| PURGATORIO CANTO 22 Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr. | Notes | Ann. |
The angel now was left behind us, he who had directed us to the sixth terrace, having erased one P that scarred my face; ALREADY was the Angel left behind us, The Angel who to the sixth round had turned us, Having erased one mark from off my face; |
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he had declared that those who longed for justice are blessed, and his voice concluded that message with "sitiunt," without the rest. And those who have in justice their desire Had said to us, "Beati," in their voices, With "sitio," and without more ended it |
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And while I climbed behind the two swift spirits, not laboring at all, for I was lighter than I had been along the other stairs, And I, more light than through the other passes, Went onward so, that without any labour I followed upward the swift-footed spirits; |
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Virgil began: "Love that is kindled by virtue, will, in another, find reply, as long as that love's flame appears without; When thus Virgilius began: "The love Kindled by virtue aye another kindles, Provided outwardly its flame appear. |
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so, from the time when Juvenal, descending among us, in Hell's Limbo, had made plain the fondness that you felt for me, my own Hence from the hour that Juvenal descended Among us into the infernal Limbo, Who made apparent to me thy affection, |
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benevolence toward you has been much richer than any ever given to a person one has not seen; thus, now these stairs seem short. My kindliness towards thee was as great As ever bound one to an unseen person, So that these stairs will now seem short to me. |
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But tell me (and, as friend, forgive me if excessive candor lets my reins relax, and, as a friend, exchange your words with me): But tell me, and forgive me as a friend, If too great confidence let loose the rein, And as a friend now hold discourse with me; |
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how was it that you found within your breast a place for avarice, when you possessed the wisdom you had nurtured with such care?" How was it possible within thy breast For avarice to find place, 'mid so much wisdom As thou wast filled with by thy diligence?" |
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These words at first brought something of a smile to Statius; then he answered: "Every word you speak, to me is a dear sign of love. These words excited Statius at first Somewhat to laughter; afterward he answered: "Each word of thine is love's dear sign to me. |
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Indeed, because true causes are concealed, we often face deceptive reasoning and things provoke perplexity in us. Verily oftentimes do things appear Which give fallacious matter to our doubts, Instead of the true causes which are hidden! |
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Your question makes me sure that you're convinced- perhaps because my circle was the fifth- that, in the life I once lived, avarice Thy question shows me thy belief to be That I was niggard in the other life, It may be from the circle where I was; |
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had been my sin. Know then that I was far from avarice-it was my lack of measure thousands of months have punished. And if I Therefore know thou, that avarice was removed Too far from me; and this extravagance Thousands of lunar periods have punished. |
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had not corrected my assessment by my understanding what your verses meant when you, as if enraged by human nature, And were it not that I my thoughts uplifted, When I the passage heard where thou exclaimest, As if indignant, unto human nature, |
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exclaimed: 'Why cannot you, o holy hunger for gold, restrain the appetite of mortals?'- I'd now, while rolling weights, know sorry jousts. 'To what impellest thou not, O cursed hunger Of gold, the appetite of mortal men ?' Revolving I should feel the dismal joustings. |
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Then I became aware that hands might open too wide, like wings, in spending; and of this, as of my other sins, I did repent. Then I perceived the hands could spread too wide Their wings in spending, and repented me As well of that as of my other sins; |
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How many are to rise again with heads cropped close, whom ignorance prevents from reaching repentance in-and at the end of-life! How many with shorn hair shall rise again Because of ignorance, which from this sin Cuts off repentance living and in death! |
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And know that when a sin is countered byu another fault-directly opposite" to it-then, here, both sins see their green wither. And know that the transgression which rebuts By direct opposition any sin Together with it here its verdure dries. |
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Thus, I join those who pay for avarice in my purgation, though what brought me here was prodigality-its opposite." Therefore if I have been among that folk Which mourns its avarice, to purify me, For its opposite has this befallen me." |
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"Now, when you sang the savage wars of those twin sorrows of Jocasta," said the singer of the bucolic poems, "it does not seem- "Now when thou sangest the relentless weapons Of the twofold affliction of Jocasta," The singer of the Songs Bucolic said, |
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from those notes struck by you and Clio there- that you had yet turned faithful to the faith without which righteous works do not suffice. "From that which Clio there with thee preludes, It does not seem that yet had made thee faithful That faith without which no good works suffice. |
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If that is so, then what sun or what candles drew you from darkness so that, in their wake, you set your sails behind the fisherman?" If this be so, what candles or what sun Scattered thy darkness so that thou didst trim Thy sails behind the Fisherman thereafter?" |
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And he to him: "You were the first to send me to drink within Parnassus' caves and you, the first who, after God, enlightened me. And he to him:"Thou first directedst me Towards Parnassus, in its grots to drink, And first concerning God didst me enlighten. |
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You did as he who goes by night and carries the lamp behind him-he is of no help to his own self but teaches those who follow- Thou didst as he who walketh in the night, Who bears his light behind, which helps him not, But wary makes the persons after him, |
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when you declared: 'The ages are renewed; justice and man's first time on earth return; from Heaven a new progeny descends.' When thou didst say: ' The age renews itself, Justice returns, and man's primeval time, And a new progeny descends from heaven.' |
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Through you I was a poet and, through you, a Christian; but that you may see more plainly, I'll set my hand to color what I sketch. Through thee I Poet was, through thee a Christian; But that thou better see what I design, To colour it will I extend my hand. |
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Disseminated by the messengers of the eternal kingdom, the true faith by then had penetrated all the world, Already was the world in every part Pregnant with the true creed, disseminated By messengers of the eternal kingdom; |
