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THE INKLINGO LANGUAGE GUIDES

10 Italian Poems With English Translations

Read nine complete Italian poems and a clearly marked opening excerpt from Dante’s Inferno. Original English translations follow every line. Begin with Pascoli’s short scenes of weather, then explore Leopardi’s imagination and memory, Carducci’s autumn village and his moving poem of grief.

10 entries · Updated

An open poetry book beside a flower, a fountain pen and a small cloud

Start here

  1. A StormA distant rumbling...
  2. The LightningAnd sky and earth appeared as they were:
  3. The ThunderAnd in the night as black as nothingness,
  4. The WasherwomenIn the field, half gray and half black,
  5. NovemberThe air is gem-clear, the sun so bright
  6. Saint Martin’s DayMist rises toward the bristling hills
  7. InfinityThis lonely hill was always dear to me,
  8. To the MoonO gracious Moon, I remember
  9. An Ancient GriefThe tree toward which you stretched
  10. Dante’s Dark Wood — Opening ExcerptMidway along the journey of our life

Short Italian Poems for Learners

Pascoli compresses a whole scene into a few sounds and colors. These short texts are manageable, though their literary vocabulary still needs care.

A white farmhouse beneath storm clouds beside a cradle and a wooden plow
1

A Storm

Un bubbolìo lontano...
A distant rumbling...
Rosseggia l’,
The horizon glows red,
come affocato, a :
As though aflame, toward the sea:
nero di pece, a ,
Pitch black, toward the mountain,
stracci di nubi chiare:
Rags of pale clouds:
tra il nero un :
Amid the blackness a farmhouse:
un’ di gabbiano.
A gull’s wing.

Full public-domain text · Giovanni Pascoli died in 1912; the cited text was published in 1905, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Giovanni Pascoli (1855–1912), Temporale, Myricae, Giusti edition (1905), p. 128

Bubbolìo imitates a low rumble. The white farmhouse appears against darkness like a gull’s wing; the last line is an image, not necessarily a second object in the scene.

A small white farmhouse under dark storm clouds with a red horizonSource note
2

The Lightning

E e si mostrò qual era:
And sky and earth appeared as they were:
la ansante, livida, in sussulto;
The earth panting, bruised, shuddering;
il ingombro, , disfatto:
The sky burdened, tragic, undone:
bianca bianca nel tacito tumulto
White, white, in the silent turmoil
una casa apparì sparì d’un tratto;
A house appeared, vanished in an instant;
come un occhio, che, , esterrefatto,
Like an eye that, wide and terrified,
s’aprì si , nella notte nera.
Opened, closed, in the black night.

Full public-domain text · Giovanni Pascoli died in 1912; the cited text was published in 1905, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Giovanni Pascoli (1855–1912), Il lampo, Myricae, Giusti edition (1905), p. 159

The house flashes into view and disappears like an opening and closing eye. The singular si mostrò belongs to the original; the translation conveys the scene without copying its unusual agreement.

A single flash of lightning revealing a white house against black nightSource note
3

The Thunder

E nella notte nera come il ,
And in the night as black as nothingness,
a un tratto, col fragor d’arduo dirupo
Suddenly, with the crash of a steep cliff
che frana, il rimbombò di schianto:
Collapsing, the thunder burst and boomed:
rimbombò, rimbalzò, rotolò cupo,
It boomed, rebounded, rolled darkly,
e tacque, e rimareggiò rinfranto,
And fell silent, then surged back in broken waves,
e vanì. Soave allora un canto
And then vanished. Then a gentle song
s’, di , e il moto di una .
Was heard, a mother’s, and the movement of a cradle.

Full public-domain text · Giovanni Pascoli died in 1912; the cited text was published in 1905, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Giovanni Pascoli (1855–1912), Il tuono, Myricae, Giusti edition (1905), p. 159

The repeated r sounds make thunder roll across the lines. The ending changes scale from frightening weather to the small reassuring sounds of a home.

A cradle in a softly lit room while a storm passes outsideSource note
4

The Washerwomen

Nel campo grigio e nero
In the field, half gray and half black,
un aratro senza buoi, che
A plow without oxen remains, seeming
dimenticato, tra il vapor .
Forgotten amid the light mist.
E cadenzato dalla gora viene
And rhythmically from the water channel comes
lo sciabordare delle lavandare
The splashing of the washerwomen,
con tonfi spessi e lunghe cantilene:
With frequent thuds and long songs:
Il soffia e nevica la frasca,
The wind blows and the branch sheds leaves like snow,
e tu non torni al tuo paese!
And still you do not return to your village!
quando partisti, come son rimasta!
When you left, how I was left behind!
come l’aratro in alla maggese.
Like the plow in the middle of the fallow field.

