PURGATORIO CANTO 20 Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.	Notes	Ann.
Against a better will, the will fights weakly; therefore, to please him, though against my pleasure, I drew my unquenched sponge out of the water. ILL strives the will against a better will; Therefore, to pleasure him, against my pleasure I drew the sponge not saturate from the water.	20.003
I moved on, and my guide moved through the un- encumbered space, hugging the rock, as one walks on a wall, close to the battlements; Onward I moved, and onward moved my Leader, Through vacant places, skirting still the rock, As on a wall close to the battlements;	20.006
for those whose eyes would melt down, drop by drop, the evil that possesses all the world, were too close to the edge, on the far side. For they that through their eyes pour drop by drop The malady whichall the world pervades, On the other side too near the verge approach.	20.009
May you be damned, o ancient wolf, whose power can claim more prey than all the other beasts- your hungering is deep and never-ending! Accursed mayst thou be, thou old she-wolf, That more than all the other beasts hast prey, Because of hunger infinitely hollow!	20.012
O heavens, through whose revolutions many think things on earth are changed, when will he come- the one whose works will drive that wolf away? O heaven, in whose gyrations some appear To think conditions here below are changed, When will he come through whom she shall depart?	20.015
Our steps were short and slow as we moved on; I was attentive to the shades; I heard the sorrow in their tears and lamentations. Onward we went with footsteps slow and scarce, And I attentive to the shades I heard Piteously weeping and bemoaning them;	20.018
Then I, by chance, heard one ahead of us crying in his lament, "Sweet Mary," as a woman would outcry in labor pains. And I by peradventure heard "Sweet Mary!" Uttered in front of us amid the weeping Even as a woman does who is in child-birth;	20.021
And he continued: "In that hostel where you had set down your holy burden, there one can discover just how poor you were." And in continuance: "How poor thou wast Is manifested by that hostelry Where thou didst lay thy sacred burden down."	20.024
Following this I heard: "O good Fabricius, you chose, as your possessions, indigence with virtue rather than much wealth with vice." Thereafterward I heard: "O good Fabricius, Virtue with poverty didst thou prefer To the possession of great wealth with vice."	20.027
These words had been so pleasing to me-I moved forward, so that I might come to know the spirit from whom they had seemed to come. So pleasurable were these words to me That I drew farther onward to have knowledge Touching that spirit whence they seemed to come.	20.030
He kept on speaking, telling the largesse of Nicholas-the gifts he gave the maidens so that they might be honorably wed. He furthermore was speaking of the largess Which Nicholas unto the maidens gave, In order to conduct their youth to honour.	20.033
"O soul who speaks of so much righteousness, do tell me who you were," I said, "and why just you alone renew these seemly praises. "O soul that dost so excellently speak, Tell me who wast thou," said I, "and why only Thou dost renew these praises well deserved?	20.036
Your speaking to me will not go unthanked when I return to finish the short span of that life which now hurries toward its end." Not without recompense shall be thy word, If I return to finish the short journey Of that life which is flying to its end."	20.039
And he: "I'll tell you-not because I hope for solace from your world, but for such grace as shines in you before your death's arrived. And he: "I'll tell thee, not for any comfort I may expect from earth, but that so much Grace shines in thee or ever thou art dead.	20.042
I was the root of the obnoxious plant that overshadows all the Christian lands, so that fine fruit can rarely rise from them. I was the root of that malignant plant Which overshadows all the Christian world, So that good fruit is seldom gathered from it;	20.045
But if Douai and Lille and Bruges and Ghent had power, they would soon take vengeance on it; and this I beg of Him who judges all. But if Douay and Ghent, and Lille and Bruges Had Power. soon vengeance would be taken on it; And this I pray of Him who judges all.	20.048
The name I bore beyond was Hugh Capet: of me were born the Louises and Philips by whom France has been ruled most recently. Hugh Capet was I called upon the earth; From me were born the Louises and Philips, By whom in later days has France been governed.	20.051
I was the son of a Parisian butcher. When all the line of ancient kings was done and only one-a monk in gray-survived, I was the son of a Parisian butcher, What time the ancient kings had perished all, Excepting one, contrite in cloth of gray.	20.054
I found the reins that ruled the kingdom tight within my hands, and I held so much new- gained power and possessed so many friends I found me grasping in my hands the rein Of the realm's government, and so great power Of new acquest, and so with friends abounding,	20.057
that, to the widowed crown, my own son's head was elevated, and from him began the consecrated bones of all those kings. That to the widowed diadem promoted The head of mine own offspring was, from whom The consecrated bones of these began.	20.060
Until the giant dowry of Provence removed all sense of shame within my house, my line was not worth much, but did no wrong. So long as the great dowry of Provence Out of my blood took not the sense of shame, 'Twas little worth, but still it did no harm.	20.063
There its rapine began with lies and force; and then it seized-that it might make amends- Ponthieu and Normandy and Gascony. Then it began with falsehood and with force Its rapine; and thereafter, for amends, Took Ponthieu, Normandy, and Gascony.	20.066
Charles came to Italy and, for amends, made Conradin a victim, and then thrust back Thomas into Heaven, for amends. Charles came to Italy, and for amends A victim made of Conradin, and then Thrust Thomas back to heaven, for amends.	20.069
I see a time-not too far off-in which another Charles advances out of France to make himself and his descendants famous. A time I see, not very distant now, Which draweth forth another Charles from France, The better to make known both him and his.	20.072
He does not carry weapons when he comes, only the lance that Judas tilted; this he couches so-he twists the paunch of Florence. Unarmed he goes, and only with the lance That Judas jousted with; and that he thrusts So that he makes the paunch of Florence burst.	20.075
