| INFERNO CANTO 23 Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr. | Notes | Ann. |
Silent, alone, no one escorting us, we made our way-one went before, one after- as Friars Minor when they walk together. SILENT, alone, and without company We went, the one in front, the other after, As go the Minor Friars along their way |
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The present fracas made me think of Aesop- that fable where he tells about the mouse and frog; for "near" and "nigh" are not more close Upon the fable of Aesop was directed My thought, by reason of the present quarrel, Where he has spoken of the frog and mouse; |
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than are that fable and this incident, if you compare with care how each begins and then compare the endings that they share. For mo and issa are not more alike Than this one is to that, if well we couple End and beginning with a steadfast mind. |
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And even as one thought springs from another, so out of that was still another born, which made the fear I felt before redouble. And even as one thought from another springs, So afterward from that was born another, Which the first fear within me double made. |
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I thought: "Because of us, they have been mocked, and this inflicted so much hurt and scorn that I am sure they feel deep indignation. Thus did I ponder: "These on our account Are laughed to scorn, with injury and scoff So great, that much I think it must annoy them. |
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If anger's to be added to their malice, they'll hunt us down with more ferocity than any hound whose teeth have trapped a hare." If anger be engrafted on ill-will, They will come after us more merciless Than dog upon the leveret which he seizes," |
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I could already feel my hair curl up from fear, and I looked back attentively, while saying: "Master, if you don't conceal I felt my hair stand all on end already With terror, and stood backwardly intent, When said I: "Master, if thou hidest not |
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yourself and me at once-they terrify me, those Malebranche; they are after us; I so imagine them, I hear them now." Thyself and me forthwith, of Malebranche I am in dread; we have them now behind us; I so imagine them, I already feel them" |
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And he to me: "Were I a leaded mirror, I could not gather in your outer image more quickly than I have received your inner. And he : "If I were made of leaded glass Thine outward image I should not attract Sooner to me than I imprint the inner. |
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For even now your thoughts have joined my own; in both our acts and aspects we are kin- with both our minds I've come to one decision. Just now thy thoughts came in among my own, With similar attitude and similar face, So that of both one counsel sole I made. |
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If that right bank is not extremely steep, we can descend into the other moat and so escape from the imagined chase." If peradventure the right bank so slope That we to the next Bolgia can descend. We shall escape from the imagined chase." |
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He'd hardly finished telling me his plan when I saw them approach with outstretched wings, not too far off, and keen on taking us. Not yet he finished rendering such opinion. When I beheld them come with outstretched wings, Not far remote, with will to seize upon us. |
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My guide snatched me up instantly, just as the mother who is wakened by a roar and catches sight of blazing flames beside her, My Leader on a sudden seized me up, Even as a mother who by noise is wakened, And close beside her sees the enkindled flames, |
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will lift her son and run without a stop- she cares more for the child than for herself- not pausing even to throw on a shift; Who takes her son, and flies, and does not stop, Having more care of him than of herself, So that she clothes her only with a shift; |
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and down the hard embankment's edge-his back lay flat along the sloping rock that closes one side of the adjacent moat-he slid. And downward from the top of the hard bank Supine he gave him to the pendent rock, That one side of the other Bolgia walls. |
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No water ever ran so fast along a sluice to turn the wheels of a land mill, not even when its flow approached the paddles, Ne'er ran so swiftly water through a sluice To turn the water of any land-built mill, When nearest to the paddles it approaches, |
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as did my master race down that embankment while bearing me with him upon his chest, just like a son, and not like a companion. As did my Master down along that border, Bearing me with him on his breast away, As his own son, and not as a companion. |
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His feet had scarcely reached the bed that lies along the deep below, than those ten demons were on the edge above us; but there was Hardly the bed of the ravine below His feet had reached, ere they had reached the hill Right over us; but he was not afraid; |
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nothing to fear; for that High Providence that willed them ministers of the fifth ditch, denies to all of them the power to leave it. For the high Providence, which had ordained To place them ministers of the fifth moat, The power of thence departing took from all. |
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Below that point we found a painted people, who moved about with lagging steps, in circles, weeping, with features tired and defeated. A painted people there below we found, Who went about with footsteps very slow, Weeping and in their semblance tired and vanquished. |
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And they were dressed in cloaks with cowls so low they fell before their eyes, of that same cut that's used to make the clothes for Cluny's monks. They had on mantles with the hoods low down Before their eyes, and fashioned of the cut That in Cologne they for the monks arc made. |
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Outside, these cloaks were gilded and they dazzled; but inside they were all of lead, so heavy that Frederick's capes were straw compared to them. Without, they gilded are so that it dazzles; But inwardly all leaden and so heavy That Frederick used to put them on of straw. |
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A tiring mantle for eternity! We turned again, as always, to the left, along with them, intent on their sad weeping; O everlastingly fatiguing mantle ! Again we turned us, still to the left hand Along with them, intent on their sad plaint; |
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but with their weights that weary people paced so slowly that we found ourselves among new company each time we took a step. But owing to the weight, that weary folk Came on so tardily, that we were new In company at each motion of the haunch. |
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At which I told my guide: "Please try to find someone whose name or deed I recognize; and while we walk, be watchful with your eyes." Whence I unto my Leader: "See thou find Some one who may by deed or name be known, And thus in going move thine eye about." |
