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PURGATORIO CANTO 08
Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.		 NotesAnn. 

	It was the hour that turns seafarers' longings
homeward-the hour that makes their hearts grow tender
upon the day they bid sweet friends farewell;

	'TWAS now the hour that turneth back desire
In those who sail the sea, and melts the heart,
The day they've said to their sweet friends farewell,








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	the hour that pierces the new traveler
with love when he has heard, far off, the bell
that seems to mourn the dying of the day;

	And the new pilgrim penetrates with love,
If he doth hear from far away a bell     
That seemeth to deplore the dying day,








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	when I began to let my hearing fade
and watched one of those souls who, having risen,
had signaled with his hand for our attention.

	When I began to make of no avail
My hearing, and to watch one of the souls
Uprisen, that begged attention with its hand.








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	He joined his palms and, lifting them, he fixed
all his attention on the east, as if
to say to God: "I care for nothing else."

	It joined and lifted upward both its palms, 
Fixing its eyes upon the orient,
As if it said to God, "Naught else I care for."








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	"Te lucis ante" issued from his lips
with such devotion and with notes so sweet
that I was moved to move beyond my mind.

	"Te lucis ante" so devoutly issued
Forth from its mouth, and with such dulcet notes,
It made me issue forth from my own mind.  








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	And then the other spirits followed him-
devoutly, gently-through all of that hymn,
their eyes intent on the supernal spheres.

	And then the others, sweetly and devoutly,
Accompanied it through all the hymn entire,
Having their eyes on the supernal wheels.








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	Here, reader, let your eyes look sharp at truth,
for now the veil has grown so very thin-
it is not difficult to pass within.

	Here, Reader, fix thine eyes well on the truth,
For now indeed so subtile is the veil,  
Surely to penetrate within is easy.








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	I saw that company of noble spirits,
silent and looking upward, pale and humble,
as if in expectation; and I saw,

	I saw that army of the gentle-born
Thereafterward in silence upward gaze,
As if in expectation, pale and humble;








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	emerging and descending from above,
two angels bearing flaming swords, of which
the blades were broken off, without their tips.

	And from on high come forth and down descend, 
I saw two Angels with two flaming swords,
Truncated and deprived of their points.








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	Their garments, just as green as newborn leaves,
were agitated, fanned by their green wings,
and trailed behind them; and one angel came

	Green as the little leaflets just now born
Their garments were, which, by their verdant pinions
Beaten and blown abroad, they trailed behind. 








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	and stood somewhat above us, while the other
descended on the opposite embankment,
flanking that company of souls between them.

	One just above us came to take his station,
And one descended to the opposite bank,
So that the people were contained between them.








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	My eyes made out their blond heads clearly, but
my sight was dazzled by their faces-just
like any sense bewildered by excess.

	Clearly in them discerned I the blond head;
But in their faces was the eye bewildered,
As faculty confounded by excess.








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	"Both come from Mary's bosom," said Sordello,
"to serve as the custodians of the valley
against the serpent that will soon appear."

	"From Mary's bosom both of them have come,"
Sordello said, "as guardians of the valley
Against the serpent, that will come anon."








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	At this, not knowing where its path might be,
frozen with fear, I turned around, pressing
close to the trusty shoulders. And Sordello

	Whereupon I, who knew not by what road,   
Turned round about, and closely drew myself,
Utterly frozen, to the faithful shoulders.








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	continued: "Let us now descend among
the great shades in the valley; we shall speak
with them; and seeing you, they will be pleased."

	And once again Sordello: "Now descend we
'Mid the grand shades, and we will speak to them;
Right pleasant will it be for them to see you."








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	I think that I had taken but three steps
to go below, when I saw one who watched
attentively, trying to recognize me.

	Only three steps I think that I descended,
And was below, and saw one who was looking
Only at me, as if he fain would know me.








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	The hour had now arrived when air grows dark,
but not so dark that it deprived my eyes
and his of what-before-they were denied.

	Already now the air was growing dark,
But not so that between his eyes and mine
It did not show w hat it before locked up.








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	He moved toward me, and I advanced toward him.
Noble Judge Nino-what delight was mine
when I saw you were not among the damned!

	Tow'rds me he moved, and I tow'rds him did move;
Noble Judge Nino! how it me delighted,
When I beheld thee not among the damned!








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	There was no gracious greeting we neglected
before he asked me: "When did you arrive,
across long seas, beneath this mountainside?"

	No greeting fair was left unsaid between us;  
Then asked he: "How long is it since thou camest
O'er the far waters to the mountain's foot ?"








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	I told him, "Oh, by way of the sad regions,
I came this morning; I am still within
the first life-although, by this journeying,

	"Oh!" said I to him, "through the dismal places
I came this morn; and am in the first life,
Albeit the other, going thus, I gain."  








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	I earn the other." When they heard my answer,
Sordello and Judge Nino, just behind him,
drew back like people suddenly astonished.

	And on the instant my reply was heard,
He and Sordello both shrank back from me,
Like people who are suddenly bewildered.








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	One turned to Virgil, and the other turned
and called to one who sat there: "Up, Currado!
Come see what God, out of His grace, has willed!"

	One to Virgilius, and the other turned
To one who sat there, crying, "Up, Currado!  
Come and behold what God in grace has willed!"








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	Then, when he turned to me: "By that especial
gratitude you owe to Him who hides
his primal aim so that no human mind

	Then, turned to me: "By that especial grace
Thou owest unto Him, who so conceals
His own first wherefore, that it has no ford,








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	may find the ford to it, when you return
across the wide waves, ask my own Giovanna-
there where the pleas of innocents are answered-

	When thou shalt be beyond the waters wide,
Tell my Giovanna that she pray for me,
Where answer to the innocent is made.








