O human beings, you’re born to fly straight up,
Why does a little gust of wind bring you down?
[O gente umana, per volar sù nata,
perché a poco vento così cadi?]Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) Italian poet
The Divine Comedy [Divina Commedia], Book 2 “Purgatorio,” Canto 12, l. 95ff (12.95-96) (1314) [tr. Bang (2019)]
(Source)
Some translators have this as a comment by Dante on how few takers there are to the Angel of Humility's invitation to ascend higher; others, including most modern translators, make it part of the Angel's speech.
(Source (Italian)). Alternate translations:
Ye Souls for Heav'n design'd! ye Sons of Day!
Why should a random breeze o'erset your fail
When heav'n-ward bound?
[tr. Boyd (1802), st. 18]
O ye race of men
Though born to soar, why suffer ye a wind
So slight to baffle ye?
[tr. Cary (1814)]
O human race! whose birthright is to soar,
How little wind will make your course give o'er!
[tr. Bannerman (1850)]
O human creatures, born to soar aloft,
Why fall ye thus before a little wind?
[tr. Longfellow (1867)]
O race of men, born to fly upward, why at a little wind fall ye so down?
[tr. Butler (1885)]
O human race, though born above to soar,
Why at the slightest breath dost thou thus fall ?
[tr. Minchin (1885)]
O human race, born to fly upward, why before a little wind dost thou so fall?
[tr. Norton (1892)]
O human folk, born to fly upward, why at a breath of wind thus fall ye down?
[tr. Okey (1901)]
O race of men, born to fly upward, why do you fall back so for a little wind?
[tr. Sinclair (1939)]
O human spirits, upward born to spring,
Why fall ye down at a brief blast of air?
[tr. Binyon (1943)]
O human race, born to take flight and soar,
Why fall ye, for one breath of wind, to earth?
[tr. Sayers (1955)]
O sons of man, born to ascend on high,
how can so slight a wind-puff make you fall?
[tr. Ciardi (1961)]
O race of men, born to fly upward,
why do you fall so at a breath of wind?
[tr. Singleton (1973)]
O race of men, born to fly heavenward,
how can a breath of wind make you fall back?
[tr. Musa (1981)]
O human race, born to fly upwards,
Why do you fall at such a little breeze?
[tr. Sisson (1981)]
O humankind, born for the upward flight,
why are you driven back by wind so slight?
[tr. Mandelbaum (1982)]
O human race, born to fly upward, why do you fall at so little wind?
[tr. Durling (2003)]
O human race, born to soar, why do you fall so, at a breath of wind?
[tr. Kline (2002)]
O human nature! You are born to fly!
Why fail and fall at, merely, puffs of wind?
[tr. Kirkpatrick (2007)]
O race of man, born to fly on high,
why does a puff of wind cause you to fall?
[tr. Hollander/Hollander (2007)]
O human race, born to fly on high,
How can the slightest breeze blow dust in your eyes?
[tr. Raffel (2010)]
