Dr. Carlyle has given up the idea of attempting to represent Dante's verse by English verse, and has confined himself to assisting Englishmen to read him in his own language. His prose translation is accurate and forcible. And he has added sensible and useful notes.
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And lo, on high, and lurid as the one Now there, encircling it, a light arose, Like heaven when re-illumined by the sun: And as at the first lighting up of eve The sky doth new appearances disclose, That now seem real, now the sight deceive.—Wright. |
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When he, who with his universal ray The world illumines, quits our hemisphere, And, from each quarter, daylight wears away; The heaven, erst kindled by his beam alone, Sudden its lost effulgence doth repair By many lights illumined but by one.—Ibid. |
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As oft along the pure and tranquil sky A sudden fire by night is seen to dart, Attracting forcibly the heedless eye; And seems to be a star that changes place, Save that no star is lost from out the part It quits, and that it lasts a moment's space.—Wright. |
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As in that season when the sun least veils His face that lightens all, what time the fly Gives place to the shrill gnat, the peasant then, Upon some cliff reclined, beneath him sees Fire-flies innumerous spangling o'er the vale, Vineyard or tilth, where his day-labour lies.—Cary. |