Ever before me stand, and not in vain; For far more doth their image dry me up Than the disease which strips my face of flesh. The rigid justice that chastises me Draweth occasion from the place in which The currency imprinted with the Baptist, But if I here could see the tristful soul Of Guido, or Alessandro, or their brother, Shades that are going round about speak truth; But what avails it me, whose limbs are tied? If I were only still so light, that in A hundred years I could advance one inch, I had already started on the way, Although the circuit be eleven miles, For them am I in such a family; They did induce me into coining florins, 70 75 80 85 90 And I to him: "Who are the two poor wretches And one of them, who felt himself annoyed At being, peradventure, named so darkly, It gave a sound, as if it were a drum; And Master Adam smote him in the face, All motion, for my limbs that heavy are, 95 100 105 go Unto the fire, thou hadst it not so ready; The dropsical: "Thou sayest true in that; But thou wast not so true a witness there, Where thou wast questioned of the truth at Troy." “If I spake false, thou falsifiedst the coin," Said Sinon; "and for one fault I am here, And thou for more than any other demon." "Remember, perjurer, about the horse," He made reply who had the swollen belly, 115 "And rueful be it thee the whole world knows it."120 "Rueful to thee the thirst be wherewith cracks Thy tongue," the Greek said, “and the putrid water Then the false-coiner: "So is gaping wide Thy mouth for speaking evil, as 't is wont; Because if I have thirst, and humor stuff me, Thou hast the burning and the head that aches, And to lick up the mirror of Narcissus 125 Thou wouldst not want words many to invite thee." In listening to them was I wholly fixed, When said the Master to me: "Now just look, For little wants it that I quarrel with thee." When him I heard in anger speak to me, I turned me round towards him with such shame Who dreaming wishes it may be a dream, 130 135 Such I became, not having power to speak, If e'er it come to pass that fortune bring thee 140 145 CANTO XXXI. NE and the self-same tongue first wounded me, ONE So that it tinged the one cheek and the other, And then held out to me the medicine; Thus do I hear that once Achilles' spear, His and his father's, used to be the cause First of a sad and then a gracious boon. We turned our backs upon the wretched valley, Upon the bank that girds it round about, Going across it without any speech. There it was less than night, and less than day, So that my sight went little in advance; When Charlemagne the holy emprise lost, |