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PURGATORIO CANTO 07
Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.		 NotesAnn. 

	When glad and gracious welcomings had been
repeated three and four times, then Sordello
drew himself back and asked: "But who are you?"

	AFTER the gracious and glad salutations
Had three and four times been reiterated,
Sordello backward drew and said, "Who are you ?"








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	"Before the spirits worthy of ascent
to God had been directed to this mountain,
my bones were buried by Octavian.

	"Or ever to this mountain were directed
The souls deserving to ascend to God,
My bones were buried by Octavian.








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	I am Virgil, and I am deprived of Heaven
for no fault other than my lack of faith."
This was the answer given by my guide.

	I am Virgilius; and for no crime else
Did I lose heaven, than for not having faith ;"
In this wise then my Leader made reply.








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	Even like one who, suddenly, has seen
something before him and then, marveling,
does and does not believe, saying, "It is...

	As one who suddenly before him sees     
Something whereat he marvels, who believes
And yet (does not, saying,"It is! it is not!"








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	is not," so did Sordello seem, and then
he bent his brow, returned to Virgil humbly,
and clasped him where the lesser presence clasps.

	So he appeared; and then bowed down his brow,
And with humility returned towards him,
And, where inferiors embrace, embraced him.








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	He said: "O glory of the Latins, you
through whom our tongue revealed its power, you,
eternal honor of my native city,

	"O glory of the Latians, thou," he said,
"Through whom our language showed what it could do
O pride eternal of the place I came from,








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	what merit or what grace shows you to me?
If I deserve to hear your word, then answer:
tell me if you're from Hell and from what cloister."

	What merit or what grace to me reveals thee ?
If I to hear thy words be worthy, tell me
If thou dost come from Hell, and from what cloister."








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	"Through every circle of the sorry kingdom,"
he answered him, "I journeyed here; a power
from Heaven moved me, and with that, I come.

	"Through all the circles of the doleful realm,
Responded he, "have I come hitherward;
Heaven's power impelled me, and with that I come.








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	Not for the having-but not having-done,
I lost the sight that you desire, the Sun-
that high Sun I was late in recognizing.

	I by not doing, not by doing, lost
The sight of that high sun which thou desirest,
And which too late by me was recognized.








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	There is a place below that only shadows-
not torments-have assigned to sadness; there,
lament is not an outcry, but a sigh.

	A place there is below not sad with torments,
But darkness only, where the lamentations
Have not the sound of wailing, but are sighs. 








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	There I am with the infant innocents,
those whom the teeth of death had seized before
they were set free from human sinfulness;

	There dwell I with the little innocents
Snatched by the teeth of Death, or ever they
Were from our human sinfulness exempt.








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	there I am with those souls who were not clothed
in the three holy virtues-but who knew
and followed after all the other virtues.

	There dwell I among those who the three saintly
Virtues did not put on, and without vice
The others knew and followed all of them.








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	But if you know and you are able to,
would you point out the path that leads more quickly
to the true entry point of Purgatory?"

	But if thou know and can, some indication
Give us by which we may the sooner come
Where Purgatory has its right beginning." 








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	He answered: "No fixed place has been assigned
to us; I'm free to range about and climb;
as far as I may go, I'll be your guide.

	He answered: "No fixed place has been assigned us; 
'Tis lawful for me to go up and round;
So far as I can go, as guide I join thee.








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	But see now how the day declines; by night
we cannot climb; and therefore it is best
to find some pleasant place where we can rest.

	But see already how the day declines,
And to go up by night we are not able;
Therefore 'tis well to think of some fair sojourn.








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	Here to the right are spirits set apart;
if you allow me, I shall lead you to them;
and not without delight, you'll come to know them."

	Souls are there on the right hand here withdrawn;
If thou permit me I will lead thee to them,
And thou shalt know them not without delight."








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	"How is that?" he was asked. "Is it that he
who tried to climb by night would be impeded
by others, or by his own lack of power?"

	"How is this ?" was the answer; "should one wish
To mount by night would he prevented be
By others ? or mayhap would not have power ?"








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	And good Sordello, as his finger traced
along the ground, said: "Once the sun has set,
then-look-even this line cannot be crossed.

	And on the ground the good Sordello drew
His finger, saying, "See, this line alone
Thou couldst not pass after the sun is gone;








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	And not that anything except the dark
of night prevents your climbing up; it is
the night itself that implicates your will.

	Not that aught else would hindrance give, however,
To going up, save the nocturnal darkness;
This with the want of power the will perplexes.








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	Once darkness falls, one can indeed retreat
below and wander aimlessly about
the slopes, while the horizon has enclosed

	We might indeed therewith return below,
And, wandering, walk the hill-side round about,
While the horizon holds the day imprisoned." 








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	the day." At which my lord, as if in wonder,
said: "Lead us then to there where, as you say,
we may derive delight from this night's stay."

	Thereon my Lord, as if in wonder, said:
"Do thou conduct us thither, where thou sayest
That we can take delight in tarrying."








07.063
 






	We had not gone far off, when I perceived
that, just as valleys hollow mountains here
in our world, so that mountain there was hollowed.

	Little had we withdrawn us from that place,
When I perceived the mount was hollowed out 
In fashion as the valleys here are hollowed.








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	That shade said: "It is there that we shall go-
to where the slope forms, of itself, a lap;
at that place we'll await the new day's coming."

