THE INKLINGO LANGUAGE GUIDES
60 Italian Quotes About Life, Love & Wisdom
Find 60 short Italian quotes about life, love, wisdom and determination, with English translations, named authors and a traceable source for every line. The quick list offers concise choices for a caption, message or moment of reflection; context notes explain a character’s voice or an older expression.
Short quotes to start with
- La vita bene spesa lunga è.A life well spent is long.
- Non si volta chi a stella è fisso.Whoever is fixed on a star does not turn aside.
- Impedimento non mi piega.An obstacle does not bend me.
- L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.The love that moves the sun and the other stars.
- Non ragioniam di lor, ma guarda e passa.Let us not speak of them; look and move on.
- Nessun maggior dolore che ricordarsi del tempo felice ne la miseria.There is no greater pain than remembering happy times in misery.
- E il naufragar m’è dolce in questo mare.And shipwreck is sweet to me in this sea.
- Piacer figlio d’affanno.Pleasure, child of suffering.
- Ognuno vede quel che tu pari; pochi sentono quel che tu sei.Everyone sees what you appear to be; few experience what you are.
- De’ remi facemmo ali al folle volo.We made wings of our oars for the reckless flight.
Italian Quotes About Life and Time
Read these lines in their original setting: a narrator or character may express a troubled view, not simple advice.
Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita mi ritrovai per una selva oscura, ché la diritta era smarrita.
Midway through the journey of our life, I found myself in a dark wood, for the straight way had been lost.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno I, 1–3
The poem opens with the pilgrim spiritually and physically lost.
Source noteNessun che ricordarsi del tempo ne la .
There is no greater pain than remembering happy times in misery.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno V, 121–123
Francesca contrasts remembered happiness with her present punishment.
Source noteNoi ci allegrammo, e tosto tornò in pianto.
We rejoiced, and soon our joy turned to tears.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno XXVI, 136
Seeing land briefly raises the sailors’ hopes before the storm.
Source notemi fu quest’ermo colle.
This solitary hill has always been dear to me.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), L’infinito, opening
The speaker begins with a familiar place that opens into an imagined infinity.
Source noteQuesto di sette è il più gradito , pien di speme e di .
Of the seven days, this is the most welcome, full of hope and joy.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), Il sabato del villaggio, fourth stanza
Saturday’s anticipation is more pleasurable than the holiday itself.
Source noteDiman e recheran l’, ed al travaglio usato ciascun in suo pensier farà .
Tomorrow the hours will bring sadness and boredom, and everyone will return in thought to their usual labor.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), Il sabato del villaggio, fourth stanza
The poem contrasts expectation with the return of ordinary work.
Source noteSì dolce, sì gradita quand’è, com’or, la vita?
When is life so sweet and welcome as it is now?
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), La quiete dopo la tempesta, second stanza
Relief after a storm prompts the question; the poem later interrogates this pleasure.
Source noteO graziosa , io mi rammento che, or volge l’, sovra questo colle venia d’angoscia a rimirarti.
O gracious moon, I remember coming to this hill a year ago, full of anguish, to gaze at you.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), Alla luna, opening
A familiar landscape links present sorrow with remembered sorrow.
Source notedintorno brilla nell’aria, e per li campi esulta, sì ch’a mirarla intenerisce il core.
Spring shines in the air all around and rejoices through the fields, softening the heart that sees it.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), Il passero solitario, first stanza
The lively spring landscape contrasts with the solitary bird.
Source noteAhi pentirommi, e , ma sconsolato, volgerommi indietro.
Alas, I shall regret it, and often turn back, but without consolation.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), Il passero solitario, final lines
The speaker imagines regretting a youth spent apart from others.
Source noteNasce l’uomo a fatica, ed è di il nascimento.
A human is born in hardship, and birth itself risks death.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), Canto notturno, stanza III, opening
The shepherd extends his questions to the hardship of mortal existence.
Source noteGli uomini dimenticano piuttosto la del padre, che la del patrimonio.
People forget a father’s death sooner than the loss of their inheritance.
— Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), Il Principe, XVII, excerpt
A deliberately harsh generalization about property and political resentment.
Source noteQuel Principe che si appoggia in sulla , rovina come quella varia.
The prince who relies entirely on fortune falls when it changes.
— Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), Il Principe, XXV, excerpt
Dependence on circumstance makes political success fragile.
Source noteLa vita bene spesa lunga è.
A life well spent is long.
— Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), I pensieri, Pensieri sulla morale, XL
The unusual word order emphasizes the quality of a life rather than its duration.
Source noteIl , uno non se lo può dare.
Courage is not something you can give yourself.
— Alessandro Manzoni (1785–1873), I promessi sposi, chapter XXV
Don Abbondio excuses his fear. This is a character’s defensive remark, not Manzoni’s advice to give up.
Source noteExplore these words: Emotions & feelings (flashcards) · Time & dates (flashcards) · Quantities & measurements (flashcards)
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Read Italian storiesItalian Quotes About Love
These lines include affection, longing and skepticism. The context explains whose voice is speaking.
Amor, ch’al cor gentil ratto s’apprende.
Love, which quickly takes hold in a noble heart.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno V, 100
Francesca begins explaining her passion; this is an excerpt from her speech, not a universal promise.
Source noteAmor, ch’a nullo amato amar perdona.
Love, which excuses no beloved from loving in return.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno V, 103
Francesca represents love as irresistible, within a story of desire and responsibility.
Source noteAmor condusse noi ad una .
Love led us to a single death.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno V, 106
Francesca speaks of the fate she and Paolo shared.
Source noteGaleotto fu ’l e chi lo scrisse.
The book and its writer were our go-between.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno V, 137
Francesca says the romance she and Paolo read helped bring about their kiss.
Source noteL’amor che move il e l’altre .
The love that moves the sun and the other stars.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Paradiso XXXIII, 145
The poem’s final line identifies divine love as the ordering force of creation.
Source noteLingua mortal non quel ch’io sentiva in seno.
No mortal tongue can tell what I felt within.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), A Silvia, third stanza
The speaker remembers the intensity of youth while listening to Silvia sing.
Source noteChe pensieri soavi, che , che cori, o Silvia mia!
What gentle thoughts, what hopes, what hearts, my Silvia!
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), A Silvia, fourth stanza
A recollection of hopes shared across their separate lives.
Source noteOimè, somiglia al tuo costume il mio!
Alas, how much my way of life resembles yours!
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), Il passero solitario, second stanza, excerpt
The poet compares his own solitude to the bird’s, before distinguishing their fates.
Source noteIl grande amore nasce dalla gran cognizione della cosa, che si ama.
Great love grows from deep knowledge of what one loves.
— Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), I pensieri, Pensieri sulla morale, XLIII
An excerpt from Leonardo’s defense of studying nature; initial capitalization normalized and introductory Che ’nvero omitted at the excerpt boundary.
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Read Italian storiesItalian Quotes About Wisdom
A memorable sentence can be an argument or a provocation. Consider what the author is asking the reader to question.
A te convien tenere altro vïaggio.
You must take another journey.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno I, 91
Virgil explains that the blocked direct path requires a different route.
Source noteNon ragioniam di lor, ma guarda e passa.
Let us not speak of them; look and move on.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno III, 51
Virgil dismisses the morally uncommitted souls. The common internet form non ti curar is not this line.
Source noteva cercando, ch’è sì cara, come sa chi per lei vita rifiuta.
He seeks freedom, which is so precious, as one who gives up life for it knows.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Purgatorio I, 71–72
Virgil speaks to Cato on Dante’s behalf; freedom has moral and spiritual force here.
Source noteNel suo profondo vidi che s’interna, legato con amore in un volume, ciò che per l’universo si squaderna.
In its depths I saw gathered, bound by love in one volume, what lies scattered through the universe.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Paradiso XXXIII, 85–87
Dante uses a book metaphor for unity in the divine vision.
Source noteUscir di pena è diletto fra noi.
For us, escaping pain is delight.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), La quiete dopo la tempesta, final stanza
An unsentimental statement about the limited happiness available to humans.
Source noteO , o , perché non rendi quel che prometti allor?
O nature, nature, why do you not later give what you promise then?
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), A Silvia, fourth stanza
The speaker challenges the gap between youthful expectation and adult loss.
Source noteOh come grato occorre il sovvenir delle passate cose, ancor , e ancor il pianto duri.
How welcome is the memory of past things, even when sad and even while the tears continue.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), Alla luna, final lines, 1835 version
This follows the 1835 wording; later editions expand the passage.
Source noteChe fai tu, , in ciel? dimmi, che fai?
What are you doing, moon, in the sky? Tell me, what are you doing?
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), Canto notturno di un pastore errante dell’Asia, opening line
The shepherd begins a conversation to which the moon gives no answer.
Source noteA che tante facelle?
