Which Translation of Dante’s Inferno Should I Get?

If you want to skip the hassle of going through the video, I recommend MANDELBAUM's translation.

I'm comparing four different translations in this video, the ones by Ciardi, Hollander, Mandelbaum and Longfellow. I'm not a Dante expert and I don't know Italian. I'm just a casual reader who's reading out of curiosity.

I will discuss the pros and cons of each of the translations based on my personal experience, so that you can make an informed choice on which translation to tackle based on your own needs and preferences.

The four translations are actually all excellent in their own respective ways. You just have to appreciate the amount of scholarship and research that goes into producing a translation for such a deep and complicated work as Inferno. I prefer going with Mandelbaum's translation after weighing in several factors, but then the choice might change completely depending on what your needs are. I'm just a casual reader who wants a compelling, lyrical translation that's easy to understand, but then serious scholars or people who DO speak Italian might opt for different translations for different reasons. It all boils down to figuring out your needs and preferences.

One thing to note (in case you don't know) is that Longfellow is also an acclaimed poet. I highly recommend reading his A Psalm of Life, a lyrical exhortation on why we should struggle and strive; and his The Cross of Snow, a heartbreaking sonnet where Longfellow expresses how dearly he misses his dead wife. He's also famous for the poem Paul Revere's Ride, a narrative poem about the start of the American Revolutionary Wars.

This website holds the texts for the Longfellow and Mandelbaum translation:
https://digitaldante.columbia.edu

This website holds the texts for the Hollander translation:
http://etcweb.princeton.edu/dante/pdp/