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PURGATORIO CANTO 04
Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.		 NotesAnn. 

	When any of our faculties retains
a strong impression of delight or pain,
the soul will wholly concentrate on that,

	WHENEVER by delight or else by pain,
That seizes any faculty of ours,
Wholly to that the soul collects itself,








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	neglecting any other power it has
(and this refutes the error that maintains
that-one above the other-several souls

	It seemeth that no other power it heeds;
And this against that error is which thinks
One soul above another kindles in us.








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	can flame in us); and thus, when something seen
or heard secures the soul in stringent grip,
time moves and yet we do not notice it.

	And hence, whenever aught is heard or seen
Which keeps the soul intently bent upon it,
Time passes on, and we perceive it not,








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	The power that perceives the course of time
is not the power that captures all the mind;
the former has no force-the latter binds.

	Because one faculty is that which listens,
And other that which the soul keeps entire;
This is as if in bonds, and that is free.








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	And I confirmed this by experience,
hearing that spirit in my wonderment;
for though the sun had fully climbed fifty

	Of this I had experience positive
In hearing and in gazing at that spirit;
For fifty full degrees uprisen was








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	degrees, I had not noticed it, when we
came to the point at which in unison
those souls cried out to us: "Here's what you want."

	The sun, and I had not perceived it, when
We came to where those souls with one accord
Cried out unto us: "Here is what you ask."








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	The farmer, when the grape is darkening,
will often stuff a wider opening
with just a little forkful of his thorns,

	A greater opening ofttimes hedges up
With but a little forkful of his thorns
The villager, what time the grape imbrowns,








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	than was the gap through which my guide and I,
who followed after, climbed, we two alone,
after that company of souls had gone.

	Than was the passage-way through which ascended
Only my Leader and myself behind him,
After that company departed from us.








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	San Leo can be climbed, one can descend
to Noli and ascend Cacume and
Bismantova with feet alone, but here

	One climbs Sanleo and descends in Noli,
And mounts the summit of Bismantova,
With feet alone; but here one needs must fly;








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	I had to fly: I mean with rapid wings
and pinions of immense desire, behind
the guide who gave me hope and was my light.

	With the swift pinions and the plumes I say
Of great desire, conducted after him
Who gave me hope, and made a light for me.








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	We made our upward way through rifted rock;
along each side the edges pressed on us;
the ground beneath required feet and hands.

	We mounted upward through the rifted rock,
And on each side the border pressed upon us,
And feet and hands the ground beneath required.








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	When we had reached the upper rim of that
steep bank, emerging on the open slope,
I said: "My master, what way shall we take?"

	When we were come upon the upper rim
Of the high bank, out on the open slope,
"My Master," said I, "what way shall we take ?"








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	And he to me: "Don't squander any steps;
keep climbing up the mountain after me
until we find some expert company."

	And he to me: "No step of thine descend;
Still up the mount behind me win thy way,
Till some sage escort shall appear to us."








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	The summit was so high, my sight fell short;
the slope was far more steep than the line drawn
from middle-quadrant to the center point.

	The summit was so high it vanquished sight,  
And the hillside precipitous far more
Than line from middle quadrant to the centre.








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	I was exhausted when I made this plea:
"O gentle father, turn around and see-
I will be left alone unless you halt."

	Spent with fatigue was I, when I began:
"O my sweet Father! turn thee and behold
How I remain alone, unless thou stay!"








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	"My son," he said, "draw yourself up to there,"
while pointing to a somewhat higher terrace,
which circles all the slope along that side.

	"O son," e said, "up yonder drag thyself,"
Pointing me to a terrace somewhat higher,
Which on that side encircles all the hill.








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	His words incited me; my body tried;
on hands and knees I scrambled after him
until the terrace lay beneath my feet.

	These words of his so spurred me on, that I
Strained every nerve, behind him scrambling up,  
Until the circle was beneath my feet.








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	There we sat down together, facing east,
in the direction from which we had come:
what joy-to look back at a path we've climbed!

	Thereon ourselves we seated both of us
Turned to the East, from which we had ascended,
For all men are delighted to look back.








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	My eyes were first set on the shores below,
and then I raised them toward the sun; I was
amazed to find it fall upon our left.

	To the low shores mine eyes I first directed,
Then to the sun uplifted them, and wondered
That on the left hand we were smitten by it.








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	And when the poet saw that I was struck
with wonder as I watched the chariot
of light passing between the north and us,

	The Poet well perceived that I was wholly
Bewildered at the chariot of the light,
Where 'twixt us and the Aquilon it entered.








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	he said to me: "Suppose Castor and Pollux
were in conjunction with that mirror there,
which takes the light and guides it north and south,

	Whereon he said to me: "If Castor and Pollux
Were in the company of yonder mirror,
That up and down conducteth with its light,








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	then you would see the reddish zodiac
still closer to the Bears as it revolves-
unless it has abandoned its old track.

	Thou wouldst behold the zodiac's jagged wheel
Revolving still more near unto the Bears,
Unless it swerved aside from its old track.








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	If you would realize how that should be,
then concentrate, imagining this mountain
so placed upon this earth that both Mount Zion

	How that may be wouldst thou have power to think,
Collected in thyself, imagine Zion
Together with this mount on earth to stand,








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	and it, although in different hemispheres,
share one horizon; therefore, you can see,
putting your mind to it attentively,

	So that they both one sole horizon have,
And hemispheres diverse; whereby the road
Which Phaeton, alas! knew not to drive,








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	how that same path which Phaethon drove so poorly
must pass this mountain on the north, whereas
it skirts Mount Zion on the southern side."

