The divine comedy — Page 1

Vocabulary

mezzo

met-tso — Middle or half of something

cammin

kam-meen — Journey or path of life (poetic)

nostra

nos-tra — Our, first person plural possessive adjective

vita

vee-ta — Life, the state of being alive

ritrovai

ree-tro-vai — I found myself, past tense of ritrovarsi

selva

sel-va — Forest or dense woodland, often poetic

oscura

os-koo-ra — Dark, gloomy, or obscure

ché

keh — Because or for, archaic/poetic conjunction

diritta

dee-reet-ta — Straight or direct path or road

via

vee-a — Road, way, or path to follow

smarrita

smar-ree-ta — Lost, gone astray, or misplaced

anche

an-keh — Also, too, or even

solo

so-lo — Only, just, or alone

raccontarla

rak-kon-tar-la — To tell it, to narrate that story

sarebbe

sa-reb-beh — Would be, conditional of essere

impresa

im-preh-za — Undertaking, enterprise, or difficult task

facile

fa-chee-leh — Easy, simple, or not difficult

quanto

kwan-to — How much, how, or as much as

selvaggia

sel-vad-ja — Wild, savage, or untamed in nature

fosse

fos-seh — Were, imperfect subjunctive of essere

quella

kwel-la — That, feminine singular demonstrative adjective

foresta

fo-res-ta — Forest, large dense area of trees

fitta

feet-ta — Dense, thick, or tightly packed together

aspra

as-pra — Harsh, rough, or bitter in character

vegetazione

veh-jeh-ta-tsyo-neh — Vegetation, plant life covering an area

ricordarla

ree-kor-dar-la — To remember it, to recall that thing

sgomento

zgo-men-to — Dismay, dread, or overwhelming fear

rinnova

rin-no-va — Renews or refreshes, third person singular present

amarezza

a-ma-ret-tsa — Bitterness, sorrow, or emotional pain felt

lontana

lon-ta-na — Distant, far away, or remote

morte

mor-teh — Death, the end of life

Eppure

ep-poo-reh — Yet, nevertheless, or and still

parlare

par-la-reh — To speak or to talk

bene

beh-neh — Well, good, or correctly

vi

vee — There or to you, pronoun or adverb

trovai

tro-vai — I found, first person past of trovare

dirò

dee-ro — I will say or tell, future tense

tutto

toot-to — Everything, all, or every single thing

ciò

cho — That, what, or that which (neuter)

scoprii

skop-ree-ee — I discovered, first person past of scoprire

entrai

en-trai — I entered, first person past of entrare

prima

pree-ma — First or before, ordinal or temporal adverb

volta

vol-ta — Time or turn, as in 'first time'

malapena

ma-la-peh-na — Barely or hardly, with great difficulty

so

so — I know, first person present of sapere

dire

dee-reh — To say or to tell

tanta

tan-ta — So much or such great quantity

sonnolenta

son-no-len-ta — Sleepy, drowsy, or inducing heavy sleep

torpidezza

tor-pee-det-tsa — Torpor, numbness, or heavy sluggish feeling

quell'

