Sonnet 41 (or LXXII) of Dante, first in the Foster and Boyde Oxford edition of Dante’s Lyric Poetry

One day Melancholy came to me and said: ‘I want to
stay with you awhile’; and it seemed to me she brought
Sorrow and Wrath with her as companions. And I said:
‘Be off! Away with you!’ But she answered like a Greek:
and while she continued speaking with me, perfectly at her
ease, I looked and saw Love drawing near, dressed in
a new black cloak, with a hat on his head, and weeping
real tears. And I said to him: ‘What’s the matter, poor
fellow?’ And he replied: ‘I’m troubled and sad, for our
lady is dying, dear brother.’

And Richard Lansing in the more recent University of Toronto Dante’s Lyric Poetry:

Once Melancholy came to me and said
“I plan to stay with you a little while”;
and it appeared to me she’d brought along
both Sorrow and Distress for company.
I said to her, “Away with you, be gone!”
But like a Greek she answered haughtily
and while she spoke to me with perfect ease,
I looked and saw the Love was drawing near,
attired in brand-new clothing that was black,
and wearing on his head a hat as well,
and he was truly weeping real tears.
I said to him: “What troubles you, poor man?”
And he replied: “I mourn and feel deep pain
because our lady, brother, lies near death.”

And now the Italian – the Societa Dantesca Italiana text:

Un dì si venne a me Malinconia
e disse: “Io voglio un poco stare teco”;
e parve a me ch’ella menasse seco
Dolore e Ira per sua compagnia.

E io le dissi: “Partiti, va via”;
ed ella mi rispose come un greco:
e ragionando a grande agio meco,
guardai e vidi Amore, che venia

vestito di novo d’un drappo nero,
e nel suo capo portava un cappello;
e certo lacrimava pur di vero.

Ed eo li dissi: “Che hai, cattivello?”.
Ed el rispose: “Eo ho guai e pensero,
ché nostra donna mor, dolce fratello”.

The opening lines of Dante’s Rime L, text and translation from my (new) Foster and Boyde edition. The full work can be found here (Italian only).

La dispietata mente, che pur mira
di retro al tempo che se n’è andato,
da l’un dei lati mi combatte il core;
e ’l disio amoroso, che mi tira
ver lo dolce paese c’ho lasciato,
d’altra part’è con la forza d’Amore;

Pitiless memory, ever gazing back at the time that is past, assails my heart on the one side; on the other, with the power of Love, is the love-longing that draws me towards the dear place where I have left.

Purgatorio 1.118-120

Noi andavam per lo solingo piano
com’ om che torna a la perduta strada,
che ‘nfino ad essa li pare ire in vano.

Longfellow:
Along the solitary plain we went
As one who unto the lost road returns,
And till he finds it seems to go in vain.

Purgatory 2 60ish forward, English from Longfellow.

Da poppa stava il celestial nocchiero,
tal che faria beato pur descripto;
e più di cento spirti entro sediero.
“In exitu Isräel de Aegypto”
cantavan tutti insieme ad una voce
con quanto di quel salmo è poscia scripto.
Poi fece il segno lor di santa croce;
ond’ ei si gittar tutti in su la piaggia:
ed el sen gì, come venne, veloce.
La turba che rimase lì, selvaggia
parea del loco, rimirando intorno
come colui che nove cose assaggia.
Da tutte parti saettava il giorno
lo sol, ch’avea con le saette conte
di mezzo ‘l ciel cacciato Capricorno,
quando la nova gente alzò la fronte
ver’ noi, dicendo a noi: “Se voi sapete,
mostratene la via di gire al monte.”
E Virgilio rispuose: “Voi credete
forse che siamo esperti d’esto loco;
ma noi siam peregrin come voi siete.
Dianzi venimmo, innanzi a voi un poco,
per altra via, che fu sì aspra e forte,
che lo salire omai ne parrà gioco.”

Upon the stern stood the Celestial Pilot;
Beatitude seemed written in his face,
And more than a hundred spirits sat within.
“In exitu Israel de Aegypto!”
They chanted all together in one voice,
With whatso in that psalm is after written.
Then made he sign of holy rood upon them,
Whereat all cast themselves upon the shore,
And he departed swiftly as he came.
The throng which still remained there unfamiliar
Seemed with the place, all round about them gazing,
As one who in new matters makes essay.
On every side was darting forth the day.
The sun, who had with his resplendent shafts
From the mid-heaven chased forth the Capricorn,
When the new people lifted up their faces
Towards us, saying to us: “If ye know,
Show us the way to go unto the mountain.”
And answer made Virgilius: “Ye believe
Perchance that we have knowledge of this place,
But we are strangers even as yourselves.
Just now we came, a little while before you,
Another way, which was so rough and steep,
That mounting will henceforth seem sport to us.”

From Purgatorio Canto 15.64-66

Ed elli a me: “Però che tu rificchi
 la mente pur a le cose terrene,
 di vera luce tenebre dispicchi.

And he to me: "Because you keep fixing
the mind on worldly things exclusively
from true light you pluck darkness."

A sonnet of Dante’s

Un di si venne a me Malinconia
Un di si venne a me Malinconia
e disse: ‘‘Io voglio un poco stare teco’’;
e parve a me ch’ella menasse seco
Dolore e Ira per sua compagnia.
E io le dissi: ‘‘Partiti, va via’’;
ed ella mi rispose come un greco:
e ragionando a grande agio meco,
guardai e vidi Amore, che venia
vestito di novo d’un drappo nero,
e nel suo capo portava un cappello;
E certo lacrimava pur di vero.
Ed io le dissi: ‘‘Che hai, cativello?’’.
Ed el rispose: Io ho guai e pensero,
che´ nostra donna mor, dolce fratello.’’

---

One day Melancholy came to me
One day Melancholy came to me
and said: ‘‘I want to stay with you for a while’’;
and it seemed to me that she was bringing along
Pain and Sorrow as her companions.
And I said to her: ‘‘Move along, hence’’;
and she answered to me proudly:
and while she was reasoning with me at great leisure,
I looked and saw Love, who came
strangely dressed in a black cloth,
and he was wearing a hat on his head;
and for sure he truly wept.
And I said to him: ‘‘What ails you, unfortunate?’’
And he answered: ‘‘I am in trouble and pain,
because our lady is dying, sweet brother.’’