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INFERNO CANTO 01
Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.		 NotesAnn.

	When I had journeyed half of our life's way,
I found myself within a shadowed forest,
for I had lost the path that does not stray.

	MIDWAY upon the journey of our life
I found myself within a forest dark,
For the straightforward pathway had been lost.








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	Ah, it is hard to speak of what it was,
that savage forest, dense and difficult,
which even in recall renews my fear:

	Ah me! how hard a thing it is to say
What was this forest savage, rough, and stern,
Which in the very thought renews the fear.








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	so bitter-death is hardly more severe!
But to retell the good discovered there,
I'll also tell the other things I saw.

	So bitter is it, death is little more;
But of the good to treat, which there I found,
Speak will I of the other things I saw there.








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	I cannot clearly say how I had entered
the wood; I was so full of sleep just at
the point where I abandoned the true path.

	I cannot well repeat how there I entered,
So full was I of slumber at the moment
In which I had abandoned the true way.








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	But when I'd reached the bottom of a hill-
it rose along the boundary of the valley
that had harassed my heart with so much fear-

	But after I had reached a mountain's foot,
At that point where the valley terminated,
Which had with consternation pierced my heart,








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	I looked on high and saw its shoulders clothed
already by the rays of that same planet
which serves to lead men straight along all roads.

	Upward I looked, and I beheld its shoulders
Vested already with that planet's rays
Which leadeth others right by every road.








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	At this my fear was somewhat quieted;
for through the night of sorrow I had spent,
the lake within my heart felt terror present.

	Then was the fear a little quieted
That in my heart's lake had endured throughout
The night, which I had passed so piteously








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	And just as he who, with exhausted breath,
having escaped from sea to shore, turns back
to watch the dangerous waters he has quit,

	And even as he, who, with distressful breath,
Forth issued from the sea upon the shore,
Turns to the water perilous and gazes;








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	so did my spirit, still a fugitive,
turn back to look intently at the pass
that never has let any man survive.

	So did my soul, that still was fleeing onward,
Turn itself back to re-behold the pass
Which never yet a living person left.








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	I let my tired body rest awhile.
Moving again, I tried the lonely slope-
my firm foot always was the one below.

	After my weary body I had rested,
The way resumed I on the desert slope,
So that the firm foot ever was the lower.








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	And almost where the hillside starts to rise-
look there!-a leopard, very quick and lithe,
a leopard covered with a spotted hide.

	And lo! almost where the ascent began,
A panther light and swift exceedingly, 
Which with a spotted skin was covered o'er!








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	He did not disappear from sight, but stayed;
indeed, he so impeded my ascent
that I had often to turn back again.

	And never moved she from before my face,
Nay, rather did impede so much my way,
That many times I to return had turned.








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	The time was the beginning of the morning;
the sun was rising now in fellowship
with the same stars that had escorted it

	The time was the beginning of the morning,
And up the sun was mounting with those stars
That with him were, what time the Love Divine








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	when Divine Love first moved those things of beauty;
so that the hour and the gentle season
gave me good cause for hopefulness on seeing

	At first in motion set those beauteous things;
So were to me occasion of good hope,
The variegated skin of that wild beast,








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	that beast before me with his speckled skin;
but hope was hardly able to prevent
the fear I felt when I beheld a lion.

	The hour of time, and the delicious season;
But not so much, that did not give me fear
A lion's aspect which appeared to me.








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	His head held high and ravenous with hunger-
even the air around him seemed to shudder-
this lion seemed to make his way against me.

	He seemed as if against me he were coming
With head uplifted, and with ravenous hunger,
So that it seemed the air was afraid of him;








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	And then a she-wolf showed herself; she seemed
to carry every craving in her leanness;
she had already brought despair to many.

	And a she-wolf, that with all hungerings
Seemed to be laden in her meagreness,
And many folk has caused to live forlorn!








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	The very sight of her so weighted me
with fearfulness that I abandoned hope
of ever climbing up that mountain slope.

	She brought upon me so much heaviness,
With the affright that from her aspect came,
That I the hope relinquished of the height.








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	Even as he who glories while he gains
will, when the time has come to tally loss,
lament with every thought and turn despondent,

	And as he is who willingly acquires,
And the time comes that causes him to lose,
Who weeps in all his thoughts and is despondent,








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	so was I when I faced that restless beast
which, even as she stalked me, step by step
had thrust me back to where the sun is speechless.

	E'en such made me that beast withouten peace,
Which, coming on against me by degrees
Thrust me back thither where the sun is silent








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	While I retreated down to lower ground,
before my eyes there suddenly appeared
one who seemed faint because of the long silence.

	While I was rushing downward to the lowland,
Before mine eyes did one present himself,
Who seemed from long-continued silence hoarse.








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	When I saw him in that vast wilderness,
"Have pity on me," were the words I cried,
"whatever you may be-a shade, a man."

	When I beheld him in the desert vast,
"Have pity on me," unto him I cried,
"Whiche'er thou art, or shade or real man!"








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	He answered me: "Not man; I once was man.
Both of my parents came from Lombardy,
and both claimed Mantua as native city.

	He answered me: "Not man; man once I was,
And both my parents were of Lombardy,
And Mantuans by country both of them.