Full public-domain text · Giovanni Pascoli died in 1912; the cited text was published in 1905, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Giovanni Pascoli (1855–1912), Lavandare, Myricae, Giusti edition (1905), p. 71

The first image returns inside the women’s song. Gora is a water channel; maggese is fallow land. “Snowing” branches shed leaves, not necessarily actual snow.

An abandoned plow in a misty field near women washing linen in a streamSource note

Explore these words: Nature & landscape (flashcards) · Weather (flashcards) · Time & dates (flashcards)

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Italian Poems About Nature and the Seasons

Fields, wine, branches and moonlight carry feelings that go beyond the visible landscape.

A moon above a hill, autumn branches and a village wine barrel
5

November

Gemmea l’aria, il così chiaro
The air is gem-clear, the sun so bright
che tu ricerchi gli albicocchi in ,
That you look for apricot trees in flower,
e del prunalbo l’odorino amaro
And the faint bitter scent of hawthorn
nel cuore...
You feel within your heart...
Ma secco è il pruno, e le stecchite
But the thorn is dry, and the withered plants
di nere trame segnano il sereno,
Mark the clear sky with black patterns,
e il , e cavo al sonante
And the sky is empty, and hollow beneath the sounding foot
sembra il .
The ground seems.
Silenzio, : , alle ventate,
Silence all around: only in the gusts
odi lontano, da giardini ed orti,
You hear far away, from gardens and vegetable plots,
di foglie un cader fragile. È l’,
A fragile falling of leaves. It is the summer,
fredda, dei .
Cold, of the dead.

Full public-domain text · Giovanni Pascoli died in 1912; the cited text was published in 1905, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Giovanni Pascoli (1855–1912), Novembre, Myricae, Giusti edition (1905), pp. 131–132

A bright November day briefly suggests spring, but the bare branches undo the illusion. The final phrase joins a brief autumn warmth with the season’s remembrance of the dead.

Bare dark branches against a clear bright November sky with falling leavesSource note
6

Saint Martin’s Day

La nebbia a gl’irti colli
Mist rises toward the bristling hills
Piovigginando sale,
In a fine drizzle,
E sotto il maestrale
And beneath the northwesterly wind
Urla e biancheggia il ;
The sea roars and turns white;
Ma per le del borgo
But through the village streets,
Dal ribollir de’ tini
From the bubbling vats,
Va l’aspro odor de i
The sharp smell of wine goes
L’anime a rallegrar.
To cheer people’s spirits.
Gira su’ ceppi accesi
Over the burning logs
Lo spiedo scoppiettando:
The spit turns, crackling:
Sta il cacciator fischiando
The hunter stands whistling
Su l’uscio a rimirar
At the doorway, watching
Tra le rossastre nubi
Among the reddish clouds
Stormi d’ neri,
Flocks of black birds,
Com’esuli pensieri,
Like exiled thoughts,
Nel vespero migrar.
Migrating in the evening.

Full public-domain text · Giosuè Carducci died in 1907; the cited text was published in 1906, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Giosuè Carducci (1835–1907), San Martino, Rime nuove, collected Poesie edition (1906), pp. 624–625

The title points to the November feast of Saint Martin. Tini are wine vats; maestrale is a northwesterly wind; vespero means evening. The final comparison shifts from village activity to thought.

A village doorway with a roasting spit and wine barrels beneath migrating birdsSource note
7

Infinity

caro mi fu quest’ermo colle,
This lonely hill was always dear to me,
e questa siepe, che da parte
And this hedge, which from so much
dell’ultimo il guardo esclude.
Of the farthest horizon shuts out the view.
Ma, sedendo e mirando, interminati
But sitting and gazing, unending
spazi di lá da quella, e sovrumani
Spaces beyond it, and more-than-human
silenzi, e profondissima quiete
Silences, and deepest stillness,
io nel pensier mi fingo; ove per poco
I imagine in my mind; where my heart
il cor non si spaura. E come il
Almost takes fright. And as I hear the wind
odo stormir tra queste , io quello
Rustle among these plants, that
silenzio a questa voce
Infinite silence with this voice
vo comparando: e mi sovvien l’eterno,
I keep comparing: and eternity comes to mind,
e le stagioni, e la presente
And the dead seasons, and the present
e viva, e il suon di lei. Cosí tra questa
Living one, and its sound. Thus amid this
immensitá s’annega il pensier mio;
Immensity my thought drowns;
e il naufragar m’è dolce in questo .
And shipwreck is sweet to me in this sea.

