| PURGATORIO CANTO 19 Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr. | Notes | Ann. |
In that hour when the heat of day, defeated by Earth and, sometimes, Saturn, can no longer warm up the moon-sent cold, when geomancers IT was the hour when the diurnal heat No more can warm the coldness of the moon, Vanquished by earth, or peradventure Saturn |
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can, in the east, see their Fortuna major rising before the dawn along a path that will be darkened for it only briefly- When geomancers their Fortuna Major See in the orient before the dawn Rise by a path that long remains not dim, |
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a stammering woman came to me in dream: her eyes askew, and crooked on her feet, her hands were crippled, her complexion sallow. There came to me in dreams a stammering woman Squint in her eyes, and in her feet distorted, With hands dissevered and of sallow hue. |
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I looked at her; and just as sun revives cold limbs that night made numb, so did my gaze loosen her tongue and then, in little time, I looked at her; and as the sun restores The frigid members which the night benumbs, Even thus my gaze did render voluble |
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set her contorted limbs in perfect order; and, with the coloring that love prefers, my eyes transformed the wanness of her features. Her tongue, and made her all erect thereafter In little while, and the lost countenance As love desires it so in her did colour |
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And when her speech had been set free, then she began to sing so, that it would have been most difficult for me to turn aside. When in this wise she had her speech unloosed, She 'gan to sing so, that with difficulty Could I have turned my thoughts away from her |
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"I am," she sang, "I am the pleasing siren, who in midsea leads mariners astray- there is so much delight in hearing me. "I am," she sang, "I am the Siren sweet Who mariners amid the main unman So full am I of pleasantness to hear |
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I turned aside Ulysses, although he had longed to journey; who grows used to me seldom departs-I satisfy him so." I drew Ulysses from his wandering way Unto my song, and he who dwells with me Seldom departs so wholly I content him." |
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Her lips were not yet done when, there beside me, a woman showed herself, alert and saintly, to cast the siren into much confusion. Her mouth was not yet closed again, before Appeared a Lady saintly and alert Close at my side to put her to confusion. |
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"O Virgil, Virgil, tell me: who is this?" she asked most scornfully; and he came forward, his eyes intent upon that honest one. "Virgilius, a Virgilius! who is this ?" Sternly she said; and he was drawing near With eyes still fixed upon that modest one. |
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He seized the other, baring her in front, tearing her clothes, and showing me her belly; the stench that came from there awakened me. She seized the other and in front laid open, Rending her garments, and her belly showed me; This waked me with the stench that issued from it. |
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I moved my eyes, and my good master cried: "At least three times I've called you. Rise and come: let's find the opening where you may enter." I turned mine eyes, and good Virgilius said: "At least thrice have I called thee; rise and come; Find we the opening by which thou mayst enter." |
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I rose; the daylight had already filled the circles of the sacred mountain-we were journeying with new sun at our back. I rose; and full already of high day Were all the circles of the Sacred Mountain, And with the new sun at our back we went. |
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I followed him, bearing my brow like one whose thoughts have weighed him down, who bends as if he were the semiarch that forms a bridge, Following behind him, I my forehead bore Like unto one who has it laden with thought, Who makes himself the half arch of a bridge, |
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and then I heard: "Draw near; the pass is here," said in a manner so benign and gentle as, in our mortal land, one cannot hear. When I heard say, "Come, here the passage is," Spoken in a manner gentle and benign, Such as we hear not in this mortal region. |
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He who addressed us so had open wings, white as a swan's; and he directed us upward, between two walls of the hard rock. With open wings, which of a swan appeared, Upward he turned us who thus spake to us Between the two walls of the solid granite. |
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And then he moved his plumes and, fanning us, affirmed that those "Qui lugent" would be blessed- their souls would be possessed of consolation. He moved his pinions afterwards and fanned us, Affirming those qui lugent to be blessed, For they shall have their souls with comfort filled |
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"What makes you keep your eyes upon the ground?" my guide began to say to me when both of us had climbed a little, past the angel. "What aileth thee, that aye to earth thou gazest ? To me my Guide began to say, we both Somewhat beyond the Angel having mounted. |
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And I: "What makes me move with such misgiving is a new vision: it has so beguiled me that I cannot relinquish thoughts of it." And I: "With such misgiving makes me go A vision new, which bends me to itself, So that I cannot from the thought withdraw me." |
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"The one you saw," he said, "that ancient witch- for her alone one must atone above; you saw how man can free himself from her. "Didst thou behold," e said, "that old enchantress, Who sole above us henceforth is lamented ? Didst thou behold how man is freed from her ? |
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Let that suffice, and hurry on your way; fasten your eyes upon the lure that's spun by the eternal King with His great spheres." Suffice it thee, and smite earth with thy heels, Thine eyes lift upward to the lure, that whirls The Eternal King with revolutions vast." |
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Just like a falcon, who at first looks down, then, when the falconer has called, bends forward, craving the food that's ready for him there, Even as the hawk, that first his feet surveys, Then turns him to the call and stretches forward, Through the desire of food that draws him thither, |
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so l became-and so remained until, through the cleft rock that lets one climb above, I reached the point at which the circle starts. Such I became, and such, as far as cleaves The rock to give a way to him who mounts, Went on to where the circling doth begin. |
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When I was in the clearing, the fifth level, my eyes discovered people there who wept, lying upon the ground, all turned face down. On the fifth circle when I had come forth, People I saw upon it who were weeping, Stretched prone upon the ground, all downward turned. |
