Purgatorio: Canto XXVI
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While on the
brink thus one before the other
We went upon our way, oft the good Master
Said: "Take thou
heed! suffice it that I warn thee."
On the right shoulder smote me now the sun,
That, raying out, already the whole west
Changed from its
azure aspect into white.
And with my shadow did I make the flame
Appear more red; and even to such a sign
Shades saw I many, as they went, give heed.
This was the cause that gave them a beginning
To speak of me; and to themselves began they
To say: "That seems not a
factitious body!"
Then towards me, as far as they could come,
Came certain of them, always with
regard
Not to step forth where they would not be
burned.
"O thou who goest, not from being slower
But
reverent perhaps, behind the others,
Answer me, who in
thirst and fire am burning.
Nor to me only is thine answer
needful;
For all of these have greater thirst for it
Than for cold water
Ethiop or
Indian.
Tell us how is it that thou makest thyself
A wall unto the sun, as if thou hadst not
Entered as yet into the net of
death."
Thus one of them addressed me, and I straight
Should have
revealed myself, were I not bent
On other
novelty that then appeared.
For through the
middle of the burning road
There came a people face to face with these,
Which held me in
suspense with gazing at them.
There see I
hastening upon either side
Each of the
shades, and
kissing one another
Without a pause, content with brief
salute.
Thus in the middle of their brown
battalions
Muzzle to muzzle one ant meets another
Perchance to spy their journey or their fortune.
No sooner is the
friendly greeting ended,
Or ever the first
footstep passes onward,
Each one endeavours to
outcry the other;
The new-come people: "
Sodom and Gomorrah!"
The rest: "Into the
cow Pasiphae enters,
So that the bull unto her
lust may run!"
Then as the cranes, that to
Riphaean Mountains
Might fly in part, and part towards the
sands,
These of the frost, those of the sun avoidant,
One folk is going, and the other coming,
And weeping they return to their first songs,
And to the cry that most befitteth them;
And close to me approached, even as before,
The very same who had entreated me,
Attent to listen in their
countenance.
I, who their
inclination twice had seen,
Began: "O souls secure in the possession,
Whene'er it may be, of a state of peace,
Neither unripe nor
ripened have remained
My members upon earth, but here are with me
With their own blood and their articulations.
I go up here to be no longer blind;
A Lady is above, who wins this
grace,
Whereby the mortal through your world I bring.
But as your greatest longing satisfied
May soon become, so that the
Heaven may house you
Which full of love is, and most
amply spreads,
Tell me, that I again in books may write it,
Who are you, and what is that
multitude
Which goes upon its way behind your backs?"
Not otherwise with wonder is bewildered
The
Mountaineer, and staring round is dumb,
When rough and
rustic to the town he goes,
Than every shade became in its
appearance;
But when they of their stupor were
disburdened,
Which in high hearts is quickly quieted,
"Blessed be thou, who of our
border-lands,"
He
recommenced who first had questioned us,
"Experience freightest for a better life.
The folk that comes not with us have offended
In that for which once
Caesar, triumphing,
Heard himself called in contumely, '
Queen.'
Therefore they separate, exclaiming, '
Sodom!'
Themselves reproving, even as thou hast heard,
And add unto their burning by their shame.
Our own
transgression was
hermaphrodite;
But because we observed not human law,
Following like unto
beasts our appetite,
In our
opprobrium by us is read,
When we part company, the name of her
Who
bestialized herself in bestial wood.
Now knowest thou our acts, and what our crime was;
Wouldst thou
perchance by name know who we are,
There is not time to tell, nor could I do it.
Thy wish to know me shall in sooth be granted;
I'm
Guido Guinicelli, and now
purge me,
Having repented ere the hour extreme."
The same that in the sadness of
Lycurgus
Two sons became, their mother re-
beholding,
Such I became, but rise not to such height,
The moment I heard name himself the father
Of me and of my betters, who had ever
Practised the sweet and gracious
rhymes of love;
And without speech and hearing thoughtfully
For a long time I went, beholding him,
Nor for the fire did I approach him nearer.
When I was fed with looking, utterly
Myself I offered ready for his service,
With affirmation that compels belief.
And he to me: "Thou leavest
footprints such
In me, from what I hear, and so distinct,
Lethe cannot efface them, nor make dim.
But if thy words just now the truth have
sworn,
Tell me what is the cause why thou displayest
In word and look that dear thou holdest me?"
And I to him: "Those
dulcet lays of yours
Which, long as shall
endure our
modern fashion,
Shall make for ever dear their very
ink!"
"O brother," said he, "he whom I point out,"
And here he pointed at a spirit in front,
"Was of the mother tongue a better
smith.
Verses of love and proses of
romance,
He mastered all; and let the
idiots talk,
Who think the
Lemosin surpasses him.
To clamour more than truth they turn their faces,
And in this way
establish their opinion,
Ere art or
Reason has by them been heard.
Thus many ancients with
Guittone did,
From cry to cry still giving him
applause,
Until the truth has conquered with most persons.
Now, if thou hast such ample
privilege
'Tis granted thee to go unto the
cloister
Wherein is
Christ the
abbot of the
college,
To him repeat for me a
Paternoster,
So far as needful to us of this world,
Where power of
sinning is no longer ours."
Then, to give place
perchance to one behind,
Whom he had near, he
vanished in the fire
As fish in water going to the
bottom.
I moved a little tow'rds him pointed out,
And said that to his name my own desire
An
honourable place was making ready.
He of his own
free will began to say:
'Tan m' abellis vostre cortes deman,
So pleases me your courteous demand,
Que jeu nom' puesc ni vueill a vos cobrire;
I cannot and I will not hide me from you.
Jeu sui Arnaut, que plor e vai chantan;
I am Arnaut, who weep and singing go;
Consiros vei la passada folor,
Contrite I see the folly of the past,
E vei jauzen lo jorn qu' esper denan.
And joyous see the hoped-for day before me.
Ara vus prec per aquella valor,
Therefore do I implore you, by that power
Que vus condus al som de la scalina,
Which guides you to the summit of the stairs,
Sovenga vus a temprar ma dolor.'
Be mindful to assuage my suffering!
Then hid him in the
fire that purifies them.
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