INFERNO CANTO 02 Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.	Notes	Ann.
The day was now departing; the dark air released the living beings of the earth from work and weariness; and I myself DAY was departing, and the embrowned air Released the animals that are on earth From their fatigues; and I the only one	02.001 02.003
alone prepared to undergo the battle both of the journeying and of the pity, which memory, mistaking not, shall show. Made myself ready to sustain the war, Both of the way and likewise of the woe, Which memory that errs not shall retrace.	02.006
O Muses, o high genius, help me now; o memory that set down what I saw, here shall your excellence reveal itself! O Muses, O high genius, now assist me ! O memory, that didst write down what I saw, Here thy nobility shall be manifest !	02.009
I started: "Poet, you who are my guide, see if the force in me is strong enough before you let me face that rugged pass. And I began: "Poet, who guidest me, Regard my manhood, if it be sufficient. Ere to the arduous pass thou dost confide me.	02.012
You say that he who fathered Sylvius, while he was still corruptible, had journeyed into the deathless world with his live body. Thou sayest, that of Silvius the parent, While yet corruptible, unto the world Immortal went, and was there bodily.	02.013 02.015
For, if the Enemy of every evil was courteous to him, considering all he would cause and who and what he was, But if the adversary of all evil Was courteous, thinking of the high effect That issue would from him, and who, and what,	02.018
that does not seem incomprehensible, since in the empyrean heaven he was chosen to father honored Rome and her empire; 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;	02.021
and if the truth be told, Rome and her realm were destined to become the sacred place, the seat of the successor of great Peter. The which and what, wishing to speak the truth, Were stablished as the ho]y place, wherein Sits the successor of the greatest Peter.	02.024
And through the journey you ascribe to him, he came to learn of things that were to bring his victory and, too, the papal mantle. Upon this journey, whence thou givest him vaunt, Things did he hear, which the occasion were Both of his victory and the papal mantle.	02.027
Later the Chosen Vessel travelled there, to bring us back assurance of that faith with which the way to our salvation starts. Thither went afterwards the Chosen Vessel, To bring back comfort thence unto that Faith, Which of salvation's way is the beginning.	02.028 02.030
But why should I go there? Who sanctions it? For I am not Aeneas, am not Paul; nor I nor others think myself so worthy. But I, why thither come, or who concedes it ? I not Aenas am, I am not Paul, Nor I, nor others, think me worthy of it.	02.033
Therefore, if I consent to start this journey, I fear my venture may be wild and empty. You're wise; you know far more than what I say." Therefore, if I resign myself to come, I fear the coming may be ill-advised; Thou'rt wise, and knowest better than I speak."	02.036
And just as he who unwills what he wills and shifts what he intends to seek new ends so that he's drawn from what he had begun, And as he is, who unwills what he willed, And by new thoughts doth his intention change, So that from his design he quite withdraws,	02.039
so was I in the midst of that dark land, because, with all my thinking, I annulled the task I had so quickly undertaken. Such I became, upon that dark hillside, Because, in thinking, I consumed the emprise, Which was so very prompt in the beginning.	02.042
"If I have understood what you have said," replied the shade of that great-hearted one, "your soul has been assailed by cowardice, "If I have well thy language understood," Replied that shade of the Magnanimous, "Thy soul attainted is with cowardice,	02.045
which often weighs so heavily on a man- distracting him from honorable trials- as phantoms frighten beasts when shadows fall. Which many times a man encumbers so, It turns him back from honoured enterprise, As false sight doth a beast, when he is shy.	02.048
That you may be delivered from this fear, I'll tell you why I came and what I heard when I first felt compassion for your pain. 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.	02.051
I was among those souls who are suspended; a lady called to me, so blessed, so lovely that I implored to serve at her command. 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.	02.052 02.054
Her eyes surpassed the splendor of the star's; and she began to speak to me-so gently and softly-with angelic voice. She said: Her eyes where shining brighter than the Star; And she began to say, gentle and low, With voice angelical, in her own language	02.055 02.056 02.057
'O spirit of the courteous Mantuan, whose fame is still a presence in the world and shall endure as long as the world lasts, ' O spirit courteous of Mantua, Of whom the fame still in the world endures, And shall endure, long-lasting as the world;	02.060
my friend, who has not been the friend of fortune, is hindered in his path along that lonely hillside; he has been turned aside by terror. A friend of mine, and not the friend of fortune, Upon the desert slope is so impeded Upon his way, that he has turned through terror,	02.063
From all that I have heard of him in Heaven, he is, I fear, already so astray that I have come to help him much too late. And may, I fear, already be so lost, That I too late have risen to his succour, From that which I have heard of him in Heaven.	02.066
Go now; with your persuasive word, with all that is required to see that he escapes, bring help to him, that I may be consoled. Bestir thee now, and with thy speech ornate, And with what needful is for his release, Assist him so, that I may be consoled.	02.067 02.069
For I am Beatrice who send you on; I come from where I most long to return; Love prompted me, that Love which makes me speak. Beatrice am I, who do bid thee go; I come from there, where I would fain return; Love moved me, which compelleth me to speak.	02.070 02.072
When once again I stand before my Lord, then I shall often let Him hear your praises.' Now Beatrice was silent. I began: When I shall be in presence of my Lord, Full often will I praise thee unto him.' Then paused she, and thereafter I began:	02.075
'O Lady of virtue, the sole reason why the human race surpasses all that lies beneath the heaven with the smallest spheres, ' O Lady of virtue, thou alone through whom The human race exceedeth all contained Within the heaven that has the lesser circles,	02.078
so welcome is your wish, that even if it were already done, it would seem tardy; all you need do is let me know your will. So grateful unto me is thy commandment, To obey, if 'twere already done, were late; No farther need'st thou ope to me thy wish.	02.081
But tell me why you have not been more prudent- descending to this center, moving from that spacious place where you long to return?' But the cause tell me why thou dost not shun The here descending down into this centre, From the vast place thou burnest to return to.'	02.084
'Because you want to fathom things so deeply, I now shall tell you promptly,' she replied, 'why I am not afraid to enter here. ' Since thou wouldst fain so inwardly discern, Briefly will I relate,' she answered me, ' Why I am not afraid to enter here.	02.087
One ought to be afraid of nothing other than things possessed of power to do us harm, but things innocuous need not be feared. Of those things only should one be afraid Which have the power of doing others harm; Of the rest, no; because they are not fearful.	02.090
God, in His graciousness, has made me so that this, your misery, cannot touch me; I can withstand the fires flaming here. God in his mercy such created me That misery of yours attains me not, Nor any flame assails me of this burning	02.093
In Heaven there's a gentle lady-one who weeps for the distress toward which I send you, so that stern judgment up above is shattered. A gentle Lady is in Heaven, who grieves At this impediment, to which I send thee, So that stern judgment there above is broken.	02.094 02.096
And it was she who called upon Lucia, requesting of her: "Now your faithful one has need of you, and I commend him to you." In her entreaty she besought Luci´a, And said, "Thy faithful one now stands in need Of thee, and unto thee I recommend him."	02.097 02.099
Lucia, enemy of every cruelty, arose and made her way to where I was, sitting beside the venerable Rachel. Luci´a, foe of all that cruel is, Hastened away, and came unto the place Where I was sitting with the ancient Rachel.	02.102
She said: "You, Beatrice, true praise of God, why have you not helped him who loves you so that-for your sake-he's left the vulgar crowd? "Beatrice" said she, "the true praise of God, Why succourest thou not him, who loved thee so, For thee he issued from the vulgar herd ?	02.105
Do you not hear the anguish in his cry? Do you not see the death he wars against upon that river ruthless as the sea?" Dost thou not hear the pity of his plaint ? Dost thou not see the death that combats him Beside that flood, where ocean has no vaunt?"	02.108
No one within this world has ever been so quick to seek his good or flee his harm as I-when she had finished speaking thus- 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,	02.111
to come below, down from my blessed station; I trusted in your honest utterance, which honors you and those who've listened to you.' Came hither downward from my blessed seat, Confiding in thy dignified discourse, Which honours thee, and those who've listened to it.'	02.114
When she had finished with her words to me, she turned aside her gleaming, tearful eyes, which only made me hurry all the more. After she thus had spoken unto me, Weeping, her shining eyes she turned away; Whereby she made me swifter in my coming;	02.117
And, just as she had wished, I came to you: I snatched you from the path of the fierce beast that barred the shortest way up the fair mountain. And unto thee I came, as she desired; I have delivered thee from that wild beast, Which barred the beautiful mountain's short ascent.	02.120
What is it then? Why, why do you resist? Why does your heart host so much cowardice? Where are your daring and your openness What is it, then ? Why, why dost thou delay? Why is such baseness bedded in thy heart? Daring and hardihood why hast thou not,	02.123
as long as there are three such blessed women concerned for you within the court of Heaven and my words promise you so great a good?" Seeing that three such Ladies benedight Are caring for thee in the court of Heaven, And so much good my speech doth promise thee ?"	02.126
As little flowers, which the chill of night has bent and huddled, when the white sun strikes grow straight and open fully on their stems, Even as the flowerets, by nocturnal chill, Bowed down and closed, when the sun whitens them, Uplift themselves all open on their stems;	02.127 02.129
so did I, too, with my exhausted force; and such warm daring rushed into my heart that I-as one who has been freed-began: Such I became with my exhausted strength, And such good courage to my heart there coursed, That I began, like an intrepid person:	02.132
"O she, compassionate, who has helped me! And you who, courteous, obeyed so quickly the true words that she had addressed to you! "O she compassionate, who succoured me, And courteous thou, who hast obeyed so soon The words of truth which she addressed to thee!	02.135
You, with your words, have so disposed my heart to longing for this journey-I return to what I was at first prepared to do. Thou hast my heart so with desire disposed To the adventure, with these words of thine, That to my first intent I have returned.	02.138
Now go; a single will fills both of us: you are my guide, my governor, my master." These were my words to him; when he advanced Now go, for one sole will is in us both, Thou Leader, and thou Lord, and Master thou." Thus said I to him; and when he had moved,	02.141
I entered on the steep and savage path. I entered on the deep and savage way.	02.142

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