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of translation are preferable to others； but in which he proves nothing so forcibly as that the simplicity and grace； the rapidity； dignity； and fire； of Homer are quite incommunicable； save by the very words in which they first found expression。 And what is thus said of Homer will apply to Dante with perhaps even greater force。 With nearly all of Homer's grandeur and rapidity； though not with nearly all his simplicity； the poem of Dante manifests a peculiar intensity of subjective feeling which was foreign to the age of Homer； as indeed to all pre…Christian antiquity。 But concerning this we need not dilate； as it has often been duly remarked upon； and notably by Carlyle； in his 〃Lectures on Hero…Worship。〃 Who that has once heard the wail of unutterable despair sounding in the line
〃Ahi； dura terra； perche non t' apristi？〃
can rest satisfied with the interpretation
〃Ah； obdurate earth； wherefore didst thou not open？〃
yet this rendering is literally exact。
＇34＇ As Dante himself observes； 〃E pero sappia ciascuno； che nulla cosa per legame musaico armonizzata si puo della sue loquela in altra trasmutare sanza rompere tutta sue dolcezza e armonia。 E questa e la ragione per che Omero non si muto di greco in latino； come l'altre scritture che avemo da loro： e questa e la ragione per che i versi del Psaltero sono sanza dolcezza di musica e d'armonia； che essi furono trasmutati d' ebreo in greco； e di greco in latino； e nella prima trasmutazione tutta quella dolcezza venne meno。〃 Convito； I。 7； Opere Minori； Tom。 III。 p。 80。 The noble English version of the Psalms possesses a beauty which is all its own。
A second obstacle； hardly less formidable； hardly less fatal to a satisfactory translation； is presented by the highly complicated system of triple rhyme upon which Dante's poem is constructed。 This； which must ever be a stumbling…block to the translator； seems rarely to interfere with the free and graceful movement of the original work。 The mighty thought of the master felt no impediment from the elaborate artistic panoply which must needs obstruct and harass the interpretation of the disciple。 Dante's terza rima is a bow of Odysseus which weaker mortals cannot bend with any amount of tugging； and which Mr。 Longfellow has judiciously refrained from trying to bend。 Yet no one can fail to remark the prodigious loss entailed by this necessary sacrifice of one of the most striking characteristics of the original poem。 Let any one who has duly reflected upon the strange and subtle effect produced on him by the peculiar rhyme of Tennyson's 〃In Memoriam；〃 endeavour to realize the very different effect which would be produced if the verses were to be alternated or coupled in successive pairs； or if rhyme were to be abandoned for blank verse。 The exquisite melody of the poem would be silenced。 The rhyme…system of the 〃Divine Comedy〃 refuses equally to be tampered with or ignored。 Its effect upon the ear and the mind is quite as remarkable as that of the rhyme…system of 〃In Memoriam〃； and the impossibility of reproducing it is one good reason why Dante must always suffer even more from translation than most poets。
Something； too； must be said of the difficulties inevitably arising from the diverse structure and genius of the Italian and English languages。 None will deny that many of them are insurmountable。 Take the third line of the first canto；
〃Che la diritta via era smarrita；〃
which Mr。 Longfellow translates
〃For the straightforward pathway had been lost。〃
Perhaps there is no better word than 〃lost〃 by which to translate smarrita in this place； yet the two words are far from equivalent in force。 About the word smarrita there is thrown a wide penumbra of meaning which does not belong to the word lost。＇35＇ By its diffuse connotations the word smarrita calls up in our minds an adequate picture of the bewilderment and perplexity of one who is lost in a trackless forest。 The high…road with out； beaten hard by incessant overpassing of men and beasts and wheeled vehicles； gradually becomes metamorphosed into the shady lane； where grass sprouts up rankly between the ruts； where bushes encroach upon the roadside； where fallen trunks now and then intercept the traveller； and this in turn is lost in crooked by…ways； amid brambles and underbrush and tangled vines； growing fantastically athwart the path； shooting up on all sides of tile bewildered wanderer； and rendering advance and retreat alike hopeless。 No one who in childhood has wandered alone in the woods can help feeling all this suggested by the word smarrita in this passage。 How bald in comparison is the word lost； which might equally be applied to a pathway； a reputation； and a pocket…book！＇36＇ The English is no doubt the most copious and variously expressive of all living languages； yet I doubt if it can furnish any word capable by itself of calling up the complex images here suggested by smarrita。＇37＇ And this is but one example； out of many that might be cited； in which the lack of exact parallelism between the two languages employed causes every translation to suffer。
