After 20 years, Mary Jo Bang has completed her translation of Dante's 'Divine Comedy'

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: Mary Jo Bang's Modern Translation of Dante's Divine Comedy

Episode Release Date: July 24, 2025

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Introduction

In a compelling episode of NPR's Book of the Day, host Ari Shapiro engages with poet Mary Jo Bang about her monumental two-decade-long project: translating Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy into contemporary English. This discussion delves into the intricacies of translation, the challenges faced during such an extensive literary endeavor, and the enduring relevance of Dante's masterpiece in the modern era.

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The Purpose and Philosophy of Translation

The conversation opens with fundamental questions about the essence of translation. Mary Jo Bang shares her perspective on balancing fidelity to the original text with the need to render it accessible to today's readers.

Notable Quote:

"[...] just as an exercise, I decided I would put those three lines into contemporary English." — Mary Jo Bang [02:36]

Bang emphasizes that translation isn't merely about a word-for-word replication but about capturing the spirit and intent of the original work. She questions the traditional approach to translation and seeks to create a version that resonates with 21st-century audiences.

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Mary Jo Bang's Approach to Translating the Divine Comedy

Bang's translation of Dante's Divine Comedy stands out for its lively, contemporary language and its incorporation of modern references. Her work is characterized by a departure from the strict rhyme schemes and meters typical of the original, opting instead for techniques like assonance, alliteration, and slant rhymes to maintain sonic momentum without the constraints of traditional rhyming.

Notable Quote:

"I decided that I would substitute contemporary elements like assonance, where you have the same vowel sound, or alliteration, where you have the same consonant sound." — Mary Jo Bang [04:09]

She illustrates this approach by reading an excerpt from her translation of Inferno:

"Stopped mid motion in the middle of what we call our life. I looked up and saw no sky, only a dense cage of leaf, tree and twig. I was lost. It's difficult to describe a forest savage, arduous, extreme in its extremity, I think. And the facts come back, then the fear comes back. Death, I believe, can only be slightly more bitter. I can't address the good I found there until I describe in detail what else I saw." — Mary Jo Bang [04:53]

This passage showcases her effort to retain the poetic essence while making it more relatable and accessible.

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Challenges and Creative Decisions

Translating a medieval text like Dante's Divine Comedy poses significant challenges, particularly regarding rhyme and meter. Bang discusses her struggles with maintaining Dante's interlocking rhyme scheme (A, B, A, B, C, B, C, D, C) in English, a language less suited to such patterns compared to Italian.

Notable Quote:

"English is a rhyme poor language compared to the Romance languages." — Mary Jo Bang [03:52]

To overcome this, she employs modern poetic devices, ensuring the translation remains fluid and engaging without being constrained by archaic structures.

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Relevance of the Divine Comedy Today

Despite being over 700 years old, Dante's Divine Comedy remains strikingly relevant. Bang draws parallels between the political turmoil of Dante's Florence and contemporary societal conflicts, highlighting the timeless nature of the work's themes.

Notable Quote:

"Dante's really concerned about how we live our lives, and the afterlife is a reflection of that." — Mary Jo Bang [08:02]

She underscores the universality of Dante's exploration of human morality, justice, and the complexities of societal dynamics, making it pertinent to modern readers.

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Personal Reflections on the Translation Journey

Completing such an extensive project inevitably brings personal reflections. Bang shares her feelings of relief and uncertainty about her future post-translation, having dedicated two decades of her life to this intellectual pursuit.

Notable Quote:

"I feel relieved that I was able to do it, that it's finished. I wonder what I'll do with my life now." — Mary Jo Bang [08:54]

She also touches on moments of doubt, particularly during the completion of Paradiso, the final part of the trilogy, and how unforeseen circumstances like the pandemic influenced her determination to see the project through.

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Conclusion

Mary Jo Bang's translation of Dante's Divine Comedy represents a bridge between the medieval and the modern, offering readers a fresh lens through which to engage with this classic work. Her dedication and innovative approach not only honor Dante's original vision but also breathe new life into it, ensuring its continued relevance and accessibility.

Closing Remarks:

"Mary Jo Bang has completed her translation of Dante's Divine Comedy, Inferno, Purgatorio, and the third book, Paradiso is out now." — Ari Shapiro [09:20]

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This episode of Book of the Day provides invaluable insights into the art of translation and the enduring power of literature to transcend time, offering listeners a deeper appreciation for both Dante's work and Bang's remarkable achievement in bringing it to contemporary audiences.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbaugh]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. What is the point of a translation? Is it to create a word for word copy of a work? Is it to capture the essence of it? What is the balance between translating literally versus taking liberties? The poet Mary Jo Bang's newly completed translation of Dante's Divine Comedy leans more on the latter side of things, with language and references that would be more legible to us reading in the 21st century. It's a project 20 years years in the making, and she just published the third and last piece, Paradiso. And in this interview with NPR's Ari Shapiro, she talks about what it felt like to undertake such a large and daunting project. That's coming up.

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[Ari Shapiro]

Poem more than 700 years old feel relevant today? The poet Mary Jo Bang is uniquely qualified to answer that question because she has spent the last 20 years translating Dante's Divine Comedy, that famous trilogy of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. These new translations are lively, contemporary and casual Langston Hughes and Elton John appearances. She references the Simpsons and Edward Snowden. And Mary Jo Bang's reward for reaching the end of this epic journey is that she gets to talk with us about it. Mary Jo Bang, I'm sorry if that's a disappointing prize.

