To whom, then, if thou wishest to ascend, A soul shall be for that than I more worthy; In that I was rebellious to his law, O happy he whom thereto he elects!" And I to him: "Poet, I thee entreat, 125 130 By that same God whom thou didst never know, Thou wouldst conduct me there where thou hast said, Then he moved on, and I behind him followed. 735 CANTO II. DAY was departing, and the embrowned air Both of the way and likewise of the woe, O Muses, O high genius, now assist me ! O memory, that didst write down what I saw, And I began: "Poet, who guidest me, Regard my manhood, if it be sufficient, Ere to the arduous pass thou dost confide me. Thou sayest, that of Silvius the parent, While yet corruptible, unto the world But if the adversary of all evil Was courteous, thinking of the high effect That issue would from him, and who, and what, To men of intellect unmeet it seems not; For he was of great Rome, and of her empire In the empyreal heaven as father chosen ; The which and what, wishing to speak the truth, Were stablished as the holy place, wherein Sits the successor of the greatest Peter. IC 15 20 Upon this journey, whence thou givest him vaunt, To bring back comfort thence unto that Faith, Nor I, nor others, think me worthy of it. I fear the coming may be ill-advised; And by new thoughts doth his intention change, Such I became, upon that dark hillside, Because, in thinking, I consumed the emprise, Which was so very prompt in the beginning. "If I have well thy language understood," Replied that shade of the Magnanimous, "Thy soul attainted is with cowardice, Which many times a man encumbers so, It turns him back from honoured enterprise, As false sight doth a beast, when he is shy. That thou mayst free thee from this apprehension, I'll tell thee why I came, and what I heard At the first moment when I grieved for thee. Among those was I who are in suspense, And a fair, saintly Lady called to me In such wise, I besought her to command me. 'O spirit courteous of Mantua, Of whom the fame still in the world endures, A friend of mine, and not the friend of fortune, And may, I fear, already be so lost, 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 6c That I too late have risen to his succour, 65 From that which I have heard of him in Heaven. Bestir thee now, and with thy speech ornate, And with what needful is for his release, Beatrice am I, who do bid thee go; I come from there, where I would fain return ; Full often will I praise thee unto him.' To obey, if 'twere already done, were late; The here descending down into this centre, Which have the power of doing others harm; God in his mercy such created me That misery of yours attains me not, At this impediment, to which I send thee, So that stern judgment there above is broken. In her entreaty she besought Lucìa, And said, "Thy faithful one now stands in need Lucia, foe of all that cruel is, 66 Hastened away, and came unto the place Where I was sitting with the ancient Rachel. Beatrice," said she, "the true praise of God, Why succourest thou not him, who loved thee so, 105 Dost thou not see the death that combats him Never were persons in the world so swift To work their weal and to escape their woe, As I, after such words as these were uttered, Came hither downward from my blessed seat, Confiding in thy dignified discourse, Which honours thee, and those who've listened to it.' After she thus had spoken unto me, Weeping, her shining eyes she turned away; I have delivered thee from that wild beast, Why is such baseness bedded in thy heart? Seeing that three such Ladies benedight Are caring for thee in the court of Heaven, 9 115 120 125 And so much good my speech doth promise thee?" Bowed down and closed, when the sun whitens them, Such I became with my exhausted strength, 13c And such good courage to my heart there coursed, "O she compassionate, who succoured me, And courteous thou, who hast obeyed so soon 135 Thou hast my heart so with desire disposed To the adventure, with these words of thine, Now go, for one sole will is in us both, I entered on the deep and savage way. Thou Leader, and thou Lord, and Master thou." 140 CANTO III. "THROUGH me the way is to the city dolent; Through me the way is to eternal dole; Through me the way among the people lost. Justice incited my sublime Creator; Created me divine Omnipotence, The highest Wisdom and the primal Love. Before me there were no created things, All hope abandon, ye who enter in !" These words in sombre colour I beheld Written upon the summit of a gate; Whence I: "Their sense is, Master, hard to me!" And he to me, as one experienced : "Here all suspicion needs must be abandoned, All cowardice must needs be here extinct. We to the place have come, where I have told thee With joyful mien, whence I was comforted, Accents of anger, words of agony, And voices high and hoarse, with sound of hands, Made up a tumult that goes whirling on For ever in that air for ever black, Even as the sand doth, when the whirlwind breathes. And I, who had my head with horror bound, 66 Said: Master, what is this which now I hear? What folk is this, which seems by pain so vanquished?" And he to me: "This miserable mode Maintain the melancholy souls of those Who lived withouten infamy or praise. Commingled are they with that caitiff choir Of Angels, who have not rebellious been, Nor faithful were to God, but were for self. The heavens expelled them, not to be less fair; Nor them the nethermore abyss receives, For glory none the damned would have from them." And I : "O Master, what so grievous is To these, that maketh them lament so sore ?" These have no longer any hope of death; And this blind life of theirs is so debased, Misericord and Justice both disdain them. Which, whirling round, ran on so rapidly, And after it there came so long a train 15 25 35 45 55 Of people, that I ne'er would have believed |