The Divine Comedy - Dante Alighieri (good e books to read txt) š
- Author: Dante Alighieri
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He passes, while by that on theā other side, If with clear view shine intellect attend.ā
āOf truth, kind teacher!ā I exclaimād, āso clear Aught saw I never, as I now discern Where seemād my ken to fail, that the mid orb Of the supernal motion (which in terms Of art is called the Equator, and remains Ever between the sun and winter) for the cause Thou hast assignād, from hence toward the north Departs, when those who in the Hebrew land Inhabit, see it towārds the warmer part.
But if it please thee, I would gladly know, How far we have to journey: for the hill Mounts higher, than this sight of mine can mount.ā
He thus to me: āSuch is this steep ascent, That it is ever difficult at first, But, more a man proceeds, less evil grows.
When pleasant it shall seem to thee, so much That upward going shall be easy to thee.
As in a vessel to go down the tide, Then of this path thou wilt have reachād the end.
There hope to rest thee from thy toil. No more I answer, and thus far for certain know.ā
As he his words had spoken, near to us A voice there sounded: āYet ye first perchance May to repose you by constraint be led.ā
At sound thereof each turnād, and on the left A huge stone we beheld, of which nor I Nor he before was ware. Thither we drew, find there were some, who in the shady place Behind the rock were standing, as a man Thruā idleness might stand. Among them one, Who seemād to me much wearied, sat him down, And with his arms did fold his knees about, Holding his face between them downward bent.
āSweet Sir!ā I cryād, ābehold that man, who shows Himself more idle, than if laziness Were sister to him.ā Straight he turnād to us, And, oāer the thigh lifting his face, observād, Then in these accents spake: āUp then, proceed Thou valiant one.ā Straight who it was I knew; Nor could the pain I felt (for want of breath Still somewhat urgād me) hinder my approach.
And when I came to him, he scarce his head Uplifted, saying āWell hast thou discernād, How from the left the sun his chariot leads.ā
His lazy acts and broken words my lips To laughter somewhat movād; when I began: āBelacqua, now for thee I grieve no more.
But tell, why thou art seated upright there?
Waitest thou escort to conduct thee hence?
Or blame I only shine accustomād ways?ā
Then he: āMy brother, of what use to mount, When to my suffering would not let me pass The bird of God, who at the portal sits?
Behooves so long that heavān first bear me round Without its limits, as in life it bore, Because I to the end repentant Sighs Delayād, if prayer do not aid me first, That riseth up from heart which lives in grace.
What other kind avails, not heard in heaven?āā
Before me now the Poet up the mount Ascending, cried: āHaste thee, for see the sun Has touchād the point meridian, and the night Now covers with her foot Maroccoās shore.ā
CANTO V
Now had I left those spirits, and pursued The steps of my Conductor, when beheld Pointing the finger at me one exclaimād: āSee how it seems as if the light not shone From the left hand of him beneath, and he, As living, seems to be led on.ā Mine eyes I at that sound reverting, saw them gaze Through wonder first at me, and then at me And the light broken underneath, by turns.
āWhy are thy thoughts thus riveted?ā my guide Exclaimād, āthat thou hast slackād thy pace? or how Imports it thee, what thing is whisperād here?
Come after me, and to their babblings leave The crowd. Be as a tower, that, firmly set, Shakes not its top for any blast that blows!
He, in whose bosom thought on thought shoots out, Still of his aim is wide, in that the one Sicklies and wastes to nought the otherās strength.ā
What other could I answer save āI come?ā
I said it, somewhat with that colour tingād Which ofttimes pardon meriteth for man.
Meanwhile traverse along the hill there came, A little way before us, some who sang The āMiserereā in responsive Strains.
When they perceivād that through my body I Gave way not for the rays to pass, their song Straight to a long and hoarse exclaim they changād; And two of them, in guise of messengers, Ran on to meet us, and inquiring askād: Of your condition we would gladly learn.ā
To them my guide. āYe may return, and bear Tidings to them who sent you, that his frame Is real flesh. If, as I deem, to view His shade they pausād, enough is answerād them.
Him let them honour, they may prize him well.ā
Neāer saw I fiery vapours with such speed Cut through the serene air at fall of night, Nor Augustās clouds athwart the setting sun, That upward these did not in shorter space Return; and, there arriving, with the rest Wheel back on us, as with loose rein a troop.
āMany,ā exclaimād the bard, āare these, who throng Around us: to petition thee they come.
Go therefore on, and listen as thou goāst.ā
āO spirit! who goāst on to blessedness With the same limbs, that clad thee at thy birth.ā
Shouting they came, āa little rest thy step.
Look if thou any one amongst our tribe Hast eāer beheld, that tidings of him there Thou mayst report. Ah, wherefore goāst thou on?
