Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s 1861 preface to The Early Italian Poets offers a thoughtful meditation on translation. His central principle—“that a good poem shall not be turned into a bad one”—and his distinction between literality and fidelity speak directly to enduring challenges in the translator’s art. The passage comparing the translator’s path to “Aladdin through the enchanted vaults” is memorable.

Ross Belot January 18, 2026

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