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And one who'd taken in my Tuscan speech cried out behind us: "Stay your steps, o you who hurry so along this darkened air! And one, who understood the Tuscan speech Cried to us from behind: "Stay ye your feet Ye, who so run athwart the dusky air! . |
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Perhaps you'll have from me that which you seek." At which my guide turned to me, saying: "Wait, and then continue, following his pace." Perhaps thou'lt have from me what thou demandest." Whereat the Leader turned him, and said: "Wait, And then according to his pace proceed." |
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I stopped, and I saw two whose faces showed their minds were keen to be with me; but both their load and the tight path forced them to slow. I stopped, and two beheld I show great haste Of spirit, in their faces, to be with me; But the burden and the narrow way delayed them. |
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When they came up, they looked askance at me a long while, and they uttered not a word until they turned to one another, saying: When they came up, long with an eye askance They scanned me without uttering a word. Then to each other turned, and said together: |
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"The throbbing of his throat makes this one seem alive; and if they're dead, what privilege lets them appear without the heavy mantle?" "He by the action of his throat seems living; And if they dead are, by what privilege Go they uncovered by the heavy stole ?" |
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Then they addressed me: "Tuscan, you who come to this assembly of sad hypocrites, do not disdain to tell us who you are." Then said to me: "Tuscan, who to the college Of miserable hypocrites art come, Do not disdain to tell us who thou art." |
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I answered: "Where the lovely Arno flows, there I was born and raised, in the great city; I'm with the body I have always had. And I to them: "Born was I, and grew up In the great town on the fair river of Arno, And with the body am I've always had. |
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But who are you, upon whose cheeks I see such tears distilled by grief? And let me know what punishment it is that glitters so." But who are ye, in whom there trickles down Along your cheeks such grief as I behold ? And what pain is upon you, that so sparkles?" |
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And one of them replied: "The yellow cloaks are of a lead so thick, their heaviness makes us, the balances beneath them, creak. And one replied to me: "These orange cloaks Are made of lead so heavy, that the weights Cause in this way their balances to creak. |
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We both were Jovial Friars, and Bolognese; my name was Catalano, Loderingo was his, and we were chosen by your city Frati Gaudenti were we, and Bolognese; I Catalano, and he Loderingo Named, and together taken by thy city, |
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together, for the post that's usually one man's, to keep the peace; and what we were is still to be observed around Gardingo." As the wont is to take one man alone, For maintenance of its peace; and we were such That still it is apparent round Gardingo." |
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I then began, "O Friars, your misdeeds . . . " but said no more, because my eyes had caught one crucified by three stakes on the ground. "O Friars," began I, "your iniquitous . . ." But said no more; for to mine eyes there rushed One crucified with three stakes on the ground. |
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When he saw me, that sinner writhed all over, and he breathed hard into his beard with sighs; observing that, Fra Catalano said When me he saw, he writhed himself all over, Blowing into his beard with suspirations; And the Friar Catalan, who noticed this, |
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to me: "That one impaled there, whom you see, counseled the Pharisees that it was prudent to let one man-and not one nation-suffer. Said to me: "This transfixed one, whom thou seest, Counselled the Pharisees that it was meet To put one man to torture for the people. |
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Naked, he has been stretched across the path, as you can see, and he must feel the weight of anyone who passes over him. Crosswise and naked is he on the path, As thou perceivest; and he needs must feel, Whoever passes, first how much he weighs; |
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Like torment, in this ditch, afflicts both his father-in-law and others in that council, which for the Jews has seeded so much evil." And in like mode his father-in-law is punished Within this moat, and the others of the council, Which for the Jews was a malignant seed." |
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Then I saw Virgil stand amazed above that one who lay stretched out upon a cross so squalidly in his eternal exile. And thereupon I saw Virgilius marvel O'er him who was extended on the cross So vilely in eternal banishment. |
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And he addressed the friar in this way: "If it does not displease you-if you may- tell us if there's some passage on the right Then he directed to the Friar this voice: "Be not displeased, if granted thee, to tell us If to the right hand any pass slope down |
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that would allow the two of us to leave without our having to compel black angels to travel to this deep, to get us out." By which we two may issue forth from here, Without constraining some of the black angels To come and extricate us from this deep." |
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He answered: "Closer than you hope, you'll find a rocky ridge that stretches from the great round wall and crosses all the savage valleys, Then he made answer: "Nearer than thou hopest There is a rock, that forth from the great circle Proceeds, and crosses all the cruel valleys, |
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except that here it's broken-not a bridge. But where its ruins slope along the bank and heap up at the bottom, you can climb." Save that at this 'tis broken, and does not bridge it; You will be able to mount up the ruin, That sidelong slopes and at the bottom rises." |
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My leader stood a while with his head bent, then said: "He who hooks sinners over there gave us a false account of this affair." The Leader stood awhile with head bowed down; Then said: "The business badly he recounted Who grapples with his hook the sinners yonder." |
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At which the Friar: "In Bologna, I once heard about the devil's many vices- they said he was a liar and father of lies." And the Friar: "Many of the Devil's vices Once heard I at Bologna, and among them, That he's a liar and the father of lies." |
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And then my guide moved on with giant strides, somewhat disturbed, with anger in his eyes; at this I left those overburdened spirits, Thereat my Leader with great strides went on, Somewhat disturbed with anger in his looks; Whence from the heavy-laden I departed |
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while following the prints of his dear feet. After the prints of his beloved feet. |
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