I do not think Maremma has so many Serpents as he had all along his back, With wings wide open was a dragon lying, He goes not on the same road with his brothers, 20 25 30 Whereat his tortuous actions ceased beneath The mace of Hercules, who peradventure Gave him a hundred, and he felt not ten." While he was speaking thus, he had passed by, And spirits three had underneath us come, Of which nor I aware was, nor my Leader, Until what time they shouted: "Who are you?" On which account our story made a halt, And then we were intent on them alone. I did not know them; but it came to pass, As it is wont to happen by some chance, 35 40 Exclaiming: "Where can Cianfa have remained?” What I shall say, it will no marvel be, 45 50 Behold! a serpent with six feet darts forth And put its tail through in between the two, Ivy was never fastened by its barbs Unto a tree so, as this horrible reptile 55 Upon the other's limbs entwined its own. 60 Then they stuck close, as if of heated wax They had been made, and intermixed their color; E'en as proceedeth on before the flame Upward along the paper a brown color, Which is not black as yet, and the white dies. 65 The other two looked on, and each of them Cried out: "O me, Agnello, how thou changest! Behold, thou now art neither two nor one." Already the two heads had one become, When there appeared to us two figures mingled Into one face, wherein the two were lost. Of the four lists were fashioned the two arms, The thighs and legs, the belly and the chest Every original aspect there was cancelled; Two and yet none did the perverted image Appear, and such departed with slow pace. Even as a lizard, under the great scourge Of days canicular, exchanging hedge, Of the two others, a small fiery serpent, And in that part whereat is first received Our aliment, it one of them transfixed; Then downward fell in front of him extended. The one transfixed looked at it, but said naught; Nay, rather with feet motionless he yawned, Just as if sleep or fever had assailed him. 90 He at the serpent gazed, and it at him; One through the wound, the other through the mouth Smoked violently, and the smoke commingled. Henceforth be silent Lucan, where he mentions Wretched Sabellus and Nassidius, And wait to hear what now shall be shot forth. Be silent Ovid, of Cadmus and Arethusa; For if him to a snake, her to a fountain, Converts he fabling, that I grudge him not; Because two natures never front to front Has he transmuted, so that both the forms That to a fork the serpent cleft his tail, The legs together with the thighs themselves I saw the arms draw inward at the armpits, 95 100 105 110 Thereafter the hind feet, together twisted, 115 And of his own the wretch had two created. While both of them the exhalation veils With a new color, and engenders hair On one of them and depilates the other, The one uprose and down the other fell, Though turning not away their impious lamps, 120 He who was standing drew it tow'rds the temples, Issued the ears from out the hollow cheeks; What did not backward run and was retained And the lips thickened far as was befitting. For speech before, is cleft, and the bi-forked Along the valley hissing takes to flight, 130 135 |