Dante Revisited

"Per me si va ne la città dolente,
per me si va ne l’etterno dolore,
per me si va tra la perduta gente....

...Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate’"

- Dante, Inferno, Canto III

Translation (by H.W. Longfellow):

"Through me is the way to the city dolent;
Through me is the way to eternal dole;
Through me the way among the people lost...

...All hope abandon, ye who enter in!"

Every time I read this, I think to myself - if you saw these words written on the gates to Hell, how would you know whether you were coming in or going out?

Meanwhile, if you're a Dante fan, don't forget to visit the Virtual Tour of Hell (link courtesy Guardian's Culture Vulture Blog). Good fun. And a great introduction to the basics of the Inferno.