INFERNO CANTO 28 Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.	Notes	Ann.
Who, even with untrammeled words and many attempts at telling, ever could recount in full the blood and wounds that I now saw? WHO ever could, e'en with untrammelled words, Tell of the blood and of the wounds in full Which now I saw, by many times narrating ?	28.001 28.003
Each tongue that tried would certainly fall short because the shallowness of both our speech and intellect cannot contain so much. Each tongue would for a certainty fall short By reason of our speech and memory, That have small room to comprehend so much	28.006
Were you to reassemble all the men who once, within Apulia's fateful land, had mourned their blood, shed at the Trojans' hands, If were again assembled all the people Which formerly upon the fateful land Of Puglia were lamenting for their blood	28.009
as well as those who fell in the long war where massive mounds of rings were battle spoils- even as Livy writes, who does not err- Shed by the Romans and the lingering war That of the rings made such illustrious spoils, As Livy has recorded, who errs not,	28.010 28.011 28.012
and those who felt the thrust of painful blows when they fought hard against Robert Guiscard; with all the rest whose bones are still piled up With those who felt the agony of blows By making counterstand to Robert Guiscard, And all the rest, whose bones are gathered still	28.014 28.015
at Ceperano-each Apulian was a traitor there-and, too, at Tagliacozzo, where old Alardo conquered without weapons; At Ceperano, where a renegade Was each Apulian, and at Tagliacozzo, Where without arms the old Alardo conquered,	28.016 28.017 28.018
and then, were one to show his limb pierced through and one his limb hacked off, that would not match the hideousness of the ninth abyss. And one his limb transpierced, and one lopped off, Should show, it would be nothing to compare With the disgusting mode of the ninth Bolgia.	28.021
No barrel, even though it's lost a hoop or end- piece, ever gapes as one whom I saw ripped right from his chin to where we fart: A cask by losing centre-piece or cant Was never shattered so, as I saw one Rent from the chin to where one breaketh wind.	28.024
his bowels hung between his legs, one saw his vitals and the miserable sack that makes of what we swallow excrement. Between his legs were hanging down his entrails; His heart was visible, and the dismal sack That maketh excrement of what is eaten.	28.027
While I was all intent on watching him, he looked at me, and with his hands he spread his chest and said: "See how I split myself! While I was all absorbed in seeing him, He looked at me, and opened with his hands His bosom, saying: "See now how I rend me;	28.030
See now how maimed Mohammed is! And he who walks and weeps before me is Ali, whose face is opened wide from chin to forelock. How mutilated, see, is Mahomet; In front of me doth Ali weeping go, Cleft in the face from forelock unto chin;	28.031 28.033
And all the others here whom you can see were, when alive, the sowers of dissension and scandal, and for this they now are split. And all the others whom thou here beholdest, Disseminators of scandal and of schism While living were, and therefore are cleft thus.	28.036
Behind us here, a devil decks us out so cruelly, re-placing every one of this throng underneath the sword edge when A devil is behind here, who doth cleave us Thus cruelly, unto the falchion's edge Putting again each one of all this ream,	28.039
we've made our way around the road of pain, because our wounds have closed again before we have returned to meet his blade once more. When we have gone around the doleful road; By reason that our wounds are closed again Ere any one in front of him repass.	28.042
But who are you who dawdle on this ridge, perhaps to slow your going to the verdict that was pronounced on your self-accusations? But who art thou, that musest on the crag, Perchance to postpone going to the pain That is adjudged upon thine accusations ?"	28.045
"Death has not reached him yet," my master answered, "nor is it guilt that summons him to torment; but that he may gain full experience, "Nor death hath reached him yet, nor guilt doth bring him," My Master made reply, "to be tormented; But to procure him full experience,	28.048
I, who am dead, must guide him here below, to circle after circle, throughout Hell: this is as true as that I speak to you." Me, who am dead, behoves it to conduct him Down here through Hell, from circle unto circle; And this is true as that I speak to thee."	28.051
More than a hundred, when they heard him, stopped within the ditch and turned to look at me, forgetful of their torture, wondering. More than a hundred were there when they heard him, Who in the moat stood still to look at me, Through wonderment oblivious of their torture.	28.054
"Then you, who will perhaps soon see the sun, tell Fra Dolcino to provide himself with food, if he has no desire to join me "Now say to Fra Dolcino, then, to arm him, Thou, who perhaps wilt shortly see the sun, If soon he wish not here to follow me,	28.055 28.057
here quickly, lest when snow besieges him, it bring the Novarese the victory that otherwise they would not find too easy." So with provisions, that no stress of snow May give the victory to the Novarese, Which otherwise to gain would not be easy."	28.059 28.060
When he had raised his heel, as if to go, Mohammed said these words to me, and then he set it on the ground and off he went. After one foot to go away he lifted, This word did Mahomet say unto me, Then to depart upon the ground he stretched it.	28.063
Another sinner, with his throat slit through and with his nose hacked off up to his eyebrows, and no more than a single ear remaining, Another one, who had his throat pierced through, And nose cut off close underneath the brows, And had no longer but a single ear,	28.066
had-with the others-stayed his steps in wonder; he was the first, before the rest, to open his windpipe-on the outside, all bloodred- Staying to look in wonder with the others, Before the others did his gullet open, Which outwardly was red in every part,	28.069
