Beatrice Portinari.

Despite allegedly meeting just twice, she became Dante’s lifelong muse,

Navodno su se sreli tek dvaput, no cijelog je života bila Danteova muza,

serving as the inspiration and subject for many of his works.

nadahnuće i predmet mnogih njegovih djela.

In fact, it’s Beatrice who launches his intrepid journey into the pits of Hell

Štoviše, upravo ga je Beatrice potaknula na odvažno putovanje niz ponore Pakla

and up the terraces of Mount Purgatory.

i uz visoravni Planine Čistilište.

Portrayed as a powerful, heavenly figure,

Prikazana kao snažan, nebeski lik,

she leads Dante through "Paradiso’s" concentric spheres of Heaven

Beatrice vodi Dantea kroz koncentrične krugove Raja,

until he is finally face-to-face with God.

gdje se konačno susreće licem u lice s Bogom.

In the centuries since its publication,

U stoljećima koja su uslijedila nakon objave "Božanstvene komedije",

the "Divine Comedy’s" themes of love, sin, and redemption

teme ljubavi, grijeha i iskupljenja

have been embraced by numerous artists–

preuzeli su mnogi umjetnici,

from Auguste Rodin and Salvador Dali, to Ezra Pound and Neil Gaiman.

od Augustea Rodina i Salvadora Dalija do Ezre Pounda i Neila Gaimana.

And the poet himself received his own belated, earthly redemption in 2008,

Sam Dante doživio je vlastito zakašnjelo, zemaljsko iskupljenje 2008. godine,

when the city of Florence finally revoked Dante’s antiquated exile.

kada je Firenza konačno ukinula pjesnikov zastarjeli izgon.