What are all these little lights for?
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), Canto notturno, stanza IV, excerpt
Facelle means the stars, which prompt the shepherd to question the universe’s purpose.
Source noteO erra dal vero, mirando all’altrui sorte, il mio .
Or perhaps my thought strays from truth when it looks at another’s lot.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), Canto notturno, final stanza, excerpt
The shepherd questions his own belief that another kind of life would be happier.
Source noteMi è parso più conveniente andare dietro alla effettuale della cosa, che all’immaginazione di essa.
It has seemed more fitting to follow the actual truth of the matter than its imagined form.
— Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), Il Principe, XV, excerpt
Machiavelli states his method: analyze political behavior as it operates.
Source noteLa troppa confidenza non lo faccia incauto, e la troppa diffidanza non lo renda intollerabile.
Let excessive confidence not make him careless, nor excessive distrust make him unbearable.
— Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), Il Principe, XVII, excerpt
The author asks a ruler to avoid the extremes of trust and suspicion.
Source notePuò molto bene stare insieme esser temuto, e non odiato.
Being feared and not being hated can very well coexist.
— Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), Il Principe, XVII, excerpt
Machiavelli distinguishes fear from hatred in his discussion of power.
Source noteColui che inganna, troverà chi si lascerà ingannare.
The deceiver will always find someone willing to be deceived.
— Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), Il Principe, XVIII, excerpt
This is part of a skeptical account of public credulity and rulers’ promises.
Source noteIl buon era; ma se ne stava nascosto, per paura del .
Good sense was there, but it kept out of sight, afraid of common opinion.
— Alessandro Manzoni (1785–1873), I promessi sposi, chapter XXXII
The narrator describes reason silenced by public panic during the plague.
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Read Italian storiesItalian Quotes for Motivation and Perseverance
Read the tension between words and action rather than treating every dramatic speech as an author’s personal belief.
Tu se’ lo mio maestro e ’l mio .
You are my master and my author.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno I, 85
Dante addresses Virgil, acknowledging his literary guide.
Source noteQui si convien lasciare ogne sospetto; ogne viltà convien che qui sia morta.
Here all hesitation must be left behind; here all cowardice must die.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno III, 14–15
Virgil prepares Dante to enter; sospetto here is fear or misgiving.
Source noteConsiderate la vostra semenza: fatti non foste a viver come bruti, ma per seguir virtute e canoscenza.
Consider your origin: you were not made to live like beasts, but to pursue virtue and knowledge.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno XXVI, 118–120
Ulysses urges his crew onward. The voyage ends in disaster, complicating the apparently inspiring speech.
Source noteDe’ facemmo al folle .
We made wings of our oars for the reckless flight.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno XXVI, 125
Ulysses describes crossing the limit with his crew; folle marks the voyage’s danger.
Source notePer correr acque le vele omai la navicella del mio ingegno, che lascia a sé sì .
To sail better waters, the little ship of my imagination now raises its sails, leaving that cruel sea behind.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Purgatorio I, 1–3
The poet announces a new, more hopeful stage after Hell.
Source noteGodi, fanciullo mio; soave, stagion è cotesta.
Enjoy yourself, my child; yours is a gentle state, a happy season.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), Il sabato del villaggio, final stanza
The speaker asks a child to value youth’s anticipation rather than hurry into adulthood.
Source noteColui che lascia quello che si fa per quello che si doveria fare, impara piuttosto la , che la sua.
Whoever abandons what people do for what they ought to do learns ruin rather than self-preservation.
— Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), Il Principe, XV, excerpt
This is an argument about a ruler’s survival, not an endorsement of every harmful action.
Source noteOnde è necessario ad un Principe, volendosi mantenere, a potere essere non buono, ed usarlo e non usarlo secondo la .
A prince wishing to hold his position must therefore learn how to be other than good, and use or not use that ability as necessity demands.
— Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), Il Principe, XV
The provocative distinction is between having an ability and using it in every case.
Source noteDovete adunque sapere come sono due generazioni di : l’una con le , l’altra con le forze.
You must therefore know that there are two ways of fighting: one through laws, the other through force.
— Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), Il Principe, XVIII
The chapter distinguishes human law from animal force before combining their uses.
Source noteBisogna adunque essere volpe a cognoscere i lacci, e lione a sbigottire i lupi.
One must therefore be a fox to recognize snares and a lion to frighten wolves.
— Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), Il Principe, XVIII
Fox and lion represent political cunning and strength.
