Vita Nuova Quotes

“In that book which is my memory,
On the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first met you,
Appear the words, ‘Here begins a new life’.”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita Nuova

“Apparuit iam beatitudo vestra,”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita Nuova

“I say that when she appeared, in whatever place, by the hope embodied in that marvelous greeting, for me no enemy remained, in fact I shone with a flame of charity that made me grant pardon to whoever had offended me: and if anyone had then asked me anything my reply would only have been: ‘Love’, with an aspect full of humility.”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita Nuova

“In quella parte del libro de la mia memoria dinanzi a la quale poco si potrebbe leggere, si trova una rubrica la quale dice: INCIPIT VITA NOVA”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita Nuova

“Time and again the thought comes to my mind
of the dark condition Love imparts to me;
then the pity of it strikes me, and I ask:
“Could ever anyone have felt the same?”
For Love’s attack is so precipitous
that life itself all but abandons me:
nothing survives except one lonely spirit,
allowed to live because it speaks of you. With hope of help to come I gather courage,
and deathly languid, drained of all defenses,
I come to you expecting to be healed;
and if I raise my eyes to look at you,
within my heart a tremor starts to spread,
driving out life, stopping my pulses’ beat.”
― Dante Alighieri, Dante's Vita Nuova: A Translation and an Essay

“My lady looks so gentle and so pure When yielding salutation by the way, That the tongue trembles and has nought to say, And the eyes, which fain would see, may not endure. And still, amid the praise she hears secure, She walks with humbleness for her array; Seeming a creature sent from Heaven to stay On earth, and show a miracle made sure. She is so pleasant in the eyes of men That through the sight the inmost heart doth gain A sweetness which needs proof to know it by: And from between her lips there seems to move A soothing essence that is full of love, Saying for ever to the spirit, “Sigh!”
― Dante Alighieri, The New Life

“Ecce deus fortior me, qui veniens dominabitur michi.”
― Dante Alighieri, La vita nuova

“E chi avesse voluto conoscere Amore, fare lo potea mirando lo tremare de li occhi miei.”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita Nuova

“Names are the consequences of things.”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita Nuova

“I have set foot in that region of life where it is not possible to go with any more intention of returning.”
― Dante Alighieri, La Vita Nuova

“To every heart which the sweet pain doth move,
And unto which these words may now be brought
For true interpretation and kind thought,
Be greeting in our Lord’s name, which is Love.
Of those long hours wherein the stars, above,
Wake and keep watch, the third was almost nought,
When Love was shown me with such terrors fraught
As may not carelessly be spoken of.
He seemed like one who is full of joy, and had
My heart within his hand, and on his arm
My lady, with a mantle round her, slept;
Whom (having wakened her) anon he made
To eat that heart; she ate, as fearing harm.
Then he went out; and as he went, he wept.”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita Nuova

“Hear me and then consider: am not I
The keep and key
Of all the torments sorrow can combine?”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita Nuova

“Wherefore it would appear that this number was thus allied unto her for the purpose of signifying that, at her birth, all these nine heavens were at perfect unity with each other as to their influence. This is one reason that may be brought: but more narrowly considering, and according to the infallible truth, this number was her own self: that is to say, by similitude. As thus. The number three is the root of the number nine; seeing that without the interposition of any other number, being multiplied merely by itself, it produceth nine, as we manifestly perceive that three times three are nine. Thus, three being of itself the efficient of nine, and the Great Efficient of Miracles being of Himself Three Persons (to wit: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit), which, being Three, are also One:—this lady was accompanied by the number nine to the end that men might clearly perceive her to be a nine, that is, a miracle, whose only root is the Holy Trinity. It may be that a more subtile person would find for this thing a reason of greater subtilty: but such is the reason that I find, and that liketh me best.”
― Dante Alighieri, The New Life

“Then I call on Death
as to a sweet and gentle refuge:
and I say: 'Come to me' with such love,
that I am envious of all who die”
― Dante Alighieri, la vita Nuova

“I say most truly that at that moment the spirit of life, which hath its dwelling in the secretest chamber of the heart, began to tremble so violently that the least pulses of my body shook therewith; and in trembling it said these words: Ecce deus fortior me, qui veniens dominabitur mihi, (“Here is a deity stronger than I ; who, coming, shall rule over me.”)”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita Nuova

“She appeared dressed in the most patrician of colors, a subdued and decorous crimson, her robe bound round and adorned in a style suitable to her years. At that very moment, and I speak the truth, the vital spirit, the one that dwells in the most secret chamber of the heart, began to tremble so violently that even the most minute veins of my body were strangely affected; and trembling, it spoke these words: “Here is a god stronger than I who comes to rule over me.”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita Nuova

“Allegro mi sembrava Amor tenendo meo core in mano, e ne le braccia avea madonna involta in un drappo dormendo.”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita nuova

