“In the middle of the journey of our life, I came to myself in a dark wood.”

“In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself within a dark woods where the straight way was lost.”

“Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost.”

“Midway along the journey of our lifeI woke to find myself in a dark wood,for I had wandered off from the straight path.How hard it is to tell what it was like,this wood of wilderness, savage and stubborn(the thought of it brings back all my old fears),a bitter place! Death could scarce be bitterer.But if I would show the good that came of itI must talk about things other than the good.”

“I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightfoward pathway had been lost. Ah me! How hard a thing is to say, what was this forest savage, rough, and stern, which in the very thought renews the fear. So bitter is it, death is little more...”

“ma gia volgena il mio disio e'l vellesi come rota ch'igualmente e mossa,l'amor che move: i sole e l'altre stelle...as a wheel turns smoothtly, free from jars, my will and my desire were turned by love, The love that moves the sun and the other stars.”

“Hope not ever to see Heaven. I have come to lead you to theother shore; into eternal darkness; into fire and into ice.”