[Mary Jo Bang]

No, it's not at all disappointing. I'm thrilled to be talking to you, Ari.

[Ari Shapiro]

Well, we're thrilled to have you. Will you begin by just taking us back 20 years to the start of this project? You read a contemporary poem made up of dark dozens of different translations of the first three lines of Dante's Inferno. What made you think there's room for one more? I'm going to dive in.

[Mary Jo Bang]

I was reading that poem and I was struck with two things. One was how antiquated the language was, even when the translation was quite contemporary. And the other thing I was struck by was that there were no two translations that were alike. And that was a lesson, I think, in the fact that there is no single way to carry over one language into another language. But I also thought, why do these translations always sound as if they were written long ago? And so, just as an exercise, I decided I would put those three lines into contemporary English. But. But I also wanted to incorporate some of the elements that we use in poetry because that's what Dante did. He had a rhyme scheme that was interlocking, so A, B, A, B, C, B, C, D, C. And that creates a kind of sonic momentum.

[Ari Shapiro]

Yeah. And yet he wrote with this strict meter and rhyme. And you decided not to. Was that an easy decision for you or did you wrestle with it?

[Mary Jo Bang]

I wrestled with some aspects of it. I knew I could not maintain the rhyme scheme that he had invented for that poem. English is a rhyme poor language compared to the Romance languages.

[Ari Shapiro]

Oh, interesting. It's easier to rhyme in Italian than it is in English.

[Mary Jo Bang]

Absolutely, because you have those vowel endings on so many words. So I decided that I would substitute contemporary elements like assonance, where you have the same vowel sound, or alliteration, where you have the same consonant sound. And also things called slant rhyme, where it's a close rhyme but not quite so it doesn't clang to the ear. So this way it has the sound of contemporary poetry, but it also doesn't get trapped.

[Ari Shapiro]

I think it's time for us to hear an example. Would you read the first few lines that set you off on this epic journey?

[Mary Jo Bang]

I will. Inferno, Canto 1. Stopped mid motion in the middle of what we call our life. I looked up and saw no sky, only a dense cage of leaf, tree and twig. I was lost. It's difficult to describe a forest savage, arduous, extreme in its extremity, I think. And the facts come back, then the fear comes back. Death, I believe, can only be slightly more bitter. I can't address the good I found there until I describe in detail what else I saw.

[Ari Shapiro]

And so even in that first line, leaf, tree and twig, you get that repeating E sound and the repeating t. So even if it doesn't rhyme, you have some of those qualities you were talking about of assonance and alliteration and such.

[Mary Jo Bang]

Exactly. And the first line stopped mid motion in the middle is a little over the top. But I wanted to announce from the get go that I was going to keep that sense of sonic momentum that that rhyme has. But I was going to do it differently.

[Ari Shapiro]

Is it true that when you started this project, you had not even read the whole trilogy, like you were taking this crazy leap of faith?

[Mary Jo Bang]

I had read Inferno and Purgatorio, but I had never read Paradiso. And when I began, I never dreamed I would translate Paradiso. The reason I hadn't read it is I had found it unreadable.

[Ari Shapiro]

Your Paradiso has so much approachability and relatability. I opened to a random page, which happens to be Canto 22, and it begins with Awestruck. I turned to my guide like some little kid who keeps running back to the one in whom they have the most confidence. Like, you've got momentum, you've got a vivid visual image, and you've got a thing that every reader can relate to.

[Mary Jo Bang]

And Dante is a very visual poet.

[Ari Shapiro]

It feels almost too obvious to ask about Dante's long journey and the one that you have taken 20 years to complete. But there are some parallels. Was there ever a moment you felt like you were going through hell that you almost gave up?

[Mary Jo Bang]

Hmm. Well, I certainly questioned whether or not to proceed to Paradiso. But for better or for worse, the pandemic served a purpose, which was, what am I gonna do with my time? And I had no idea. I said to myself, there were so many hours in a day. So that was when I opened Paradiso and thought, let me just have a go at it. And then I couldn't stop, because, one, you had to finish right when you were that far in. And also because I wanted to find out what happened. Not having read Paradiso, everything was a surprise.

[Ari Shapiro]

You've said this trilogy is radical and every bit as relevant today as it was in the 1300s. How so?

[Mary Jo Bang]

Well, for one thing, the background was very similar. Italy, and particularly Florence, was riven by these different factions, and they hated each other. And when one would come into power, they would exile all the people and even burn their houses. So Dante is speaking about these things throughout the Inferno. He's speaking to people who have been victimized by it, but also the people who were enacting it. So there's this kind of ongoing discussion about the damage that is done. But Dante's really concerned about how we live our lives, and the afterlife is a reflection of that.

[Ari Shapiro]

How do you feel about having reached the end of this long journey?

[Mary Jo Bang]

I feel relieved that I was able to do it, that it's finished. I wonder what I'll do with my life now. It was the mainstay of my intellectual life. This has filled my days for most of 20 years.

[Ari Shapiro]

Mary Jo bank, thank you so much for talking with us and congratulations on reaching the end of this epic journey.

[Mary Jo Bang]

Thank you Ari. It's been a pleasure to talk to you.

[Ari Shapiro]

She spent the last 20 years translating Dante's Divine Comedy, Inferno, Purgatorio, and the third book, Paradiso is out now.

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