	"Thitherward," said that shade, "will we repair,
Where of itself the hill-side makes a lap
And there for the new day will we await."








07.069
 






	There was a slanting path, now steep, now flat;
it led us to a point beside the valley,
just where its bordering edge had dropped by half.

	'Twixt hill and plain there was a winding path
Which led us to the margin of that dell,
Where dies the border more than half away








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	Gold and fine silver, cochineal, white lead,
and Indian lychnite, highly polished, bright,
fresh emerald at the moment it is dampened,

	Gold and fine silver, and scarlet and pearl-white,
The Indian wood resplendent and serene,
Fresh emerald the moment it is broken,








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	if placed within that valley, all would be
defeated by the grass and flowers' colors,
just as the lesser gives way to the greater.

	By herbage and by flowers within that hollow
Planted, each one in colour would be vanquished,
As by its greater vanquished is the less.








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	And nature there not only was a painter,
but from the sweetness of a thousand odors,
she had derived an unknown, mingled scent.

	Nor in that place had nature painted only,
But of the sweetness of a thousand odours
Made there a mingled fragrance and unknown.








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	Upon the green grass and the flowers, I
saw seated spirits singing "Salve, Regina";
they were not visible from the outside.

	"Salve Regina," on the green and flowers
There seated, singing, spirits I beheld,
Which were not visible outside the valley.








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	"Before the meager sun seeks out its nest,"
began the Mantuan who led us here, 
"do not ask me to guide you down among them.

	"Before the scanty sun now seeks his nest,"
Began the Mantuan who had led us thither,
"Among them do not wish me to conduct you.








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	From this bank, you'll be better able to
make out the acts and features of them all
than if you were to join them in the hollow.

	Better from off this ledge the acts and faces
Of all of them will you discriminate,
Than in the plain below received among them








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	He who is seated highest, with the look
of one too lax in what he undertook-
whose mouth, although the rest sing, does not move

	He who sits highest, and the semblance bears
Of having what he should have done neglected,
And to the others' song moves not his lips,








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	was Emperor Rudolph, one who could have healed
the wounds that were the death of Italy,
so that another, later, must restore her.

	Rudolph the Emperor was, who had the power
To heal the wounds that Italy have slain,
So that through others slowly she revives.








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	His neighbor, whose appearance comforts him,
governed the land in which are born the waters
the Moldau carries to the Elbe and

	The other, who in look doth comfort him,
Governed the region where the water springs,
The Moldau bears the Elbe, and Elbe the sea.








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	the Elbe to the sea: named Ottokar-
in swaddling-bands he was more valiant than
his son, the bearded Wenceslaus, who feeds

	His name was Ottocar; and in swaddling-clothes
Far better he than bearded Winceslaus
His son, who feeds in luxury and ease.








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	on wantonness and ease. That small-nosed man,
who seems so close in counsel with his kindly
friend, died in flight, deflowering the lily:

	And the small-nosed, who close in council seems
With him that has an aspect so benign,
Died fleeing and disflowering the lily;   








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	see how he beats his breast there! And you see
the other shade, who, as he sighs, would rest
his cheek upon his palm as on a bed.

	Look there, how he is beating at his breast!
Behold the other one, who for his cheek
Sighing has made of his own palm a bed;








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	Father and father-in-law of the pest
of France, they know his life-its filth, its vice;
out of that knowledge grows the grief that has

	Father and father-in-law of France's Pest
Are they, and know his vicious life and lewd, 
And hence proceeds the grief that so doth pierce them.








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	pierced them. That other, who seems so robust
and sings in time with him who has a nose
so manly, wore the cord of every virtue;

	He who appears so stalwart, and chimes in,
Singing, with that one of the manly nose,
The cord of every valour wore begirt;








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	and if the young man seated there behind him
had only followed him as king, then valor
might have been poured from vessel unto vessel;

	And if as King had after him remained
The stripling who in rear of him is sitting;
Well had the valour passed from vase to vase








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	one cannot say this of his other heirs;
his kingdoms now belong to James and Frederick-
but they do not possess his best bequest.

	Which cannot of the other heirs be said.
Frederick and Jacomo possess the realms,
But none the better heritage possesses.








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	How seldom human worth ascends from branch
to branch, and this is willed by Him who grants
that gift, that one may pray to Him for it!

	Not oftentimes upriseth through the branches
The probity of man; and this He wills
Who gives it, so that we may ask of Him.








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	My words suggest the large-nosed one no less
than they refer to Peter, singing with him,
whose heir brings Puglia and Provence distress:

	Eke to the large-nosed reach my words, no less
Than to the other, Pier, who with him sings; 
Whence Provence and Apulia grieve already








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	the plant is lesser than its seed, just as
the man whom Beatrice and Margaret wed
is lesser than the husband Constance has.

	The plant is as inferior to its seed,
As more than Beatrice and Margaret
Costanza boasteth of her husband still.








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	You see the king who led the simple life
seated alone: Henry of England-he
has better fortune with his progeny.

	Behold the monarch of the simple life,    
Harry of England, sitting there alone;
He in his branches has a better issue.








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	He who is seated lowest on the ground,
and looking up, is William the Marquis-
for him, both Alexandria and its war

	He who the lowest on the ground among them
Sits looking upward, is the Marquis William,
For whose sake Alessandra and her war    








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	make Monferrato and Canavese mourn."

	Make Monferrat and Canavese weep."




07.136

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