Quotations about:
    ascent

So now we entered on that hidden path,
my lord and I, to move once more towards
a shining world. We did not care to rest.
We climbed, he going first and I behind,
until through some small aperture I saw
the lovely things the skies above us bear.
Now we came out, and once more saw the stars.

[Lo duca e io per quel cammino ascoso
intrammo a ritornar nel chiaro mondo;
sanza cura aver d’alcun riposo,
salimmo sù, el primo e io secondo,
tanto ch’i’ vidi de le cose belle
che porta ’l ciel, per un pertugio tondo.
E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle.]

Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) Italian poet

The Divine Comedy [Divina Commedia], Book 1 “Inferno,” Canto 34, l. 133ff (34.133-139) (1309) [tr. Kirkpatrick (2006)]
    (Source)

The end of Book 1, as Virgil and Dante exit the Inferno to the other side of the world, where rises Mount Purgatory.

The word "stars" (stelle) ends each of the three books of the Divine Comedy.

(Source (Italian)). Alternate translations:

My Guide and I, to the bright World attain,
Enter'd this secret path; not took repose.
We leaped up, he first, I foll'wing him;
'Till through a space round formed I beheld
Those beauteous sights which are in Heav'n display'd:
And thence we rose to view again the Stars.
[tr. Rogers (1782), l. 130ff]

Still up the wave-worn cliff the Mantuan press'd,
I follow'd faint, deny'd a moment's rest;
'Till dim and dubious thro' the rocks on high,
A ray of welcome light disclos'd our path;
Joyful we left the shadowy realms of death,
And hail'd the op'ning glories of the sky.
[tr. Boyd (1802), st. 27]

By that hidden way
My guide and I did enter, to return
To the fair world: and heedless of repose
We climbed, he first, I following his steps,
Till on our view the beautiful lights of heav’n
Dawn’d through a circular opening in the cave:
Thus issuing we again beheld the stars.
[tr. Cary (1814)]

To seek return to daylight world sublime
My guide and I that darksome path explored,
And while he first, I second, 'gan to climb,
No care to rest us might our haste afford,
Till through a rounded opening I saw plain
The glorious things in part which heaven doth hoard,
And thence we rose to view the stars again.
[tr. Dayman (1843)]

The Guide and I entered by that hidden road, to return to the bright world; and without caring for any rest,
we mounted up, he first and I second, so far that I distinguished through a round opening the beauteous things which Heaven bears;
and thence we issued out, again to see the Stars.
[tr. Carlyle (1849)]

The leader and myself through pathway hid
Entered, returning to the world that's clear.
Of no reposing had we any care:
We mounted up; he first, the second I.
Through round and hollowed opening, saw afar
The heave, and all the beauteous things it bore;
And then we issued to review the stars.
[tr. Bannerman (1850)]

My chief and I, following this hidden path,
Set forth on our return to the bright world;
Having no thought nor care for any rest,
Upwards we clomb, he first and second I,
Till I at length through a round opening saw
Those beauteous things which with the heavens revolve;
Thence we went forth once more to see the stars.
[tr. Johnston (1867)]

The Guide and I into that hidden road
Now entered, to return to the bright world;
And without care of having any rest ⁠
We mounted up, he first and I the second,
Till I beheld through a round aperture
Some of those beauteous things which Heaven doth bear;
Thence we came forth to rebehold the stars.
[tr. Longfellow (1867)]

Through that hidden road my Leader and I entered to return into the bright world; and without having a care of any rest we mounted up, he first and I second, so far that I had sight of the fair objects which the Heaven bears, through a round opening; and thence we issued to see again the stars.
[tr. Butler (1885)]

My chief and I by that mysterious way
Entered, the world of light again to find:
Nor with the thought of rest did we delay,
But clambered up, he first, and I behind.
Until I witnessed through that rounded bore
The things so fair athwart the heavens that shined,
And issued thence to see the stars once more.
[tr. Minchin (1885)]

My Leader and I entered through that hidden way, to return to the bright world. And without care, to have any repose, we mounted up, he first and I second, till through a round opening I saw of those beauteous things which heaven bears, and thence we came forth to see again the stars.
[tr. Norton (1892)]

My Guide and I went in by that darksome way that we might reach the world of light again; and unconcerned for any thought of rest, we went aloft, he first and I behind, so high that, through a rounded chink, I could behold the beauteous gems which Heaven weareth; and thence came we forth to look once more upon the stars.
[tr. Sullivan (1893)]

