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PURGATORIO CANTO 03
Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.		 NotesAnn. 

	But while their sudden flight was scattering
those souls across the plain and toward the mountain
where we are racked by rightful punishments,

	INASMUCH as the instantaneous flight
Had scattered them asunder o'er the plain,
Turned to the mountain whither reason spurs us,








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	I drew in closer to my true companion.
For how could I have run ahead without him?
Who could have helped me as I climbed the mountain?

	I pressed me close unto my faithful comrade,
And how without him had I kept my course?
Who would have led me up along the mountain ?








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	He seemed like one who's stung by self-reproof;
o pure and noble conscience, you in whom
each petty fault becomes a harsh rebuke!

	He seemed to me within himself remorseful;
O noble conscience, and without a stain,
How sharp a sting is trivial fault to thee!








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	And when his feet had left off hurrying-
for haste denies all acts their dignity-
my mind, which was-before-too focused, grew

	After his feet had laid aside the haste
Which mars the dignity of every act,
My mind, that hitherto had been restrained,








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	more curious and widened its attention;
I set my vision toward the slope that rises
most steeply, up to heaven from the sea.

	Let loose its faculties as if delighted,
And I my sight directed to the hill
That highest tow'rds the heaven uplifts itself








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	Behind my back the sun was flaming red;
but there, ahead of me, its light was shattered
because its rays were resting on my body.

	The sun, that in our rear was flaming red,
Was broken in front of me into the figure
Which had in me the stoppage of its rays;








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	And when I saw the ground was dark in front
of me and me alone, afraid that I
had been abandoned, I turned to my side;

	Unto one side I turned me  with the fear
Of being left alone, when I beheld
Only in front of me the ground obscured.








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	and he, my only comfort, as he turned
around, began: "Why must you still mistrust?
Don't you believe that I am with-and guide-you?

	"Why dost thou still mistrust ?" my Comforter
Began to say to me turned wholly round;
"Dost thou not think me with thee, and that I guide thee ?








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	The body from within which I cast shadows
is buried where it now is evening: taken
from Brindisi, it now belongs to Naples.

	"Tis evening there already where is buried  
The body within which I cast a shadow;
"Tis from Brundusium ta'en, and Naples has it.








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	Thus, if no shadow falls in front of me,
do not be more amazed than when you see
the heavens not impede each other's rays.

	Now if in front of me no shadow fall,
Marvel not at it more than at the heavens,
Because one ray impedeth not another   








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	The Power has disposed such bodiless
bodies to suffer torments, heat and cold;
how this is done, He would not have us know.

	To suffer torments, both of cold and heat,
Bodies like this that Power provides, which wills
That how it works be not unveiled to us.








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	Foolish is he who hopes our intellect
can reach the end of that unending road
only one Substance in three Persons follows.

	Insane is he who hopeth that our reason
Can traverse the illimitable way,    
Which the one Substance in three Persons follows!








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	Confine yourselves, o humans, to the quia;
had you been able to see all, there would
have been no need for Mary to give birth.

	Mortals, remain contented at the Quia;
For if ye had been able to see all,
No need there were for Mary to give birth;








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	You saw the fruitless longing of those men
who would-if reason could-have been content,
those whose desire eternally laments:

	And ye have seen desiring without fruit,
Those whose desire would have been quieted,
Which evermore is given them for a grief.








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	I speak of Aristotle and of Plato-
and many others." Here he bent his head
and said no more, remaining with his sorrow.

	I speak of Aristotle and of Plato,
And many others"; -- and here bowed his head,
And more he said not, and remained disturbed. 








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	By this time we had reached the mountain's base,
discovering a wall of rock so sheer
that even agile legs are useless there.

	We came meanwhile unto the mountain's foot;
There so precipitate we found the rock,
That nimble legs would there have been in vain.








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	The loneliest, most jagged promontory
that lies between Turbia and Lerici,
compared with it, provides stairs wide and easy.

	'Twixt Lerici and Turbia, the most desert,
The most secluded pathway is a stair    
Easy and open, if compared with that.








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	"Now who knows where, along this mountainside,"
my master, halting, asked, "one finds a rise
where even he who has no wings can climb?"

	"Who knoweth now upon which hand the hill
Slopes down," my Master said, his footsteps staying,
"So that who goeth without wings may mount ?"








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	While he, his eyes upon the ground, consulted
his mind, considering what road to take,
and I looked up around the wall of rock,

	And while he held his eyes upon the ground
Examining the nature of the path,
And I was looking up around the rock,








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	along the left a band of souls appeared
to me to be approaching us-but so
unhurriedly, their movements did not show.

	On the left hand appeared to me a throng
Of souls, that moved their feet in our direction,
And did not seem to move, they came so slowly.








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	"Lift up your eyes," I told my master; "here
are those who can advise us how to go,
if you can find no counsel in yourself."

	"Lift up thine eyes," I to the Master said;
"Behold, on this side, who will give us counsel,
If thou of thine own self can have it not."








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	At this, he looked at them and, less distressed,
replied: "Let us go there; their steps are slow;
and you, my gentle son, hold fast to hope."

	Then he looked at me, and with frank expression
Replied: "Let us go there, for they come slowly, 
And thou be steadfast in thy hope, sweet son."








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	The distance from that company to us-
I mean when we had gone a thousand paces-
was still as far as a fine hurler's toss,

	Still was that people as far off from us,
After a thousand steps of ours I say,
As a good thrower with his hand would reach,








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	when they all huddled toward the hard rock wall
and, once they'd crowded there, refused to budge,
even as men, when apprehensive, halt.

	When they all crowded unto the hard masses
Of the high bank, and motionless stood and close,
As he stands still to look who goes in doubt.