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and the new preachers preached in such accord with what you'd said (and I have just repeated), that I was drawn into frequenting them. And thy assertion, spoken of above, With the new preachers was in unison; Whence I to visit them the custom took. |
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Then they appeared to me to be so saintly that, when Domitian persecuted them, my own laments accompanied their grief; Then they became so holy in my sight, That, when Domitian persecuted them, Not without tears of mine were their laments; |
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and while I could-as long as I had life- I helped them, and their honest practices made me disdainful of all other sects. And all the while that I on earth remained, Them I befriended, and their upright customs Made me disparage all the other sects. |
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Before-within my poem-I'd led the Greeks unto the streams of Thebes, I was baptized; but out of fear, I was a secret Christian And ere I led the Greeks unto the rivers Of Thebes, in poetry, I was baptized, But out of fear was covertly a Christian, |
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and, for a long time, showed myself as pagan; for this halfheartedness, for more than four centuries, I circled the fourth circle. For a long time professing paganism; And this lukewarmness caused me the fourth circle To circuit round more than four centuries. |
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And now may you, who lifted up the lid that hid from me the good of which I speak, while time is left us as we climb, tell me Thou, therefore, who hast raised the covering That hid from me whatever good I speak of, While in ascending we have time to spare, |
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where is our ancient Terence, and Caecilius and Plautus, where is Varius, if you know; tell me if they are damned, and in what quarter." Tell me, in what place is our friend Terentius, Caecilius, Plautus, Varro, if thou knowest; Tell me if they are damned, and in what alley." |
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"All these and Persius, I, and many others," my guide replied, "are with that Greek to whom the Muses gave their gifts in greatest measure. "These, Persius and myself, and others many," Replied my Leader, " with that Grecian are Whom more than all the rest the Muses suckled, |
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Our place is the blind prison, its first circle; and there we often talk about the mountain where those who were our nurses always dwell. In the first circle of the prison blind; Ofttimes we of the mountain hold discourse Which has our nurses ever with itself |
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Euripides is with us, Antiphon, Simonides, and Agathon, as well as many other Greeks who once wore laurel Euripides is with us, Antiphon, Simonides, Agatho, and many other Greeks who of old their brows with laurel decked. |
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upon their brow; and there-of your own people- one sees Antigone, Deiphyle, Ismene, sad still, Argia as she was. There some of thine own people may be seen, Antigone, Deiphile and Argìa, And there Ismene mournful as of old. |
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There one can see the woman who showed Langia, and there, Tiresias' daughter; there is Thetis; and, with her sisters, there, Deidamia." There she is seen who pointed out Langia; There is Tiresias' daughter, and there Thetis, And there Deidamia with her sisters." |
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Both poets now were silent, once again intent on their surroundings-they were free of stairs and walls; with day's first four handmaidens Silent already were the poets both, Attent once more in looking round about, From the ascent and from the walls released; |
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already left behind, and with the fifth guiding the chariot-pole and lifting it, so that its horn of flame rose always higher, And four handmaidens of the day already Were left behind, and at the pole the fifth Was pointing upward still its burning horn, |
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my master said: "I think it's time that we turn our right shoulders toward the terrace edge, circling the mountain in the way we're used to." What time my Guide: "I think that tow'rds thee Our dexter shoulders it behoves us turn, Circling the mount as we are wont to do." |
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In this way habit served us as a banner; and when we chose that path, our fear was less because that worthy soul gave his assent. Thus in that region custom was our ensign; And we resumed our way with less suspicion For the assenting of that worthy soul |
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Those two were in the lead; I walked alone, behind them, listening to their colloquy, which taught me much concerning poetry. They in advance went on, and I alone Behind them, and I listened to their speech, Which gave me lessons in the art of song |
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But their delightful conversation soon was interrupted by a tree that blocked our path; its fruits were fine, their scent was sweet, But soon their sweet discourses interrupted A tree which midway in the road we found, With apples sweet and grateful to the smell edge |
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and even as a fir-tree tapers upward from branch to branch, that tree there tapered downward, so as-I think-to ward off any climber. And even as a fir-tree tapers upward From bough to bough, so downwardly did that; I think in order that no one might climb it |
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Upon our left, where wall enclosed our path, bright running water fell from the high rock and spread itself upon the leaves above. On that side where our pathway was enclosed Fell from the lofty rock a limpid water, And spread itself abroad upon the leaves. |
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When the two poets had approached the tree, a voice emerging from within the leaves cried out: "This food shall be denied to you." The Poets twain unto the tree drew near, And from among the foliage a voice Cried:"Of this food ye shall have scarcity." |
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Then it cried: "Mary's care was for the marriage- feast's being seemly and complete, not for her mouth (which now would intercede for you). Then said: "More thoughtful Mary was of making The marriage feast complete and honourable, Than of her mouth which now for you responds; |
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And when they drank, of old, the Roman women were satisfied with water; and young Daniel, through his disdain of food, acquired wisdom. And for their drink the ancient Roman women With water were content; and Daniel Disparaged food, and understanding won. |
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The first age was as fair as gold: when hungry, men found the taste of acorns good; when thirsty, they found that every little stream was nectar. The primal age was beautiful as gold; Acorns It made with hunger savorous, And nectar every rivulet with thirst. |
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When he was in the wilderness, the Baptist had fed on nothing more than honey, locusts: for this he was made great, as glorious Honey and locusts were the aliments That fed the Baptist in the wilderness; Whence he is glorious, and so magnified |
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as, in the Gospel, is made plain to you." As by the Evangel is revealed to you." |
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