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	And I was born, though late, sub Julio, 
and lived in Rome under the good Augustus-   
the season of the false and lying gods.

	Sub Julio was I born, though it was late,
And lived at Rome under the good Augustus,
During the time of false and Iying gods.








01.072
 






	I was a poet, and I sang the righteous
son of Anchises who had come from Troy
when flames destroyed the pride of Ilium.

	A poet was I, and I sang that just
Son of Anchises, who came forth from Troy,
After that Ilion the superb was burned








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	But why do you return to wretchedness?
Why not climb up the mountain of delight,
the origin and cause of every joy?"

	But thou, why goest thou back to such annoyance?
Why climb'st thou not the Mount Delectable
Which is the source and cause of every joy?"








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	"And are you then that Virgil, you the fountain
that freely pours so rich a stream of speech?" 
I answered him with shame upon my brow.

	Now, art thou that Virgilius and that fountain
Which spreads abroad so wide a river of speech?"
I made response to him with bashful forehead.








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	"O light and honor of all other poets, 
may my long study and the intense love
that made me search your volume serve me now.

	O, of the other poets honour and light,
Avail me the long study and great love
That have impelled me to explore thy volume!








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	You are my master and my author, you-
the only one from whom my writing drew 
the noble style for which I have been honored.

	Thou art my master, and my author thou,
Thou art alone the one from whom I took
The beautiful style that has done honour to me.








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	You see the beast that made me turn aside;
help me, o famous sage, to stand against her, 
for she has made my blood and pulses shudder,"  

	Behold the beast, for which I have turned back;
Do thou protect me from her, famous Sage,
Thee it behoves to take another road,"








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	"It is another path that you must take,"
he answered when he saw my tearfulness,
"if you would leave this savage wilderness;

	Responded he, when he beheld me weeping,
"If from this savage place thou wouldst escape;
Because this beast, at which thou criest out,








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	the beast that is the cause of your outcry
allows no man to pass along her track, 
but blocks him even to the point of death;

	Suffers not any one to pass her way,
But so doth harass him, that she destroys him;
And has a nature so malign and ruthless,








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	her nature is so squalid, so malicious
that she can never sate her greedy will;
when she has fed, she's hungrier than ever.

	That never doth she glut her greedy will,
And after food is hungrier than before.
Many the animals with whom she weds,








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	She mates with many living souls and shall
yet mate with many more, until the Greyhound
arrives, inflicting painful death on her.

	And more they shall be still, until the Greyhound
Comes, who shall make her perish in her pain.
He shall not feed on either earth or pelf,








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	That Hound will never feed on land or pewter,
but find his fare in wisdom, love, and virtue; 
his place of birth shall be between two felts.

	But upon wisdom, and on love and virtue;
'Twixt Feltro and Feltro shall his nation be;
Of that low Italy shall he be the saviour,








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	He will restore low-lying Italy for which
the maid Camilla died of wounds, 
and Nisus, Turnus, and Euryalus.

	On whose account the maid Camilla died,
Euryalus, Turnus, Nisus, of their wounds;
Through every city shall he hunt her down,








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	And he will hunt that beast through every city
until he thrusts her back again to Hell, 
for which she was first sent above by envy.

	Until he shall have driven her back to Hell,
There from whence envy first did let her loose.
Therefore I think and judge it for thy best








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	Therefore, I think and judge it best for you
to follow me, and I shall guide you, taking
you from this place through an eternal place,

	Thou follow me, and I will be thy guide,
And lead thee hence through the eternal place,
Where thou shalt hear the desperate lamentations,








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	where you shall hear the howls of desperation
and see the ancient spirits in their pain, 
as each of them laments his second death;

	Shalt see the ancient spirits disconsolate,
Who cry out each one for the second death;
And thou shalt see those who contented are








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	and you shall see those souls who are content
within the fire, for they hope to reach-
whenever that may be-the blessed people.

	Within the fire, because they hope to come,
Whene'er it may be, to the blessed people;
To whom, then, if thou wishest to ascend,








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	If you would then ascend as high as these,
a soul more worthy than I am will guide you;
I'll leave you in her care when I depart,

	A soul shall be for that than I more worthy;
With her at my departure I will leave thee;
Because that Emperor, who reigns above,








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	because that Emperor who reigns above,
since I have been rebellious to His law,
will not allow me entry to His city.

	In that I was rebellious to his law,
Wills that through me none come into his city.
He governs everywhere and there he reigns;








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	He governs everywhere, but rules from there;
there is His city, His high capital: 
o happy those He chooses to be there!"

	There is his city and his lofty throne;
O happy he whom thereto he elects!"
And I to him: " Poet, I thee entreat,








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	And I replied: "O poet-by that God 
whom you had never come to know-I beg you, 
that I may flee this evil and worse evils,

	By that same God whom thou didst never know,
So that I may escape this woe and worse,
Thou wouldst conduct me there where thou hast said,








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	to lead me to the place of which you spoke,
that I may see the gateway of Saint Peter 
and those whom you describe as sorrowful."

	That I may see the portal of Saint Peter,
And those thou makest so disconsolate."
Then he moved on, and I behind him followed.








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	Then he set out, and I moved on behind him.

	Then he moved on, and I behind him followed.
	



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