kwel — That, elided demonstrative before vowel-initial noun

istante

is-tan-teh — Instant or moment in time

gravò

gra-vo — Weighed upon or burdened, past tense

sensi

sen-see — Senses or feelings, plural of senso

quando

kwan-do — When, used to introduce time clause

vera

veh-ra — True or real, feminine adjective

abbandonai

ab-ban-do-nai — I abandoned or left behind, past tense

giunsi

joon-see — I arrived or reached, past tense of giungere

piedi

pyeh-dee — Feet or base of something, plural

monte

mon-teh — Mountain or large hill

dove

do-veh — Where, used in questions and relative clauses

chiudeva

kyoo-deh-va — Was closing or ended, imperfect tense

valle

val-leh — Valley, low land between hills

trafitto

tra-feet-to — Pierced through or stabbed, past participle

cuore

kwo-reh — Heart, organ or seat of emotion

terrore

ter-ro-reh — Terror, extreme fear or dread

levai

leh-vai — I raised or lifted, past tense of levare

sguardo

zgwar-do — Gaze or look directed at something

alto

al-to — High, tall, or upward

vidi

vee-dee — I saw, first person past of vedere

spalle

spal-leh — Shoulders or upper back, plural noun

ampie

am-pyeh — Wide, broad, or spacious, plural feminine

già

ja — Already or now, temporal adverb

rivestite

ree-ves-tee-teh — Clothed or covered, past participle plural feminine

raggi

rad-jee — Rays of light, plural of raggio

quel

kwel — That, masculine singular demonstrative adjective

pianeta

pya-neh-ta — Planet, here referring to the sun

guida

gwee-da — Guide, leader, or one who leads

salvi

sal-vee — Safe or saved, plural adjective

tutti

toot-tee — All or everyone, masculine plural form

viandanti

vyan-dan-tee — Travelers or wayfarers on a journey

ogni

on-yee — Every or each, used before singular noun

cammino

kam-mee-no — Road, path, or journey one travels

allora

al-lo-ra — Then, at that time, or therefore

piccolo

pik-ko-lo — Small, little, or slight in size

sollievo

sol-lyeh-vo — Relief, comfort, or easing of burden

paura

pa-oo-ra — Fear, fright, or sense of danger

profondi

pro-fon-dee — Deep or profound, masculine plural adjective

recessi

reh-ches-see — Recesses or hidden depths, plural noun

giaciuto

ja-choo-to — Lain down, past participle of giacere

tutta

toot-ta — All or entire, feminine singular form

notte

not-teh — Night, the dark hours of day

trascorsa

tras-kor-sa — Passed or elapsed, feminine past participle

così

ko-zee — So, thus, or in this way

miseramente

mee-ze-ra-men-teh — Miserably or wretchedly, in a miserable manner

uomo

wo-mo — Man or human being, masculine noun

ansante

an-san-teh — Panting, gasping for breath, out of breath

affannato

af-fan-na-to — Breathless, anxious, or distressed

sfinito

sfee-nee-to — Exhausted, completely worn out or drained

fatica

fa-tee-ka — Effort, fatigue, or physical strain endured

scampato

skam-pa-to — Escaped from danger, past participle of scampare

mare

ma-reh — Sea or ocean, large body of water

riva

ree-va — Shore, bank, or edge of water

volge

vol-jeh — Turns, directs attention, third person present

verso

ver-so — Toward or in the direction of

distesa

dis-teh-za — Expanse or stretch of land or water

pericolosa

peh-ree-ko-lo-za — Dangerous or hazardous, feminine adjective

ferma

fer-ma — Stops or stands still, third person present

contemplarla

kon-tem-plar-la — To contemplate or gaze upon it

spirito

spee-ree-to — Spirit, soul, or inner vital force

ancora

an-ko-ra — Still, yet, or again

veniva

veh-nee-va — Was coming, imperfect tense of venire

meno

meh-no — Less or fewer, used in comparisons

lotta

lot-ta — Struggle, fight, or battle against something

volse

vol-seh — Turned, third person past of volgere

guardare

gwar-da-reh — To look at or to watch

stretto

stret-to — Narrow, tight, or confined passage

passo

pas-so — Step, pace, or narrow mountain pass

nessuno

nes-soo-no — No one, nobody, or not anyone

attraversato

at-tra-ver-sa-to — Crossed or traversed, past participle of attraversare

rimanendo

ree-ma-nen-do — Remaining or staying, gerund of rimanere

corpo

kor-po — Body, the physical form of a person

stanco

stan-ko — Tired, weary, or fatigued

dopo

do-po — After or following in time or order

breve

breh-veh — Brief or short in duration

sosta

sos-ta — Rest, pause, or brief stop made

rinfrancato

rin-fran-ka-to — Refreshed or reinvigorated, past participle

nuovo

nwo-vo — New or fresh, masculine singular adjective

proseguii

pro-seh-gwee-ee — I continued or pressed on, past tense

su

soo — On, up, or upon

solitario

so-lee-ta-ryo — Solitary, lonely, or isolated place

pendio

pen-dyo — Slope or hillside, inclined terrain

piede

pyeh-deh — Foot, lower part of leg or base

dietro

dyeh-tro — Behind or after, spatial preposition

sempre

sem-preh — Always or ever, temporal adverb

più

pyoo — More or most, used in comparisons

fermo

fer-mo — Firm, steady, or resolute

salita

sa-lee-ta — Climb, ascent, or uphill path taken

cominciata

ko-min-cha-ta — Begun or started, feminine past participle

ecco

ek-ko — Here is, there is, or behold