＇35＇ See Diez； Romance Dictionary； s。 v。 〃Marrir。〃
＇36＇ On literally retranslating lost into Italian； we should get the quite different word perduta。
＇37＇ The more flexible method of Dr。 Parsons leads to a more satisfactory but still inadequate result： 〃Half…way on our life's Journey； in a wood； From the right path I found myself astray。〃
All these； however； are difficulties which lie in the nature of things；difficulties for which the translator is not responsible； of which he must try to make the best that can be made； but which he can never expect wholly to surmount。 We have now to inquire whether there are not other difficulties； avoidable by one method of translation； though not by another； and in criticizing Mr。 Longfellow； we have chiefly to ask whether he has chosen the best method of translation；that which most surely and readily awakens in the reader's mind the ideas and feelings awakened by the original。
The translator of a poem may proceed upon either of two distinct principles。 In the first case； he may render the text of his original into English； line for line and word for word； preserving as far as possible its exact verbal sequences； and translating each individual word into an English word as nearly as possible equivalent in its etymological force。 In the second case； disregarding mere syntactic and etymologic equivalence； his aim will be to reproduce the inner meaning and power of the original； so far as the constitutional difference of the two languages will permit him。
It is the first of these methods that Mr。 Longfellow has followed in his translation of Dante。 Fidelity to the text of the original has been his guiding principle； and every one must admit that； in carrying out that principle； he has achieved a degree of success alike delightful and surprising。 The method of literal translation is not likely to receive any more splendid illustration。 It is indeed put to the test in such a way that the shortcomings now to be noticed bear not upon Mr。 Longfellow's own style of work so much as upon the method itself with which they are necessarily implicated。 These defects are； first； the too frequent use of syntactic inversion； and secondly； the too manifest preference extended to words of Romanic over words of Saxon origin。
To illustrate the first point； let me give a few examples。 In Canto I。 we have：
〃So bitter is it； death is little more； But of the good to treat which there I found； Speak will I of the other things I saw there〃；
which is thus rendered by Mr。 Cary；
〃Which to remember only； my dismay Renews； in bitterness not far from death。 Yet to discourse of what there good befell； All else will I relate discovered there〃；
and by Dr。 Parsons；
〃Its very thought is almost death to me； Yet； having found some good there； I will tell Of other things which there I chanced to see。〃＇38＇
＇38＇ 〃Tanto e amara； che poco e piu morte： Ma per trattar del teen ch' i' vi trovai； Diro dell' altre Bose； ch' io v' ho scorte。〃
Inferno； I。 7…10。
Again in Canto X。 we find：
〃Their cemetery have upon this side With Epicurus all his followers； Who with the body mortal make the soul〃；
an inversion which is perhaps not more unidiomatic than Mr。 Cary's；
〃The cemetery on this part obtain With Epicurus all his followers； Who with the body make the spirit die〃；
but which is advantageously avoided by Mr。 Wright；
〃Here Epicurus hath his fiery tomb； And with him all his followers； who maintain That soul and body share one common doom〃；
and is still better rendered by Dr。 Parsons；
〃Here in their cemetery on this side； With his whole sect； is Epicurus pent； Who thought the spirit with its body died。〃＇39＇
＇39＇ 〃Suo cimitero da questa parte hanno Con Epieuro tutti i suoi seguaci； Che l'anima col corpo morta fanno。〃 Inferno； X。 13…15。
And here my eyes； reverting to the end of Canto IX。；
fall upon a similar contrast between Mr。 Longfellow's li