“Beyond the sphere that hath the widest gyre
Passeth the sigh that leaves my heart below...”
― Dante Alighieri, The New Life

“Many a time the thought returns to me:
What sad conditions Love on me bestows!
And moved by Pity I say frequently:
'Can there be anyone who my state knows?'
For Love takes hold of me so suddenly
My vital spirits I am near to lose.
One only of them all survives in me,
Staying to speak of you, as Love allows.
To aid me then my forces I renew
And pallid, all my courage drained long since,
I come to you to remedy my plight;
But if I raise my eyes to look at you
So vast a tremor in my heart begins
My beating pulses put my soul to flight.”
― Dante Alighieri, La Vita Nuova

“Mora Amor en los ojos de mi amada por lo cual cuanto mira se ennoblece. Aquel a quien saluda se estremece: todo mortal le lanza su mirada. Si ella baja la faz, el todo es nada, el ánimo en quejumbre desmerece, muere soberbia, cólera perece. ¡Oh mujeres, le cumple ser loada! Toda humildad y toda dulcedumbre nace oyendo su voz pura y afable. Dichoso el hombre que la vio primero. Cuando sonríe -que su boca es lumbre- se magnifica y hácese inefable porque es algo divino y hechicero.”
― Dante Alighieri, La vida nueva

“Ne li occhi porta la mia donna Amore, per che si fa gentil ciò ch’ella mira; ov’ella passa, ogn’om ver lei si gira, e cui saluta fa tremar lo core, sì che, bassando il viso, tutto smore, e d’ogni suo difetto allor sospira: fugge dinanzi a lei superbia ed ira. Aiutatemi, donne, farle onore. Ogne dolcezza, ogne pensero umile nasce nel core a chi parlar la sente, ond’è laudato chi prima la vide. Quel ch’ella par quando un poco sorride, non si pò dicer né tenere a mente, sì è novo miracolo e gentile.”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita nuova

“Amore e ‘l cor gentil sono una cosa, sì come il saggio in suo dittare pone, e così esser l’un sanza l’altro osa com’alma razional sanza ragione. Falli natura quand’è amorosa, Amor per sire e ‘l cor per sua magione, dentro la qual dormendo si riposa tal volta poca e tal lunga stagione. Bieltate appare in saggia donna pui, che piace a gli occhi sì, che dentro al core nasce un disio de la cosa piacente; e tanto dura talora in costui, che fa svegliar lo spirito d’Amore. E simil face in donna omo valente.”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita nuova

“Color di perle ha quasi, in forma quale convene a donna aver, non for misura: ella è quanto de ben pò far natura; per essemplo di lei bieltà si prova. De li occhi suoi, come ch’ella li mova, escono spirti d’amore inflammati, che feron li occhi a qual che allor la guati, e passan sì che ‘l cor ciascun retrova: voi le vedete Amor pinto nel viso, là ‘ve non pote alcun mirarla fiso.”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita nuova

“Donne ch’avete intelletto d’amore, i’ vo’ con voi de la mia donna dire, non perch’io creda sua laude finire, ma ragionar per isfogar la mente. Io dico che pensando il suo valore, Amor sì dolce mi si fa sentire, che s’io allora non perdessi ardire, farei parlando innamorar la gente. E io non vo’ parlar sì altamente, ch’io divenisse per temenza vile; ma tratterò del suo stato gentile a respetto di lei leggeramente,”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita nuova

“Spesse fiate vegnonmi a la mente le oscure qualità ch’Amor mi dona, e venmene pietà, sì che sovente io dico: «Lasso!, avviene elli a persona?»; ch’Amor m’assale subitanamente, sì che la vita quasi m’abbandona: campami un spirto vivo solamente, e que’ riman perché di voi ragiona. Poscia mi sforzo, ché mi voglio atare; e così smorto, d’onne valor voto, vegno a vedervi, credendo guerire: e se io levo li occhi per guardare, nel cor mi si comincia uno tremoto, che fa de’ polsi l’anima partire.”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita nuova

“apparvero a me certi visi di donne scapigliate, che mi diceano: «Tu pur morrai»; e poi, dopo queste donne, m'apparvero certi visi diversi e orribili a vedere, li quali mi diceano: «Tu se' morto».”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita nuova

“Donne ch'avete intelletto d'amore,”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita nuova

“e così dimorai alquanti dì con disiderio di dire e con paura di cominciare.”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita nuova

“Questo sonetto ha due parti principali; che ne la prima intendo chiamare li fedeli d'Amore per quelle parole di Geremia profeta che dicono: "O vos omnes qui transitis per viam, attendite et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus", e pregare che mi sofferino d'audire;”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita nuova

“E quando mi domandavano: «Per cui t'ha così distrutto questo Amore?», ed io sorridendo li guardava, e nulla dicea loro.”
― Dante Alighieri, Vita nuova