and said: "O you whom guilt does not condemn, and whom, unless too close resemblance cheats me, I've seen above upon Italian soil, And said: "O thou, whom guilt doth not condemn, And whom I once saw up in Latian land, Unless too great similitude deceive me,	28.072
remember Pier da Medicina if you ever see again the gentle plain that from Vercelli slopes to Marcabo. Call to remembrance Pier da Medicina, If e'er thou see again the lovely plain That from Vercelli slopes to Marcabo,	28.073 28.074 28.075
And let the two best men of Fano know- I mean both Messer Guido and Angiolello- that, if the foresight we have here's not vain, And make it known to the best two of Fano, To Messer Guido and Angiolello likewise, That if foreseeing here be not in vain,	28.076 28.078
they will be cast out of their ship and drowned, weighed down with stones, near La Cattolica, because of a foul tyrant's treachery. Cast over from their vessel shall they be, And drowned near unto the Cattolica, By the betrayal of a tyrant fell.	28.081
Between the isles of Cyprus and Majorca, Neptune has never seen so cruel a crime committed by the pirates or the Argives. Between the isles of Cyprus and Majorca Neptune ne'er yet beheld so great a crime Neither of pirates nor Argolic people.	28.084
That traitor who sees only with one eye and rules the land which one who's here with me would wish his sight had never seen, will call That traitor, who sees only with one eye, And holds the land, which some one here with me Would fain be fasting from the vision of,	28.085 28.086 28.087
Guido and Angiolello to a parley, and then will so arrange it that they'll need no vow or prayer to Focara's wind!" Will make them come unto a parley with him; Then will do so, that to Focara's wind They will not stand in need of vow or prayer."	28.089 28.090
And I to him: "If you would have me carry some news of you above, then tell and show me who so detests the sight of Rimini." And I to him: "Show to me and declare, If thou wouldst have me bear up news of thee, Who is this person of the bitter vision."	28.093
And then he set his hand upon the jaw of a companion, opening his mouth and shouting: "This is he, and he speaks not. Then did he lay his hand upon the jaw Of one of his companions, and his mouth Oped, crying: "This is he, and he speaks not.	28.096
A man cast out, he quenched the doubt in Caesar, insisting that the one who is prepared can only suffer harm if he delays." This one, being banished, every doubt submerged In Caesar by affirming the forearmed Always with detriment allowed delay."	28.099
Oh, how dismayed and pained he seemed to me, his tongue slit in his gullet: Curio, who once was so audacious in his talk! O how bewildered unto me appeared, With tongue asunder in his windpipe slit, Curio, who in speaking was so bold !	28.102
And one who walked with both his hands hacked off, while lifting up his stumps through the dark air, so that his face was hideous with blood, And one, who both his hands dissevered had, The stumps uplifting through the murky air, So that the blood made horrible his face,	28.105
cried out: "You will remember Mosca, too, who said-alas-'What's done is at an end,' which was the seed of evil for the Tuscans." Cried out: "Thou shalt remember Mosca also, Who said, alas ! ' A thing done has an end ! ' Which was an ill seed for the Tuscan people	28.106 28.108
I added: "-and brought death to your own kinsmen"; then having heard me speak, grief heaped on grief, he went his way as one gone mad with sadness. "And death unto thy race," thereto I added; Whence he, accumulating woe on woe, Departed, like a person sad and crazed.	28.111
But I stayed there to watch that company and saw a thing that I should be afraid to tell with no more proof than my own self- But I remained to look upon the crowd; And saw a thing which I should be afraid, Without some further proof, even to recount,	28.114
except that I am reassured by conscience, that good companion, heartening a man beneath the breastplate of its purity. If it were not that conscience reassures me, That good companion which emboldens man Beneath the hauberk of its feeling pure.	28.117
I surely saw, and it still seems I see, a trunk without a head that walked just like the others in that melancholy herd; I truly saw, and still I seem to see it, A trunk without a head walk in like manner As walked the others of the mournful herd.	28.120
it carried by the hair its severed head, which swayed within its hand just like a lantern; and that head looked at us and said: "Ah me!" And by the hair it held the head dissevered, Hung from the hand in fashion of a lantern, And that upon us gazed and said: "O me !"	28.123
Out of itself it made itself a lamp, and they were two in one and one in two; how that can be, He knows who so decrees. It of itself made to itself a lamp, And they were two in one, and one in two; How that can be, He knows who so ordains it.	28.126
When it was just below the bridge, it lifted its arm together with its head, so that its words might be more near us, words that said: When it was come close to the bridge's foot, It lifted high its arm with all the head, To bring more closely unto us its words,	28.129
"Now you can see atrocious punishment, you who, still breathing, go to view the dead: see if there's any pain as great as this. Which were: "Behold now the sore penalty, Thou, who dost breathing go the dead beholding; Behold if any be as great as this.	28.132
And so that you may carry news of me, know that I am Bertran de Born, the one who gave bad counsel to the fledgling king. And so that thou may carry news of me, Know that Bertram de Born am I, the same Who gave to the Young King the evil comfort.	28.134 28.135
I made the son and father enemies: Achitophel with his malicious urgings did not do worse with Absalom and David. I made the father and the son rebellious; Achitophel not more with Absalom And David did with his accursed goadings.	28.137 28.138
Because I severed those so joined, I carry- alas-my brain dissevered from its source, which is within my trunk. And thus, in me Because I parted persons so united, Parted do I now bear my brain, alas ! From its beginning, which is in this trunk.	28.141
one sees the law of counter-penalty." Thus is observed in me the counterpoise."	28.142

Previous or Next Canto