My guide and I upon that hidden pathway
Entered to make return to the world of
brightness ; And, without taking thought of any resting,
We mounted up, he first and I the second.
So far that I had sight of things of beauty
Borne on the firmament, through a round loophole:
Thence came we forth to see the starry heavens.
[tr. Griffith (1908)]

The Leader and I entered on that hidden road to return into the bright world, and without caring to have any rest we climbed up, he first and I second, so far that I saw through a round opening some of the fair things that Heaven bears; and thence we can forth to see again the stars.
[tr. Sinclair (1939)]

The Guide and I, entering that secret road,
Toiled to return into the world of light.
Nor thought on any resting-place bestowed.
We climbed, he first, I following, till to sight
Appeared those things of beauty that heaven wears
Glimpsed through a rounded opening, faintly bright;
Thence issuing, we beheld again the stars.
[tr. Binyon (1943)]

By that hid way my guide and I withal,
Back to the lit world from the darkened dens
Toiled upward, caring for no rest at all,
He first, I following; till my straining sense
Glimpsed the bright burden of the heavenly cars
Through a round hole; by this we climbed, and thence
Came forth, to look once more upon the stars.
[tr. Sayers (1949)]

My Guide and I crossed over and began
to mount that little known and lightless road
to ascend into the shining world again.
He first, I second, without thought of rest
we climbed the dark until we reached the point
where a round opening brought in sight the blest
and beauteous shining of the Heavenly cars.
And we walked out once more beneath the stars.
[tr. Ciardi (1954)]

My leader and I entered on that hidden road to return into the bright world; and caring not for any rest, we climbed up, hie first and I second, so far that through a round opening I saw some of the beautiful things that Heaven bears; and thence we issued forth to see again the stars.
[tr. Singleton (1970)]

My guide and I entered that hidden road
to make our way back up to the bright world.
We never thought of resting while we climbed.
We climbed, he first and I behind, until,
through a small round opening ahead of us
I saw the lovely things the heavens hold,
and we came out to see once more the stars.
[tr. Musa (1971)]

My guide and I came on that hidden road
to make our way back into the bright world;
and with no care for any rest, we climbed
he first, I following -- until I saw,
through a round opening, some of those things
of beauty Heaven bears. It was from there
that we emerged, to see -- once more -- the stars.
[tr. Mandelbaum (1980)]

My guide and I started out on that road,
Through its obscurity to return to the bright world;
And not worrying about taking any rest,
We mounted up, he first and I second,
So that I saw some of the lovely things
That are in the heavens, through a round opening;
And then we emerged to see the stars again.
[tr. Sisson (1981)]

To get back up to the shining world from there
My guide and I went into that hidden tunnel;
And following its path, we took no care
To rest, but climbed: he first, then I -- so far,
Through a round aperture I saw appear
Some of the beautiful things that Heaven bears,
Where we came forth, and once more saw the stars.
[tr. Pinsky (1994)]

My leader and I entered on that hidden path to return to the bright world; and, without taking care for rest at all,
up we climbed, he first and I second, until I saw the beautiful things the heavens carry, through a round opening.
And thence we came forth to look again at the stars.
[tr. Durling (1996)]

The guide and I entered by that hidden path, to return to the clear world: and, not caring to rest, we climbed up, he first, and I second, until, through a round opening, I saw the beautiful things that the sky holds: and we issued out, from there, to see, again, the stars.
[tr. Kline (2002)]

My guide and I began that hidden route
to journey back into the world of light;
and caring not for rest, but resolute,
we climbed and climbed until we caught a sight,
beyond a rounded opening, of store on store
of things of Heavenly delight;
and we emerged to see the stars once more.
[tr. Carson (2002)]

Into that hidden passage my guide and I
entered, to find again the world of light,
and, without thinking of a moment's rest,
we climbed up, he first and I behind him,
far enough to see, through a round opening,
a few of those fair things the heavens bear.
Then we came forth, to see again the stars.
[tr. Hollander/Hollander (2007)]

My leader and I followed that unknown road,
Which showed us how to return to the shining world,
Nor did we stop for a moment, needing no rest,
Climbing steadily, he in the lead, I next,
Ascending so far that through a circular hole
I could see a few of the beautiful things in Heaven.
And then we came out, and saw the stars again.
[tr. Raffel (2010)]

My Guide and I were on the hidden road
That leads back out to where the world is bright.
No need for rest. We bore an easy load:
The task of getting back to the sweet light.
And up we went, he first, I second, to
The point where I could see an opening.
And it was there I saw, when I looked through,
A sight more wonderful than anything --
some of the loveliness revealed to men
By Heaven. We could see the star again.
[tr. James (2013), l. 153ff]