Full public-domain text · Giacomo Leopardi died in 1837; the cited text was published in 1917, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), L’infinito, Canti, edited by Alessandro Donati (1917), p. 49

The hedge limits sight but opens an imagined infinity. Ermo means solitary; fingo here means imagine, not lie. The edition’s acute accents in lá, cosí and immensitá are retained.

A solitary hill with a hedge overlooking an imagined vast horizonSource note

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Famous Italian Poems About Life and Memory

Leopardi, Carducci and Dante offer three very different views of a human life: remembered pain, bereavement and a lost path.

An open book beside a pomegranate flower, a moon and a dark forest path
8

To the Moon

O graziosa , io mi rammento
O gracious Moon, I remember
che, or volge l’, sovra questo colle
That a year ago, upon this hill,
io venia pien d’angoscia a rimirarti:
I came full of anguish to gaze at you:
e tu pendevi allor su quella selva,
And then you hung above that wood,
siccome or fai, che tutta la rischiari.
As you do now, lighting all of it.
Ma nebuloso e tremulo dal pianto,
But misty and trembling through the tears
che mi sorgea sul ciglio, alle mie luci
That rose to my eyelids, to my eyes
il tuo volto apparia, ché travagliosa
Your face appeared, because troubled
era mia vita: ed è, né cangia stile,
Was my life—and still is, nor changes its ways,
o mia diletta . E pur mi giova
O my beloved Moon. And yet remembrance
la ricordanza, e il noverar l’etate
Helps me, and counting the age
del mio dolore. Oh come grato occorre
Of my sorrow. Oh, how welcome it is
nel tempo giovanil, quando ancor lungo
In youth, when hope still has a long
la speme e breve ha la il corso,
Course and memory a short one,
il rimembrar delle passate cose,
To remember things that have passed,
ancor che , e che l’affanno duri!
Even if sad, and even if the suffering lasts!

Full public-domain text · Giacomo Leopardi died in 1837; the cited text was published in 1917, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), Alla luna, Canti, edited by Alessandro Donati (1917), p. 52

The moon is constant while the speaker revisits sorrow. Luci can mean eyes in poetry; speme is hope; noverar means to count. Remembering can comfort without erasing pain.

A luminous moon over a wooded hill with one seated figureSource note
9

An Ancient Grief

L’ a cui tendevi
The tree toward which you stretched
La pargoletta mano,
Your tiny hand,
Il verde
The green pomegranate
Da’ bei vermigli fior,
With its lovely crimson flowers,
Nel orto solingo
In the silent, lonely garden
Rinverdí tutto or ora
Has just grown green again,
E lo ristora
And June restores it
Di luce e di calor.
With light and warmth.
Tu fior de la mia
You, flower of my plant,
Percossa e inaridita,
Struck down and withered,
Tu de l’inutil vita
You, of this useless life
Estremo fior,
The last and only flower,
Sei ne la fredda,
Are in the cold earth,
Sei ne la negra;
Are in the dark earth;
Né il sol piú ti rallegra
Neither does the sun cheer you now
Né ti risveglia amor.
Nor love awaken you.

Full public-domain text · Giosuè Carducci died in 1907; the cited text was published in 1906, before 1930. Original English translation by Inklingo.

Intermediate

— Giosuè Carducci (1835–1907), Pianto antico, Rime nuove, collected Poesie edition (1906), pp. 595–596

The renewed pomegranate tree contrasts with a child who cannot return. Pargoletta means tiny or childlike; vermigli means crimson. This is a bereavement poem, not a romantic message.

A pomegranate branch with crimson flowers in a quiet gardenSource note
10

Dante’s Dark Wood — Opening Excerpt

Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita
Midway along the journey of our life
mi ritrovai per una selva oscura,
I found myself in a dark wood,
ché la diritta via era smarrita.
For the straight path had been lost.
Ahi a qual era è cosa
Ah, how hard it is to say what it was like,
esta selva selvaggia e aspra e forte
This wild and harsh and forbidding wood,
che nel pensier rinova la !
Which renews my fear when I think of it!