Source noteNon partirsi dal , potendo, ma sapere entrare nel , necessitato.
Do not depart from the good when possible, but know how to enter into evil when compelled.
— Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), Il Principe, XVIII, excerpt
The passage describes the flexibility Machiavelli demands of a ruler.
Source noteSe si mutasse con li tempi e con le cose, non si muterebbe .
If one changed one’s nature with the times and circumstances, one’s fortune would not change.
— Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), Il Principe, XXV, excerpt
The author has just described how difficult it is to alter ingrained habits.
Source noteNon si volta chi a è fisso.
Whoever is fixed on a star does not turn aside.
— Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), I pensieri, Pensieri sulla morale, LII
A compact emblematic motto about keeping a purpose in sight.
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Read Italian storiesShort Italian Quotes for Captions
These compact lines are easy to remember. Keep the author and work with the quotation when sharing it.
Allor si mosse, e io li tenni dietro.
Then he set out, and I followed him.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno I, 136
The first canto closes with a decision to follow a guide into the unknown.
Source noteLasciate ogne , voi ch’intrate.
Abandon every hope, you who enter.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno III, 9
The inscription at Hell’s entrance establishes the finality of this realm.
Source noteE caddi come corpo cade.
And I fell as a dead body falls.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Inferno V, 142
The pilgrim faints from pity at the close of the episode.
Source noteE ’n la sua volontade è nostra .
And in His will is our peace.
— Dante Alighieri (1265–1321), Paradiso III, 85
Piccarda explains the blessed souls’ harmony with God’s will.
Source noteE il naufragar m’è dolce in questo .
And shipwreck is sweet to me in this sea.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), L’infinito, final line
The sea is the imagined immensity of thought, not a literal shipwreck.
Source notePiacer d’affanno.
Pleasure, child of suffering.
— Giacomo Leopardi (1798–1837), La quiete dopo la tempesta, second stanza
This compressed phrase identifies pleasure as the release of previous fear.
Source noteOgnuno vede quel che tu pari; pochi sentono quel che tu sei.
Everyone sees what you appear to be; few experience what you are.
— Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), Il Principe, XVIII, excerpt
Sentono here concerns direct experience, contrasted with public appearances.
Source noteImpedimento non mi piega.
An obstacle does not bend me.
— Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), I pensieri, Pensieri sulla morale, LII
A motto of resolve preserved in Leonardo’s notes.
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Read Italian storiesItalian quotes: frequently asked questions
What makes these genuine Italian quotes?
Each selection names an author and a source work. They are passages from those works, not anonymous proverbs assigned a famous name.
Are all these quotations the author’s personal views?
No. A character’s speech belongs to that character and situation. The context note identifies the speaker or argument where that distinction matters.
Are the English translations literal?
They are our own translations, written to preserve the sense while remaining readable. Older vocabulary and compact wordplay sometimes need the context note.
Why does wording differ between editions?
Historical spelling, punctuation and editorial choices can differ. The work reference lets you compare the passage; this page lightly normalizes spelling without silently substituting a different quotation.
Can a proverb also be a literary quote?
Yes, a writer may use a traditional saying. Citation proves the wording appears in that work; it does not prove the writer invented the saying.
Which short quotes are good for captions?
Choose a line whose context matches what you mean, and include the author and work. The short-quotes section is a starting point, not a guarantee that every line is cheerful.
How can quotes help me learn the language?
Read one aloud, identify its central verb and compare the translation. Then read the surrounding passage or a story so the words have a wider setting.
Why are popular internet quotes missing?
A familiar attribution is not sufficient evidence. Lines without a traceable original-language source, and translated foreign sayings presented as native literary quotes, are omitted.
What is a famous Italian line?
Dante’s opening to the Divine Comedy is a useful literary starting point: it places the speaker midway through life, lost in a dark wood. This guide includes the Italian text, a new English translation, and the exact Inferno canto and line reference.
Make these words part of your day
Explore Italian stories, listen along, and save vocabulary as you go.
Find a story at your levelSources 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.
- Divina Commedia — Inferno — Canto I — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Divina Commedia — Inferno — Canto III — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Divina Commedia — Inferno — Canto V — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Divina Commedia — Inferno — Canto XXVI — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Divina Commedia — Purgatorio — Canto I — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Divina Commedia — Paradiso — Canto III — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Divina Commedia — Paradiso — Canto XXXIII — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Canti (1835) — L'infinito — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Canti (1835) — Il sabato del villaggio — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Canti (1835) — La quiete dopo la tempesta — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Canti (1835) — A Silvia — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Canti (1835) — Alla luna — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Canti (Leopardi - Ginzburg) — Il passero solitario — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Canti (1835) — Canto notturno di un pastore errante dell%27Asia — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Il Principe — Capitolo XV — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Il Principe — Capitolo XVII — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Il Principe — Capitolo XVIII — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Il Principe — Capitolo XXV — Original public-domain work. Historical Italian is retained; quotation context and English translation are original.