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	"O chosen souls, you who have ended well,"
Virgil began, "by virtue of that peace
which I believe awaits you all, please tell

	"O happy dead! O spirits elect already!"
Virgilius made beginning,"by that peace
Which I believe is waiting for you all,








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	us where the slope inclines and can be climbed;
for he who best discerns the worth of time
is most distressed whenever time is lost."

	Tell us upon what side the mountain slopes,
So that the going up be possible,
For to lose time irks him most who most knows."








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	Even as sheep that move, first one, then two,
then three, out of the fold-the others also
stand, eyes and muzzles lowered, timidly;

	As sheep come issuing forth from out the fold
By ones and twos and threes, and the others stand
Timidly, holding down their eyes and nostrils,








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	and what the first sheep does, the others do,
and if it halts, they huddle close behind,
simple and quiet and not knowing why:

	And what the foremost does the others do,
Huddling themselves against her, if she stop,
Simple and quiet and the wherefore know not;








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	so, then, I saw those spirits in the front
of that flock favored by good fortune move-
their looks were modest; seemly, slow, their walk.

	So moving to approach us thereupon
I saw the leader of that fortunate flock,
Modest in face and dignified in gait.








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	As soon as these souls saw, upon my right,
along the ground, a gap in the sun's light,
where shadow stretched from me to the rock wall,

	As soon as those in the advance saw broken
The light upon the ground at my right side,
So that from me the shadow reached the rock,  








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	they stopped and then drew back somewhat; and all
who came behind them-though they did not know
why those ahead had halted-also slowed.

	They stopped, and backward drew themselves somewhat;
And all the others, who came after them,
Not knowing why nor wherefore, did the same.








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	"Without your asking, I shall tell you plainly
that you are looking at a human body;
that's why the sunlight on the ground is broken.

	Without your asking, I confess to you
This is a human body which you see,
Whereby the sunshine on the ground is cleft.








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	Don't be astonished; rest assured that he
would not attempt to cross this wall without
a force that Heaven sent him as support."

	Marvel ye not thereat, but be persuaded
That not without a power which comes from Heaven
Doth he endeavour to surmount this wall."








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	These were my master's words. That worthy band
replied: "Come back, and move in our direction,"
and gestured-with backhanded motions-right.

	The Master thus; and said those worthy people:
"Return ye then, and enter in before us,"
Making a signal with the back o' the hand








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	And one of them began: "Whoever you
may be, as you move forward, turn and see:
consider if-beyond-you've ever seen me."

	And one of them began: "Whoe'er thou art,
Thus going turn thine eyes, consider well
If e'er thou saw me in the other world."








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	I turned to look at him attentively:
he was fair-haired and handsome and his aspect
was noble-but one eyebrow had been cleft

	I turned me tow'rds him, and looked at him closely;
Blond was he, beautiful, and of noble aspect,
But one of his eyebrows had a blow divided.








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	by a swordstroke. When I had humbly noted
that I had never seen him, he said: "Look
now"-showing me a wound high on his chest.

	When with humility I had disclaimed
E'er having seen him, "Now behold!" he said,
And showed me high upon his breast a wound.








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	Then, as he smiled, he told me: "I am Manfred,
the grandson of the Empress Constance; thus,
I pray that, when you reach the world again,

	Then said he with a smile: "I am Manfredi,
The grandson of the Empress Costanza;
Therefore, when thou returnest, I beseech thee








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	you may go to my lovely daughter, mother
of kings of Sicily and Aragon-
tell her the truth, lest she's heard something other.

	Go to my daughter beautiful, the mother   
Of Sicily's honour and of Aragon's,
And the truth tell her, if aught else be told.








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	After my body had been shattered by
two fatal blows, in tears, I then consigned
myself to Him who willingly forgives.

	After I had my body lacerated
By these two mortal stabs, I gave myself
Weeping to Him, who willingly doth pardon.








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	My sins were ghastly, but the Infinite
Goodness has arms so wide that It accepts
who ever would return, imploring It.

	Horrible my iniquities had been;
But Infinite Goodness hath such ample arms,
That it receives whatever turns to it.








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	And if Cosenza's pastor, who was sent
to hunt me down-alive or dead-by Clement,
had understood this facet of God's mercy,

	Had but Cosenza's pastor, who in chase
Of me was sent by Clement at that time,
In God read understandingly this page,








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	my body's bones would still be there-beneath
the custody of the great heap of stones- 
near Benevento, at the bridgehead; now

	The bones of my dead body still would be
At the bridge-head, near unto Benevento,
Under the safeguard of the heavy cairn.








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	rain bathes my bones, the wind has driven them
beyond the Kingdom, near the Verde's banks,
where he transported them with tapers spent.

	Now the rain bathes and moveth them the wind, 
Beyond the realm, almost beside the Verde,
Where he transported them with tapers quenched.








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	Despite the Church's curse, there is no one
so lost that the eternal love cannot
return-as long as hope shows something green.

	By malison of theirs is not so lost
Eternal Love, that it cannot return,
So long as hope has anything of green.  








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	But it is true that anyone who dies
in contumacy of the Holy Church,
though he repented at the end, must wait

	True is it, who in contumacy dies
Of Holy Church, though penitent at last,
Must wait upon the outside this bank








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	along this shore for thirty times the span
he spent in his presumptuousness, unless
that edict is abridged through fitting prayers.

	Thirty times told the time that he has been
In his presumption, unless such decree  
Shorter by means of righteous prayers become.








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	Now see if you, by making known to my
kind Constance where you saw my soul and why
delay's decreed for me, can make me happy;

	See now if thou hast power to make me happy,
By making known unto my good Costanza
How thou hast seen me, and this ban beside,








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	those here-through those beyond-advance more quickly."

	For those on earth can much advance us here."




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