Inferno (The Norton Library)

About Michael Palma’s translation

Michael Palma’s translation of the Inferno reproduces in contemporary English Dante’s intricate triple-rhyming terza rima form, defying the conventional wisdom of literary commentators who long argued that it simply cannot be done. This spectacular feat of poetic artistry— “accurate … admirably clear, and readable” (Richard Wilbur)—“in capturing the sense, sound, and spirit of the original … comes close to perfection” (X.J. Kennedy).