- Leonardo da Vinci, I pensieri, Pensieri sulla morale (Solmi, 1904) — Primary public-domain text; wording checked on 4 October 2026.
- Manzoni, I promessi sposi (1840), XXXII — Primary public-domain text; wording checked on 4 October 2026.
- Manzoni, I promessi sposi (1840), XXV — Primary public-domain text; wording checked on 4 October 2026.
Source notes for all 60 entries
- Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita mi ritrovai per una selva oscura, ché la diritta via era smarrita.: Inferno I, 1–3. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf1]
- Nessun maggior dolore che ricordarsi del tempo felice ne la miseria.: Inferno V, 121–123. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf5]
- Noi ci allegrammo, e tosto tornò in pianto.: Inferno XXVI, 136. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf26]
- Sempre caro mi fu quest’ermo colle.: L’infinito, opening. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [infinito]
- Questo di sette è il più gradito giorno, pien di speme e di gioia.: Il sabato del villaggio, fourth stanza. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [sabato]
- Diman tristezza e noia recheran l’ore, ed al travaglio usato ciascun in suo pensier farà ritorno.: Il sabato del villaggio, fourth stanza. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [sabato]
- Sì dolce, sì gradita quand’è, com’or, la vita?: La quiete dopo la tempesta, second stanza. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [quiete]
- O graziosa luna, io mi rammento che, or volge l’anno, sovra questo colle venia pieno d’angoscia a rimirarti.: Alla luna, opening. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [luna]
- Primavera dintorno brilla nell’aria, e per li campi esulta, sì ch’a mirarla intenerisce il core.: Il passero solitario, first stanza. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [passero]
- Ahi pentirommi, e spesso, ma sconsolato, volgerommi indietro.: Il passero solitario, final lines. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [passero]
- Nasce l’uomo a fatica, ed è rischio di morte il nascimento.: Canto notturno, stanza III, opening. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [pastore]
- Gli uomini dimenticano piuttosto la morte del padre, che la perdita del patrimonio.: Il Principe, XVII, excerpt. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [prin17]
- Quel Principe che si appoggia tutto in sulla fortuna, rovina come quella varia.: Il Principe, XXV, excerpt. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [prin25]
- La vita bene spesa lunga è.: I pensieri, Pensieri sulla morale, XL. Original text checked against the linked source; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling is lightly modernized where explicitly noted. [leonardo-morale]
- Il coraggio, uno non se lo può dare.: I promessi sposi, chapter XXV. Original text checked against the linked source; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling is lightly modernized where explicitly noted. [manzoni25]
- Amor, ch’al cor gentil ratto s’apprende.: Inferno V, 100. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf5]
- Amor, ch’a nullo amato amar perdona.: Inferno V, 103. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf5]
- Amor condusse noi ad una morte.: Inferno V, 106. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf5]
- Galeotto fu ’l libro e chi lo scrisse.: Inferno V, 137. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf5]
- L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle.: Paradiso XXXIII, 145. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [par33]
- Lingua mortal non dice quel ch’io sentiva in seno.: A Silvia, third stanza. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [silvia]
- Che pensieri soavi, che speranze, che cori, o Silvia mia!: A Silvia, fourth stanza. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [silvia]
- Oimè, quanto somiglia al tuo costume il mio!: Il passero solitario, second stanza, excerpt. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [passero]
- Il grande amore nasce dalla gran cognizione della cosa, che si ama.: I pensieri, Pensieri sulla morale, XLIII. Original text checked against the linked source; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling is lightly modernized where explicitly noted. [leonardo-morale]
- A te convien tenere altro vïaggio.: Inferno I, 91. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf1]
- Non ragioniam di lor, ma guarda e passa.: Inferno III, 51. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf3]
- Libertà va cercando, ch’è sì cara, come sa chi per lei vita rifiuta.: Purgatorio I, 71–72. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [pur1]
- Nel suo profondo vidi che s’interna, legato con amore in un volume, ciò che per l’universo si squaderna.: Paradiso XXXIII, 85–87. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [par33]
- Uscir di pena è diletto fra noi.: La quiete dopo la tempesta, final stanza. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [quiete]
- O natura, o natura, perché non rendi poi quel che prometti allor?: A Silvia, fourth stanza. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [silvia]
