“Circles of hell" has become commonplace in language. But what was Dante trying to show us when he wrote the inferno? What has been lost in translation, with this first canticle in Dante’s trilogy now part of a secular culture?

Jason Baxter talks about his new translation of the Inferno with Mark Vernon. They discuss what Dante could convey in language and why the text never ceases to offer fresh insights. How can we understand his encounters with figures from Virgil to Ulysses? What is it truly to be trapped in a hellish state? Why is the road down the necessary precursor to the road into God’s presence?

Jason’s new translation is published by Angelico Press - https://angelicopress.com/products/the-divine-comedy-inferno
Mark’s introduction and guide is too - https://www.markvernon.com/books/dantes-divine-comedy-book

00:00 What Dante could do with language
9:05 Dante and the infernal landscape of today
12:50 Distraction and seeing the truth of ourselves
19:18 Intelligence as reason and love
26:33 Why must Dante descend into hell?
36:08 What was Virgil’s ultimate destiny?
41:30 The fulness of divinity we are called to
48:07 Jason’s translation of the famous opening line
56:20 Jason’s future plans