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"Adhaesit pavimento anima mea," I heard them say with sighs so deep that it was hard to comprehend the words they spoke. "Aedhaesit pavemento anima mea," I heard them say with sighings so profound, That hardly could the words be understood. |
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"O God's elect, whose sufferings both hope and justice make less difficult, direct us to the stairway meant for our ascent." "O ye elect of God, whose sufferings Justice and Hope both render less severe, Direct ye us towards the high ascents." |
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"If you come here but do not need to be prostrate, and you would find the path most quickly, then keep your right hand always to the outside." "If ye are come secure from this prostration, And wish to find the way most speedily, Let your right hands be evermore outside." |
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So did the poet ask, so did reply come from a little way ahead; and I, hearing that voice reply, learned what was hidden. Thus did the Poet ask, and thus was answered By them somewhat in front of us; whence I In what was spoken divined the rest concealed, |
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I turned my eyes to find my master's eyes; at this, with a glad sign, he ratified what I had asked for with my eager eyes. And unto my Lord's eyes mine eyes I turned; Whence he assented with a cheerful sign To what the sight of my desire implored. |
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When, free to do as I had wanted to, I moved ahead and bent over that soul whose words- before-had made me notice him, When of myself I could dispose at will, Above that creature did I draw myself, Whose words before had caused me to take note, |
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saying: "Spirit, within whom weeping ripens that without which there's no return to God, suspend awhile-for me-your greater care. Saying: "O Spirit, in whom weeping ripens That without which to God we cannot turn, Suspend awhile for me thy greater care. |
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Tell me: Who were you? And why are your backs turned up? And there-where I, alive, set out- would you have me beseech some good for you?" Who wast thou, and why are your backs turned upwards Tell me, and if thou wouldst that I procure thee Anything there whence living I departed." |
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And he to me: "Why Heaven turns our backs against itself, you are to know; but first scias quod ego fui successor Petri. And he to me: "Wherefore our backs the heaven Turns to itself, know shalt thou; but beforehand Scias quod ego fui successor Petri. |
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Between Sestri and Chiavari descends a handsome river; and its name is set upon the upper portion of my crest. Between Siestri and Chiaveri descends A river beautiful, and of its name The title of my blood its summit makes. |
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For one month and a little more I learned how the great mantle weighs on him who'd keep it out of the mire-all other weights seem feathers. A month and little more essayed I how Weighs the great cloak on him from mire who keeps it, For all the other burdens seem a feather. |
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Alas, how tardy my conversion was! But when I had been named the Roman shepherd, then I discovered the deceit of life. Tardy, ah woe is me! was my conversion; But when the Roman Shepherd I was made, Then I discovered life to be a lie. |
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I saw that there the heart was not at rest, nor could I, in that life, ascend more high; so that, in me, love for this life was kindled. I saw that there the heart was not at rest, Nor farther in that life could one ascend; Whereby the love of this was kindled in me. |
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Until that point I was a squalid soul, from God divided, wholly avaricious; now, as you see, I'm punished here for that. Until that time a wretched soul and parted From God was I, and wholly avaricious; Now, as thou seest, I here am punished for it |
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What avarice enacts is here declared in the purgation of converted souls; the mountain has no punishment more bitter. What avarice does is here made manifest In the purgation of these souls converted, And no more bitter pain the Mountain has. |
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Just as we did not lift our eyes on high but set our sight on earthly things instead, so justice here impels our eyes toward earth. Even as our eye did not uplift itself Aloft, being fastened upon earthly things, So justice here has merged it in the earth. |
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As avarice annulled in us the love of any other good, and thus we lost our chance for righteous works, so justice here As avarice had extinguished our affection For every good, whereby was action lost, So justice here doth hold us in restraint, |
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fetters our hands and feet and holds us captive; and for as long as it may please our just Lord, here we'll be outstretched and motionless." Bound and imprisoned by the feet and hands; And so long as it pleases the just Lord Shall we remain immovable and prostrate." |
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I'd kneeled, wishing to speak: but just as I began-and through my voice alone-he sensed that I had meant to do him reverence. I on my knees had fallen, and wished to speak; But even as I began, and he was 'ware, Only by listening, of my reverence, |
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"What reason makes you bend your body so?" he said. And I to him: "Your dignity made conscience sting me as I stood erect." "What cause," he said, "has downward bent thee thus ?" And I to him: "For your own dignity, Standing, my conscience stung me with remorse." |
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"Brother, straighten your legs; rise up!" he answered. "Don't be mistaken; I, with you and others, am but a fellow-servant of one Power. "Straighten thy legs, and upward raise thee, brother," He answered: "Err not, fellow-servant am I With thee and with the others to one power. |
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If you have ever understood the holy sound of the Gospel that says 'Neque nubent,' then you will see why I have spoken so. If e'er that holy, evangelic sound, Which sayeth neque nubent, thou hast heard, Well canst thou see why in this wise I speak. |
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Now go your way: I'd not have you stop longer; your staying here disturbs my lamentations, the tears that help me ripen what you mentioned. Now go; no longer will I have thee linger, Because thy stay doth incommode my weeping, With which I ripen that which thou hast said. |
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Beyond, I have a niece whose name's Alagia; she in herself is good, as long as our house, by example, brings her not to evil; On earth I have a grandchild named Alagia, Good in herself, unless indeed our house Malevolent may make her by example, |
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and she alone is left to me beyond." And she alone remains to me on earth." |
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