- Oh come grato occorre il sovvenir delle passate cose, ancor che triste, e ancor che il pianto duri.: Alla luna, final lines, 1835 version. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [luna]
- Che fai tu, luna, in ciel? dimmi, che fai?: Canto notturno di un pastore errante dell’Asia, opening line. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [pastore]
- A che tante facelle?: Canto notturno, stanza IV, excerpt. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [pastore]
- O forse erra dal vero, mirando all’altrui sorte, il mio pensiero.: Canto notturno, final stanza, excerpt. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [pastore]
- Mi è parso più conveniente andare dietro alla verità effettuale della cosa, che all’immaginazione di essa.: Il Principe, XV, excerpt. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [prin15]
- La troppa confidenza non lo faccia incauto, e la troppa diffidanza non lo renda intollerabile.: Il Principe, XVII, excerpt. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [prin17]
- Può molto bene stare insieme esser temuto, e non odiato.: Il Principe, XVII, excerpt. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [prin17]
- Colui che inganna, troverà sempre chi si lascerà ingannare.: Il Principe, XVIII, excerpt. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [prin18]
- Il buon senso c’era; ma se ne stava nascosto, per paura del senso comune.: I promessi sposi, chapter XXXII. Original text checked against the linked source; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling is lightly modernized where explicitly noted. [manzoni32]
- Tu se’ lo mio maestro e ’l mio autore.: Inferno I, 85. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf1]
- Qui si convien lasciare ogne sospetto; ogne viltà convien che qui sia morta.: Inferno III, 14–15. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf3]
- Considerate la vostra semenza: fatti non foste a viver come bruti, ma per seguir virtute e canoscenza.: Inferno XXVI, 118–120. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf26]
- De’ remi facemmo ali al folle volo.: Inferno XXVI, 125. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf26]
- Per correr miglior acque alza le vele omai la navicella del mio ingegno, che lascia dietro a sé mar sì crudele.: Purgatorio I, 1–3. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [pur1]
- Godi, fanciullo mio; stato soave, stagion lieta è cotesta.: Il sabato del villaggio, final stanza. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [sabato]
- Colui che lascia quello che si fa per quello che si doveria fare, impara piuttosto la rovina, che la preservazione sua.: Il Principe, XV, excerpt. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [prin15]
- Onde è necessario ad un Principe, volendosi mantenere, imparare a potere essere non buono, ed usarlo e non usarlo secondo la necessità.: Il Principe, XV. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [prin15]
- Dovete adunque sapere come sono due generazioni di combattere: l’una con le leggi, l’altra con le forze.: Il Principe, XVIII. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [prin18]
- Bisogna adunque essere volpe a cognoscere i lacci, e lione a sbigottire i lupi.: Il Principe, XVIII. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [prin18]
- Non partirsi dal bene, potendo, ma sapere entrare nel male, necessitato.: Il Principe, XVIII, excerpt. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [prin18]
- Se si mutasse natura con li tempi e con le cose, non si muterebbe fortuna.: Il Principe, XXV, excerpt. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [prin25]
- Non si volta chi a stella è fisso.: I pensieri, Pensieri sulla morale, LII. Original text checked against the linked source; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling is lightly modernized where explicitly noted. [leonardo-morale]
- Allor si mosse, e io li tenni dietro.: Inferno I, 136. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf1]
- Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch’intrate.: Inferno III, 9. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf3]
- E caddi come corpo morto cade.: Inferno V, 142. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [inf5]
- E ’n la sua volontade è nostra pace.: Paradiso III, 85. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [par3]
- E il naufragar m’è dolce in questo mare.: L’infinito, final line. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [infinito]
- Piacer figlio d’affanno.: La quiete dopo la tempesta, second stanza. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [quiete]
- Ognuno vede quel che tu pari; pochi sentono quel che tu sei.: Il Principe, XVIII, excerpt. Original-language public-domain text; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling and punctuation are lightly normalized where noted in the page editorial note. [prin18]
- Impedimento non mi piega.: I pensieri, Pensieri sulla morale, LII. Original text checked against the linked source; English translation by Inklingo. Historical spelling is lightly modernized where explicitly noted. [leonardo-morale]