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	to pray for me. I do not think her mother
still loves me: she gave up her white veils-surely,
poor woman, she will wish them back again.

	I do not think her mother loves me more,
Since she has laid aside her wimple white,
Which she, unhappy, needs must wish again. 








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	Through her, one understands so easily
how brief, in woman, is love's fire-when not
rekindled frequently by eye or touch.

	Through her full easily is comprehended
How long in woman lasts the fire of love,
If eye or touch do not relight it often.








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	The serpent that assigns the Milanese
their camping place will not provide for her
a tomb as fair as would Gallura's rooster."

	So fair a hatchment will not make for her
The Viper marshalling the Milanese
A-field, as would have made Gallura's Cock."








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	So Nino spoke; his bearing bore the seal
of that unswerving zeal which, though it flames
within the heart, maintains a sense of measure.

	In this wise spake he, with the stamp impressed
Upon his aspect of that righteous zeal
Which measurably burneth in the heart.








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	My avid eyes were steadfast, staring at
that portion of the sky where stars are slower,
even as spokes when they approach the axle.

	My greedy eyes still wandered up to heaven,
Still to that point where slowest are the stars
Even as a wheel the nearest to its axle.








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	And my guide: "Son, what are you staring at?"
And I replied: "I'm watching those three torches
with which this southern pole is all aflame."

	And my Conductor: "Son, what dost thou gaze at
Up there ?" And I to him: "At those three torches
With which this hither pole is all on fire."








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	Then he to me: "The four bright stars you saw
this morning now are low, beyond the pole,
and where those four stars were, these three now are."

	And he to me: "The four resplendent stars
Thou sawest this morning are down yonder low,
And these have mounted up to where those were."








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	Even as Virgil spoke, Sordello drew
him to himself: "See there-our adversary!"
he said; and then he pointed with his finger.

	As he was speaking, to himself Sordello
Drew him, and said, "Lo there our Adversary
And pointed with his finger to look thither.








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	At the unguarded edge of that small valley,
there was a serpent-similar, perhaps,
to that which offered Eve the bitter food.

	Upon the side on which the little valley
No barrier hath, a serpent was; perchance
The same which gave to Eve the bitter food.








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	Through grass and flowers the evil streak advanced;
from time to time it turned its head and licked
its back, like any beast that preens and sleeks.

	'Twixt grass and flowers came on the evil streak,
Turning at times its head about, and licking
Its back like to a beast that smoothes itself








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	I did not see-and therefore cannot say-
just how the hawks of heaven made their move,
but I indeed saw both of them in motion.

	I did not see, and therefore cannot say
How the celestial falcons 'gan to move,
But well I saw that they were both in motion. 








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	Hearing the green wings cleave the air, the serpent
fled, and the angels wheeled around as each
of them flew upward, back to his high station.

	Hearing the air cleft by their verdant wings,
The serpent fled, and round the Angels wheeled,
Up to their stations flying back alike.








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	The shade who, when the judge had called, had drawn
closer to him, through all of that attack,
had not removed his eyes from me one moment.

	The shade that to the Judge had near approached
When he had called, throughout that whole assault 
Had not a moment loosed its gaze on me.








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	"So may the lantern that leads you on high
discover in your will the wax one needs-
enough for reaching the enameled peak,"

	"So may the light that leadeth thee on high
Find in thine own free-will as much of wax
As needful is up to the highest azure,"








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	that shade began, "if you have heard true tidings
of Val di Magra or the lands nearby,
tell them to me-for there I once was mighty.

	Began it, "if some true intelligence 
Of  Valdimagra or its neighbourhood
Thou knowest, tell it me, who once was great there.








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	Currado Malaspina was my name;
I'm not the old Currado, but I am
descended from him: to my own I bore

	Currado Malaspina was I called;
I'm not the elder, but from him descended;
To mine I bore the love which here refineth."








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	the love that here is purified." I answered:
never visited your lands; but can
there be a place in all of Europe where

	"O," said I unto him, "through your domains
I never passed, but where is there a dwelling
Throughout all Europe, where they are not known ?








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	they are not celebrated? Such renown
honors your house, acclaims your lords and lands-
even if one has yet to journey there.

	That fame, which doeth honour to your house,
Proclaims its Signors and proclaims its land,  
So that he knows of them who ne'er was there.








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	And so may I complete my climb, I swear
to you: your honored house still claims the prize-
the glory of the purse and of the sword.

	And, as I hope for heaven, I swear to you
Your honoured family in naught abates
The glory of the purse and of the sword.








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	Custom and nature privilege it so
that, though the evil head contorts the world,
your kin alone walk straight and shun the path

	It is so privileged by use and nature,    
That though a guilty head misguide the world,
Sole it goes right, and scorns the evil way."








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	of wickedness." And he: "Be sure of that.
The sun will not have rested seven times
within the bed that's covered and held fast

	And he: "Now go; for the sun shall not lie
Seven times upon the pillow which the Ram
With all his four feet covers and bestrides, 








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	by all the Ram's four feet before this gracious
opinion's squarely nailed into your mind
with stouter nails than others' talk provides-

	Before that such a courteous opinion
Shall in the middle of thy head be nailed
With greater nails than of another's speech,








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	if the divine decree has not been stayed."

	Unless the course of justice standeth still."




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