Expert: Maria - 2/18/2009

Question
I know Dante wrote his Divine Comedy in what became the Italian language, but what is the translation from English to pure Latin of the inscription on the gates of Hell?

THROUGH ME THE WAY INTO THE SUFFERING CITY,
THROUGH ME THE WAY TO THE ETERNAL PAIN,
THROUGH ME THE WAY THAT RUNS AMONG THE LOST.
JUSTICE URGED ON MY HIGH ARTIFICER;
MY MAKER WAS DIVINE AUTHORITY, THE HIGHEST WISDOM, AND THE PRIMAL LOVE.
BEFORE ME NOTHING BUT ETERNAL THINGS WERE MADE, AND I ENDURE ETERNALLY.
ABANDON EVERY HOPE, WHO ENTER HERE

Thanks!

Answer
Hello,

here’s the translation into classical Latin of the inscription on the gates of Hell in Dante‘s  Divine Comedy, Inferno, canto III, lines 1-9 :

PER HUNC LOCUM DOLENTEM  ADIMUS URBEM,
PER HUNC LOCUM AETERNUM ADIMUS DOLOREM,
PER HUNC LOCUM INFELICES ADIMUS UMBRAS.

IUSTITIA MEUM MOVIT CREATOREM;
ME POTESTAS FECIT DIVINA,
SUMMA SAPIENTIA AC PRIMUS AMOR.

ANTE ME NULLA  FUERUNT CREATA,
NISI AETERNA, ET IN ATERNUM DURO.
SPES RELINQUITE OMNES, O VOS INTRANTES

See below for Italian lines written by Dante Alighieri.

Best regards,
Maria
______________________________________________

“Per me si va ne la città dolente,
per me si va ne l'eterno dolore,
per me si va tra la perduta gente.

Giustizia mosse il mio alto fattore;
fecemi la divina potestate,
la somma sapienza e 'l primo amore.

Dinanzi a me non fur cose create
se non eterne, e io eterno duro.
Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate".

Note that:
-PER HUNC LOCUM DOLENTEM  ADIMUS URBEM = THROUGH ME THE WAY INTO THE SUFFERING CITY(“Per me si va ne la città dolente)

-PER HUNC LOCUM AETERNUM ADIMUS DOLOREM= THROUGH ME THE WAY TO THE ETERNAL PAIN (per me si va ne l'eterno dolore)

-PER HUNC LOCUM INFELICES ADIMUS UMBRAS = THROUGH ME THE WAY THAT RUNS AMONG THE LOST (per me si va tra la perduta gente).

-IUSTITIA MEUM MOVIT CREATOREM = JUSTICE URGED ON MY HIGH ARTIFICER (Giustizia mosse il mio alto fattore).

-ME POTESTAS FECIT DIVINA = MY MAKER WAS DIVINE AUTHORITY (fecemi la divina potestate)

-SUMMA SAPIENTIA AC PRIMUS AMOR = THE HIGHEST WISDOM, AND THE PRIMAL LOVE (la somma sapienza e 'l primo amore).

-ANTE ME NULLA  FUERUNT CREATA =BEFORE ME NO THINGS WERE MADE  (Dinanzi a me non fur cose create)  

-NISI AETERNA, ET IN ATERNUM DURO = BUT ETERNAL, AND I ENDURE ETERNALLY (se non eterne, e io eterno duro)

-SPES RELINQUITE OMNES, O VOS INTRANTES =ABANDON EVERY HOPE, WHO ENTER HERE (Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate).