| INFERNO CANTO 16 Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr. | Notes | Ann. |
No sooner had I reached the place where one could hear a murmur, like a beehive's hum, of waters as they fell to the next circle, NOW was I where was heard the reverberation Of water falling into the next round, Like to that humming which the beehives make, |
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when, setting out together, three shades ran, leaving another company that passed beneath the rain of bitter punishment. When shadows three together started forth, Running, from out a company that passed Beneath the rain of the sharp martyrdom. |
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They came toward us, and each of them cried out: "Stop, you who by your clothing seem to be someone who comes from our indecent country!" Towards us came they, and each one cried out: "Stop, thou; for by thy garb to us thou seemest To be some one of our depraved city." |
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Ah me, what wounds I saw upon their limbs, wounds new and old, wounds that the flames seared in! It pains me still as I remember it. Ah me ! what wounds I saw upon their limbs, Recent and ancient by the flames burnt in ! It pains me still but to remember it. |
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When they cried out, my master paid attention; he turned his face toward me and then he said: "Now wait: to these one must show courtesy. Unto their cries my Teacher paused attentive; He turned his face towards me, and "Now wait, He said; "to these we should be courteous. |
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And were it not the nature of this place for shafts of fire to fall, I'd say that haste was seemlier for you than for those three." And if it were not for the fire that darts The nature of this region, I should say That haste were more becoming thee than them." |
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As soon as we stood still, they started up their ancient wail again; and when they reached us, they formed a wheel, all three of them together. As soon as we stood still, they recommenced The old refrain, and when they overtook us, Formed of themselves a wheel, all three of them. |
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As champions, naked, oiled, will always do, each studying the grip that serves him best before the blows and wounds begin to fall, As champions stripped and oiled are wont to do, Watching for their advantage and their hold, Before they come to blows and thrusts between them, |
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while wheeling so, each one made sure his face was turned to me, so that their necks opposed their feet in one uninterrupted flow. Thus, wheeling round, did every one his visage Direct to me, so that in opposite wise His neck and feet continual journey made. |
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And, "If the squalor of this shifting sand, together with our baked and barren features, makes us and our requests contemptible," And, "If the misery of this soft place Bring in disdain ourselves and our entreaties," Began one, "and our aspect black and blistered. |
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one said, "then may our fame incline your mind to tell us who you are, whose living feet can make their way through Hell with such assurance. Let the renown of us thy mind incline To tell us who thou art, who thus securely Thy living feet dost move along through Hell. |
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He in whose steps you see me tread, although he now must wheel about both peeled and naked, was higher in degree than you believe: He in whose footprints thou dost see me treading, Naked and skinless though he now may go, Was of a greater rank than thou dost think; |
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he was a grandson of the good Gualdrada, and Guido Guerra was his name; in life his sword and his good sense accomplished much. He was the grandson of the good Gualdrada; His name was Guidoguerra, and in life Much did he with his wisdom and his sword. |
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The other who, behind me, tramples sand- Tegghiaio Aldobrandi, one whose voice should have been heeded in the world above. The other, who close by me treads the sand, Tegghiaio Aldobrandi is, whose fame Above there in the world should welcome be. |
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And I, who share this punishment with them, was Jacopo Rusticucci; certainly, more than all else, my savage wife destroyed me." And I, who with them on the cross am placed, Jacopo Rusticucci was; and truly My savage wife, more than aught else, doth harm me." |
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If I'd had shield and shelter from the fire, I should have thrown myself down there among them- I think my master would have sanctioned that; Could I have been protected from the fire, Below I should have thrown myself among them, And think the Teacher would have suffered it; |
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but since that would have left me burned and baked, my fear won out against the good intention that made me so impatient to embrace them. But as I should have burned and baked myself, My terror overmastered my good will, Which made me greedy of embracing them. |
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Then I began: "Your present state had fixed not scorn but sorrow in me-and so deeply that it will only disappear slowly- Then I began: "Sorrow and not disdain Did your condition fix within me so, That tardily it wholly is stripped off, |
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as soon as my lord spoke to me with words that made me understand what kind of men were coming toward us, men of worth like yours. As soon as this my Lord said unto me Words, on account of which I thought within me That people such as you are were approaching. |
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For I am of your city; and with fondness, I've always told and heard the others tell of both your actions and your honored names. I of your city am; and evermore Your labours and your honourable names I with affection have retraced and heard. |
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I leave the gall and go for the sweet apples that I was promised by my truthful guide; but first I must descend into the center." I leave the gall, and go for the sweet fruits Promised to me by the veracious Leader; But to the centre first I needs must plunge." |
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"So may your soul long lead your limbs and may your fame shine after you," he answered then, "tell us if courtesy and valor still "So may the soul for a long while conduct Those limbs of thine,"did he make answer thee: " "And so may thy renown shine after thee, |
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abide within our city as they did when we were there, or have they disappeared completely; for Guiglielmo Borsiere, Valour and courtesy, say if they dwell Within our city, as they used to do, Or if they wholly have gone out of it; |
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who only recently has come to share our torments, and goes there with our companions, has caused us much affliction with his words." For Guglielmo Borsier, who is in torment With us of late, and goes there with his comrades, Doth greatly mortify us with his words." |
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"Newcomers to the city and quick gains have brought excess and arrogance to you, o Florence, and you weep for it already!" "The new inhabitants and the sudden gains, Pride and extravagance have in thee engendered, Florence, so that thou weep'st thereat already !" |
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So I cried out with face upraised; the three looked at each other when they heard my answer as men will stare when they have heard the truth. In this wise I exclaimed with face uplifted; And the three, taking that for my reply, Looked at each other, as one looks at truth |
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"If you can always offer a reply so readily to others," said all three, "then happy you who speak, at will, so clearly. "If other times so little it doth cost thee," Replied they all, "to satisfy another, Happy art thou, thus speaking at thy will ! |
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So, if you can escape these lands of darkness and see the lovely stars on your return, when you repeat with pleasure, 'I was there,' Therefore, if thou escape from these dark places, And come to rebehold the beauteous stars, When it shall pleasure thee to say, ' I was,' |
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be sure that you remember us to men." At this they broke their wheel; and as they fled, their swift legs seemed to be no less than wings. See that thou speak of us unto the people." Then they broke up the wheel, and in their flight It seemed as if their agile legs were wings. |
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The time it took for them to disappear- more brief than time it takes to say "amen"; and so, my master thought it right to leave. Not an Amen could possibly be said So rapidly as they had disappeared; Wherefore the Master deemed best to depart. |
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I followed him. We'd only walked a little when roaring water grew so near to us we hardly could have heard each other speak. I followed him, and little had we gone, Before the sound of water was so near us, That speaking we should hardly have been heard. |
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And even as the river that is first to take its own course eastward from Mount Viso, along the left flank of the Apennines Even as that stream which holdeth its own course The first from Monte Veso tow'rds the East, Upon the left-hand slope of Apennine, |
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(which up above is called the Acquacheta, before it spills into its valley bed and flows without that name beyond Forli), Which is above called Acquacheta, ere It down descendeth into its low bed, And at Forli is vacant of that name, |
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reverberates above San Benedetto dell'Alpe as it cascades in one leap, where there is space enough to house a thousand; Reverberates there above San Benedetto From Alps, by falling at a single leap, Where for a thousand there were room enough; |
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so did we hear that blackened water roar as it plunged down a steep and craggy bank, enough to deafen us in a few hours. Thus downward from a bank precipitate, We found resounding that dark-tinted water, So that it soon the ear would have offended. |
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Around my waist I had a cord as girdle, and with it once I thought I should be able to catch the leopard with the painted hide. I had a cord around about me girt, And therewithal I whilom had designed To take the panther with the painted skin. |
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And after I had loosened it completely, just as my guide commanded me to do, I handed it to him, knotted and coiled. After I this had all from me unloosed, As my Conductor had commanded me, I reached it to him, gathered up and coiled |
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At this, he wheeled around upon his right and cast it, at some distance from the edge, straight down into the depth of the ravine. Whereat he turned himself to the right side, And at a little distance from the verge, He cast it down into that deep abyss. |
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"And surely something strange must here reply," I said within myself, "to this strange sign- the sign my master follows with his eye." "It must needs be some novelty respond," I said within myself, "to the new signal The Master with his eye is following so." |
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Ah, how much care men ought to exercise with those whose penetrating intellect can see our thoughts-not just our outer act! Ah me I how very cautious men should be With those who not alone behold the act, But with their wisdom look into the thoughts ! |
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He said to me: "Now there will soon emerge what I await and what your thought has conjured: it soon must be discovered to your sight." He said to me: "Soon there will upward come What I await; and what thy thought is dreaming Must soon reveal itself unto thy sight." |
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Faced with that truth which seems a lie, a man should always close his lips as long as he can- to tell it shames him, even though he's blameless; Aye to that truth which has the face of falsehood, A man should close his lips as far as may be, Because without his fault it causes shame; |
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but here I can't be still; and by the lines of this my Comedy, reader, I swear- and may my verse find favor for long years- But here I cannot; and, Reader, by the notes Of this my Comedy to thee I swear, So may they not be void of lasting favour, |
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that through the dense and darkened air I saw a figure swimming, rising up, enough to bring amazement to the firmest heart, Athwart that dense and darksome atmosphere I saw a figure swimming upward come, Marvellous unto every steadfast heart, |
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like one returning from the waves where he went down to loose an anchor snagged upon a reef or something else hid in the sea, Even as he returns who goeth down Sometimes to clear an anchor, which has grappled Reef, or aught else that in the sea is hidden, |
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who stretches upward and draws in his feet. Who upward stretches, and draws in his feet. |
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