	Thou'lt see how of necessity must pass
This on one side, when that upon the other,
If thine intelligence right clearly heed."








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	I said: "My master, surely I have never-
since my intelligence seemed lacking-seen
as clearly as I now can comprehend,

	"Truly, my Master," said I, "never yet
Saw I so clearly as I now discern,
There where my wit appeared incompetent,








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	that the mid-circle of the heavens' motion
(one of the sciences calls it Equator),
which always lies between the sun and winter,

	That the mid-circle of supernal motion,
Which in some art is the Equator called
And aye remains between the Sun and Winter,








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	as you explained, lies as far north of here
as it lies southward of the site from which
the Hebrews, looking toward the tropics, saw it.

	For reason which thou sayest, departeth hence
Tow'rds the Septentrion, what time the Hebrews
Beheld it tow'rds the region of the heat.








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	But if it please you, I should willingly
learn just how far it is we still must journey:
the slope climbs higher than my eyes can follow."

	But, if it pleaseth thee, I fain would learn
How far we have to go; for the hill rises
Higher than eyes of mine have power to rise.








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	And he to me: "This mountain's of such sort
that climbing it is hardest at the start;
but as we rise, the slope grows less unkind.

	And he to me: "This mount is such, that ever
At the beginning down below 'tis tiresome,
And aye the more one climbs, the less it hurts. 








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	Therefore, when this slope seems to you so gentle
that climbing farther up will be as restful
as traveling downstream by boat, you will

	Therefore, when it shall seem so pleasant to thee,
That going up shall be to thee as easy
As going down the current in a boat,








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	be where this pathway ends, and there you can
expect to put your weariness to rest.
I say no more, and this I know as truth."

	Then at this pathway's ending thou wilt be;
There to repose thy panting breath expect;
No more I answer; and this I know for true."








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	And when his words were done, another voice
nearby was heard to say: "Perhaps you will
have need to sit before you reach that point!"

	And as he finished uttering these words,
A voice close by us sounded: "Peradventure
Thou wilt have need of sitting down ere that."








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	Hearing that voice, both of us turned around,
and to the left we saw a massive boulder,
which neither he nor I-before-had noticed.

	At sound thereof each one of us turned round,
And saw upon the left hand a great rock,
Which neither I nor he before had noticed.








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	We made our way toward it and toward the people
who lounged behind that boulder in the shade,
as men beset by listlessness will rest.

	Thither we drew; and there were persons there
Who in the shadow stood behind the rock,
As one through indolence is wont to stand.








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	And one of them, who seemed to me exhausted,
was sitting with his arms around his knees;
between his knees, he kept his head bent down.

	And one of the, who seemed to me fatigued,
Was sitting down, and both his knees embraced,
Holding his face low down between them bowed.








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	"O my sweet lord," I said, "look carefully
at one who shows himself more languid than
he would have been were laziness his sister!"

	"O my sweet Lord," I said, "do turn thine eye
On him who shows himself more negligent   
Then even Sloth herself his sister were."








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	Then that shade turned toward us attentively,
lifting his eyes, but just above his thigh,
and said: "Climb, then, if you're so vigorous!"

	Then he turned round to us, and he gave heed,
Just lifting up his eyes above his thigh,
And said: "Now go thou up, for thou art valiant."








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	Then I knew who he was, and the distress
that still was quickening my breath somewhat,
did not prevent my going to him; and

	Then knew I who he was; and the distress,   
That still a little did my breathing quicken,
My going to him hindered not; and after








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	when I had reached him, scarcely lifting up
his head, he said: "And have you fathomed how
the sun can drive his chariot on your left?"

	I came to him he hardly raised his head,
Saying: "Hast thou seen clearly how the sun
O'er thy left shoulder drives his chariot?" 








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	The slowness of his movements, his brief words
had stirred my lips a little toward a smile;
then I began: "From this time on, Belacqua,

	His sluggish attitude and his curt words
A little unto laughter moved my lips;
Then I began: "Belacqua, I grieve not








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	I need not grieve for you; but tell me, why
do you sit here? Do you expect a guide?
Or have you fallen into your old ways?"

	For thee henceforth; but tell me, wherefore seated
In this place art thou ? Waitest thou an escort ? 
Or has thy usual habit seized upon thee ?"








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	And he: "O brother, what's the use of climbing?
God's angel, he who guards the gate, would not
let me pass through to meet my punishment.

	And he: "O brother, what's the use of climbing?
Since to my torment would not let me go
The Angel of God, who sitteth at the gate.








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	Outside that gate the skies must circle round
as many times as they did when I lived-
since I delayed good sighs until the end-

	First heaven must needs so long revolve me round
Outside thereof, as in my life it did,
Since the good sighs I to the end postponed,








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	unless, before then, I am helped by prayer
that rises from a heart that lives in grace;
what use are other prayers-ignored by Heaven?"

	Unless, e'er that, some prayer may bring me aid
Which rises from a heart that lives in grace;
What profit others that in heaven are heard not ?"








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	And now the poet climbed ahead, before me,
and said: "It's time; see the meridian
touched by the sun; elsewhere, along the Ocean,

	Meanwhile the Poet was before me mounting,
And saying: "Come now; see the sun has touched
Meridian, and from the shore the night








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	night now has set its foot upon Morocco."

	Covers already with her foot Morocco."




04.139

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