Ah wherefore tarriest thou not? We all By violence died, and to our latest hour Were sinners, but then warnād by light from heavān, So that, repenting and forgiving, we Did issue out of life at peace with God, Who with desire to see him fills our heart.ā
Then I: āThe visages of all I scan Yet none of ye remember. But if aught, That I can do, may please you, gentle spirits!
Speak; and I will perform it, by that peace, Which on the steps of guide so excellent Following from world to world intent I seek.ā
In answer he began: āNone here distrusts Thy kindness, though not promisād with an oath; So as the will fail not for want of power.
Whence I, who sole before the others speak, Entreat thee, if thou ever see that land, Which lies between Romagna and the realm Of Charles, that of thy courtesy thou pray Those who inhabit Fano, that for me Their adorations duly be put up,
By which I may purge off my grievous sins.
From thence I came. But the deep passages, Whence issued out the blood wherein I dwelt, Upon my bosom in Antenorās land
Were made, where to be more secure I thought.
The author of the deed was Esteās prince, Who, more than right could warrant, with his wrath Pursued me. Had I towards Mira fled, When overtaāen at Oriaco, still
Might I have breathād. But to the marsh I sped, And in the mire and rushes tangled there Fell, and beheld my life-blood float the plain.ā
Then said another: āAh! so may the wish, That takes thee oāer the mountain, be fulfillād, As thou shalt graciously give aid to mine.
Of Montefeltro I; Buonconte I:
Giovanna nor none else have care for me, Sorrowing with these I therefore go.ā I thus: āFrom Campaldinoās field what force or chance Drew thee, that neāer thy sepulture was known?ā
āOh!ā answerād he, āat Casentinoās foot A stream there courseth, namād Archiano, sprung In Apennine above the Hermitās seat.
Eāen where its name is cancelād, there came I, Piercād in the heart, fleeing away on foot, And bloodying the plain. Here sight and speech Failād me, and finishing with Maryās name I fell, and tenantless my flesh remainād.
I will report the truth; which thou again0
Tell to the living. Me Godās angel took, Whilst he of hell exclaimād: āO thou from heavān!
Say wherefore hast thou robbād me? Thou of him Thā eternal portion bearāst with thee away For one poor tear that he deprives me of.
But of the other, other rule I make.ā
āThou knowest how in the atmosphere collects That vapour dank, returning into water, Soon as it mounts where cold condenses it.
That evil will, which in his intellect Still follows evil, came, and raisād the wind And smoky mist, by virtue of the power Given by his nature. Thence the valley, soon As day was spent, he coverād oāer with cloud From Pratomagno to the mountain range, And stretchād the sky above, so that the air Impregnate changād to water. Fell the rain, And to the fosses came all that the land Containād not; and, as mightiest streams are wont, To the great river with such headlong sweep Rushād, that nought stayād its course. My stiffenād frame Laid at his mouth the fell Archiano found, And dashād it into Arno, from my breast Loosāning the cross, that of myself I made When overcome with pain. He hurlād me on, Along the banks and bottom of his course; Then in his muddy spoils encircling wrapt.ā
āAh! when thou to the world shalt be returnād, And rested after thy long road,ā so spake Next the third spirit; āthen remember me.
I once was Pia. Sienna gave me life, Maremma took it from me. That he knows, Who me with jewellād ring had first espousād.ā
CANTO VI
When from their game of dice men separate, He, who hath lost, remains in sadness fixād, Revolving in his mind, what luckless throws He cast: but meanwhile all the company Go with the other; one before him runs, And one behind his mantle twitches, one Fast by his side bids him remember him.
He stops not; and each one, to whom his hand Is stretchād, well knows he bids him stand aside; And thus he from the press defends himself.
Eāen such was I in that close-crowding throng; And turning so my face around to all, And promising, I āscapād from it with pains.
Here of Arezzo him I saw, who fell By Ghinoās cruel arm; and him beside, Who in his chase was swallowād by the stream.
Here Frederic Novello, with his hand Stretchād forth, entreated; and of Pisa he, Who put the good Marzuco to such proof Of constancy. Count Orso I beheld; And from its frame a soul dismissād for spite And envy, as it said, but for no crime: I speak of Peter de la Brosse; and here, While she yet lives, that Lady of Brabant Let her beware; lest for so false a deed She herd with worse than these. When I was freed From all those spirits, who prayād for othersā prayers To hasten on their state of blessedness; Straight I began: āO thou, my luminary!
It seems expressly in thy text denied, That heavenās supreme decree can never bend To supplication; yet with this design Do these entreat. Can then their hope be vain, Or is thy saying not to me revealād?ā
He thus to me: āBoth what I write is plain, And these deceivād not in their hope, if well Thy mind consider, that the sacred height Of judgment doth not stoop, because loveās flame In a short moment all fulfils, which he Who sojourns here, in right should satisfy.
Besides, when I this point concluded thus, By praying no defect could be supplied; Because the prayār had none access to God.
Yet in this deep
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