From this he'll gain not land, just shame and sin, which will be all the heavier for him as he would reckon lightly such disgrace. He thence not land, but sin and infamy, Shall gain, so much more grievous to himself As the more light such damage he accounts.	20.078
The other, who once left his ship as prisoner- I see him sell his daughter, bargaining as pirates haggle over female slaves. The other, now gone forth, ta'en in his ship, See I his daughter sell, and chaffer for her As corsairs do with other female slaves.	20.081
O avarice, my house is now your captive: it traffics in the flesh of its own children- what more is left for you to do to us? What more, O Avarice, canst thou do to us, Since thou my blood so to thyself hast drawn, It careth not for its own proper flesh?	20.084
That past and future evil may seem less, I see the fleur-de-lis enter Anagni and, in His vicar, Christ made prisoner. That less may seem the future ill and past, I see the flower-de-luce Alagna enter, And Christ in his own Vicar captive made.	20.087
I see Him mocked a second time; I see the vinegar and gall renewed-and He is slain between two thieves who're still alive. see him yet another time derided; I see renewed the vinegar and gall, And between living thieves I see him slain.	20.090
And I see the new Pilate, one so cruel that, still not sated, he, without decree, carries his greedy sails into the Temple. see the modern Pilate so relentless, This does not sate him, but without decretal He to the temple bears his sordid sails!	20.093
O You, my Lord, when will You let me be happy on seeing vengeance that, concealed, makes sweet Your anger in Your secrecy? When, O my Lord ! shall I be joyful made By looking on the vengeance which, concealed, Makes sweet thine anger in thy secrecy?	20.096
What I have said about the only bride the Holy Ghost has known, the words that made you turn to me for commentary-these What I was saying of that only bride Of the Holy Ghost, and which occasioned thee To turn towards me for some commentary,	20.099
words serve as answer to our prayers as long as it is day; but when night falls, then we recite examples that are contrary. So long has been ordained to all our prayers As the day lasts; but when the night comes on, Contrary sound we take instead thereof.	20.102
Then we tell over how Pygmalion, out of his greedy lust for gold, became a thief and traitor and a parricide; At that time we repeat Pygmalion, Of whom a traitor, thief, and parricide Made his insatiable desire of gold;	20.105
the wretchedness of avaricious Midas, resulting from his ravenous request, the consequence that always makes men laugh; And the misery of avaricious Midas, That followed his inordinate demand, At which forevermore one needs but laugh.	20.108
and each of us recalls the foolish Achan- how he had robbed the spoils, so that the anger of Joshua still seems to sting him here. The foolish Achan each one then records, And how he stole the spoils; so that the wrath Of Joshua still appears to sting him here.	20.111
Then we acase Sapphira and her husband; we praise the kicks Heliodorus suffered; and Polymnestor, who killed Polydorus, Then we accuse Sapphira with her husband, We laud the hoof-beats Heliodorus had, And the whole mount in infamy encircles	20.114
resounds, in infamy, round all this mountain; and finally, what we cry here is: Crassus, tell us, because you know: "How does gold taste?"' Polymnestor who murdered Polydorus. Here finally is cried: ' O Crassus, tell us, For thou dost know, what is the taste of gold?	20.117
At times one speaks aloud, another low, according to the sentiment that goads us now to be more swift and now more slow: Sometimes we speak, one loud, another low, According to desire of speech, that spurs us To greater now and now to lesser pace.	20.120
thus, I was not alone in speaking of the good we cite by day, but here nearby no other spirit raised his voice as high." But in the good that here by day is talked of, Erewhile alone I was not; yet near by No other person lifted up his voice."	20.123
We had already taken leave of him and were already struggling to advance along that road as far as we were able, From him already we departed were, And made endeavour to o'ercome the road As much as was permitted to our power,	20.126
when I could feel the mountain tremble like a falling thing; at which a chill seized me as cold grips one who goes to meet his death. When I perceived, like something that is falling, The mountain tremble, whence a chill seized on me, As seizes him who to his death is going.	20.129
Delos had surely not been buffeted so hard before Latona planted there the nest in which to bear the sky's two eyes. Certes so violently shook not Delos, Before Latona made her nest therein To give birth to the two eyes of the heaven.	20.132
Then such a shout rose up on every side that, drawing near to me, my master said: "Don't be afraid, as long as I'm your guide." Then upon all sides there began a cry, Such that the Master drew himself towards me, Saying, "Fear not, while I am guiding thee."	20.135
"Gloria in excelsis Deo," they all cried- so did I understand from those nearby, whose shouted words were able to be heard. "Gloria in excelsis Deo,"all Were saying, from what near I comprehended, Where it was possible to hear the cry.	20.138
Just like the shepherds who first heard that song, we stood, but did not move, in expectation, until the trembling stopped, the song was done. We paused immovable and in suspense; Even as the shepherds who first heard that song, Until the trembling ceased, and it was finished.	20.141
Then we took up again our holy path, watching the shades who lay along the ground, who had resumed their customary tears. No ignorance ever with so great a strife Had rendered me importunate to know, If erreth not in this my memory,	20.144
My ignorance has never struggled so, has never made me long so much to know- if memory does not mislead me now- No ignorance ever with so great a strife Had rendered me importunate to know, If erreth not in this my memory,	20.147
as it seemed then to long within my thoughts; nor did I dare to ask-we were so rushed; nor, by myself, could I discern the cause. As meditating then I seemed to have; Nor out of haste to question did I dare, Nor of myself I there could aught perceive;	20.150
So, timid, pensive, I pursued my way. So I went onward timorous and thoughtful.	20.151

Previous or Next Canto