Excerpt · Dante died in 1321. The Commedia circulated in the fourteenth century and was printed in 1472, documented by Cambridge University Library. The wording here follows the linked Italian transcription, not a diplomatic transcription of the 1472 print.

Intermediate

— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno, canto I, lines 1–6 (opening excerpt)

Only the first six lines of canto I are included. Dante’s dark wood begins a much longer journey through the afterlife. Cammin is a shortened form of cammino; esta means questa.

A traveler facing a dark forest with a narrow path disappearing among treesSource note

Explore these words: Emotions & feelings (flashcards) · Plants & trees (flashcards) · Days & months (flashcards)

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Famous Italian-language authors

Read a full story in Inklingo

Continue with graded stories that explore folklore, nature, and imagination. These are Inklingo adaptations and original stories; each description explains the connection.

King Laurin’s Rose Garden (A1)

An A1 adaptation of the Dolomite legend: a dwarf king’s forgotten dawn and dusk explain the mountains’ red glow.

Read the full story in Inklingo

The Befana at the Door (A1)

An original A1 story set during the Befana holiday. A child’s stocking, an orange, and a silver key bring the night’s visitor to life.

Read the full story in Inklingo

Italian poems: frequently asked questions

Which Italian poems are easiest to start with?

Pascoli’s Temporale and Il lampo are just seven lines each. Their images are concrete, but words such as bubbolìo and esterrefatto are literary, so use the line translations and notes.

Who are famous Italian poets?

Dante Alighieri, Giacomo Leopardi, Giovanni Pascoli and Giosuè Carducci are represented here. Their different periods also show how literary Italian changes over time.

Are the Italian poems complete?

Nine are complete. The Dante entry is explicitly an excerpt: only the first six lines of Inferno, canto I. The entire Divine Comedy is much longer.

Are these Italian poems public domain?

The selected authors died before 1956, and all texts were published before 1930. Notes distinguish a work’s first appearance from the historical edition used. The English translations are newly written for Inklingo.

Why are some Italian words shortened or old-fashioned?

Poets use forms such as cor for cuore, speme for speranza and cangia for cambia. Elision and unusual word order help the rhythm; these forms are worth recognizing but are not a model for everyday conversation.

Are there Italian love poems here?

This selection emphasizes nature, memory and life rather than romantic captions. Pianto antico expresses a father’s love for his dead child. For brief attributed sayings about love, use the Italian quotes guide.

Make these words part of your day

Explore Italian stories, listen along, and save vocabulary as you go.

Find a story at your level

Sources and verification

English translations and examples were written for this guide. Source notes distinguish documented expressions, original practice sentences, and literary quotations. Literary excerpts retain the language of their original period.

Source notes for all 10 entries
  1. A Storm: Complete poem from the cited 1905 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [it-poem-temporale] [myricae-edition] [it-author-Giovanni_Pascoli]
  2. The Lightning: Complete poem from the cited 1905 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [it-poem-lampo] [myricae-edition] [it-author-Giovanni_Pascoli]
  3. The Thunder: Complete poem from the cited 1905 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [it-poem-tuono] [myricae-edition] [it-author-Giovanni_Pascoli]
  4. The Washerwomen: Complete poem from the cited 1905 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [it-poem-lavandare] [myricae-edition] [it-author-Giovanni_Pascoli]
  5. November: Complete poem from the cited 1905 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [it-poem-novembre] [myricae-edition] [it-author-Giovanni_Pascoli]
  6. Saint Martin’s Day: Complete poem from the cited 1906 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [it-poem-martino] [it-author-Giosuè_Carducci]
  7. Infinity: Complete poem from the cited 1917 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [it-poem-infinito] [canti-edition] [it-author-Giacomo_Leopardi]
  8. To the Moon: Complete poem from the cited 1917 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [it-poem-luna] [canti-edition] [it-author-Giacomo_Leopardi]
  9. An Ancient Grief: Complete poem from the cited 1906 edition; linebreaks retained, typographic spacing normalized. English translation by Inklingo. [it-poem-pianto] [it-author-Giosuè_Carducci]
  10. Dante’s Dark Wood — Opening Excerpt: Opening excerpt only: Inferno I, lines 1–6. Wording checked against the linked Italian transcription; 1472 is the documented first print date, not the edition of that transcription. [it-poem-dante] [dante-print] [it-author-Dante_Alighieri]