CANTO XXIThus we from bridge to bridge, with other talk,The which my drama cares not to rehearse,Pass’d on; and to the summit reaching, stoodTo view another gap, within the roundOf Malebolge, other bootless pangs.Marvelous darkness shadow’d o’er the place.In the Venetians’ arsenal as boilsThrough wintry months tenacious pitch, to smearTheir unsound vessels; for th’ inclement timeSea-faring men restrains, and in that whileHis bark one builds anew, another stopsThe ribs of his, that hath made many a voyage;One hammers at the prow, one at the poop;This shapeth oars, that other cables twirls,The mizen one repairs and main-sail rentSo not by force of fire but art divineBoil’d here a glutinous thick mass, that roundLim’d all the shore beneath. I that beheld,But therein nought distinguish’d, save the surge,Rais’d by the boiling, in one mighty swellHeave, and by turns subsiding and fall. While thereI fix’d my ken below, “Mark! mark!” my guideExclaiming, drew me towards him from the place,Wherein I stood. I turn’d myself as one,Impatient to behold that which beheldHe needs must shun, whom sudden fear unmans,That he his flight delays not for the view.Behind me I discern’d a devil black,That running, up advanc’d along the rock.Ah! what fierce cruelty his look bespake!In act how bitter did he seem, with wingsBuoyant outstretch’d and feet of nimblest tread!His shoulder proudly eminent and sharpWas with a sinner charg’d; by either haunchHe held him, the foot’s sinew griping fast.“Ye of our bridge!” he cried, “keen-talon’d fiends!Lo! one of Santa Zita’s elders! HimWhelm ye beneath, while I return for more.That land hath store of such. All men are there,Except Bonturo, barterers: of ‘no’For lucre there an ‘aye’ is quickly made.”Him dashing down, o’er the rough rock he turn’d,Nor ever after thief a mastiff loos’dSped with like eager haste. That other sankAnd forthwith writing to the surface rose.But those dark demons, shrouded by the bridge,Cried “Here the hallow’d visage saves not: hereIs other swimming than in Serchio’s wave.Wherefore if thou desire we rend thee not,Take heed thou mount not o’er the pitch.” This said,They grappled him with more than hundred hooks,And shouted: “Cover’d thou must sport thee here;So, if thou canst, in secret mayst thou filch.”E’en thus the cook bestirs him, with his grooms,To thrust the flesh into the caldron downWith flesh-hooks, that it float not on the top.Me then my guide bespake: “Lest they descry,That thou art here, behind a craggy rockBend low and screen thee; and whate’er of forceBe offer’d me, or insult, fear thou not:For I am well advis’d, who have been erstIn the like fray.” Beyond the bridge’s headTherewith he pass’d, and reaching the sixth pier,Behov’d him then a forehead terror-proof.With storm and fury, as when dogs rush forthUpon the poor man’s back, who suddenlyFrom whence he standeth makes his suit; so rush’dThose from beneath the arch, and against himTheir weapons all they pointed. He aloud:“Be none of you outrageous: ere your timeDare seize me, come forth from amongst you one,Who having heard my words, decide he thenIf he shall tear these limbs.” They shouted loud,“Go, Malacoda!” Whereat one advanc’d,The others standing firm, and as he came,“What may this turn avail him?” he exclaim’d.“Believ’st thou, Malacoda! I had comeThus far from all your skirmishing secure,”My teacher answered, “without will divineAnd destiny propitious? Pass we thenFor so Heaven’s pleasure is, that I should leadAnother through this savage wilderness.”Forthwith so fell his pride, that he let dropThe instrument of torture at his feet,And to the rest exclaim’d: “We have no powerTo strike him.” Then to me my guide: “O thou!Who on the bridge among the crags dost sitLow crouching, safely now to me return.”I rose, and towards him moved with speed: the fiendsMeantime all forward drew: me terror seiz’dLest they should break the compact they had made.Thus issuing from Caprona, once I sawTh’ infantry dreading, lest his covenantThe foe should break; so close he hemm’d them round.I to my leader’s side adher’d, mine eyesWith fixt and motionless observance bentOn their unkindly visage. They their hooksProtruding, one the other thus bespake:“Wilt thou I touch him on the hip?” To whomWas answer’d: “Even so; nor miss thy aim.”But he, who was in conf’rence with my guide,Turn’d rapid round, and thus the demon spake:“Stay, stay thee, Scarmiglione!” Then to usHe added: “Further footing to your stepThis rock affords not, shiver’d to the baseOf the sixth arch. But would you still proceed,Up by this cavern go: not distant far,Another rock will yield you passage safe.Yesterday, later by five hours than now,Twelve hundred threescore years and six had fill’dThe circuit of their course, since here the wayWas broken. Thitherward I straight dispatchCertain of these my scouts, who shall espyIf any on the surface bask. With themGo ye: for ye shall find them nothing fell.Come Alichino forth,” with that he cried,“And Calcabrina, and Cagnazzo thou!The troop of ten let Barbariccia lead.With Libicocco Draghinazzo haste,Fang’d Ciriatto, Grafflacane fierce,And Farfarello, and mad Rubicant.Search ye around the bubbling tar. For these,In safety lead them, where the other cragUninterrupted traverses the dens.”I then: “O master! what a sight is there!Ah! without escort, journey we alone,Which, if thou know the way, I covet not.Unless thy prudence fail thee, dost not markHow they do gnarl upon us, and their scowlThreatens us present tortures?” He replied:“I charge thee fear not: let them, as they will,Gnarl on: ’tis but in token of their spiteAgainst the souls, who mourn in torment steep’d.”To leftward o’er the pier they turn’d; but eachHad first between his teeth prest close the tongue,Toward their leader for a signal looking,Which he with sound obscene triumphant gave.
Thus we from bridge to bridge, with other talk,The which my drama cares not to rehearse,Pass’d on; and to the summit reaching, stoodTo view another gap, within the roundOf Malebolge, other bootless pangs.
Marvelous darkness shadow’d o’er the place.
In the Venetians’ arsenal as boilsThrough wintry months tenacious pitch, to smearTheir unsound vessels; for th’ inclement timeSea-faring men restrains, and in that whileHis bark one builds anew, another stopsThe ribs of his, that hath made many a voyage;One hammers at the prow, one at the poop;This shapeth oars, that other cables twirls,The mizen one repairs and main-sail rentSo not by force of fire but art divineBoil’d here a glutinous thick mass, that roundLim’d all the shore beneath. I that beheld,But therein nought distinguish’d, save the surge,Rais’d by the boiling, in one mighty swellHeave, and by turns subsiding and fall. While thereI fix’d my ken below, “Mark! mark!” my guideExclaiming, drew me towards him from the place,Wherein I stood. I turn’d myself as one,Impatient to behold that which beheldHe needs must shun, whom sudden fear unmans,That he his flight delays not for the view.Behind me I discern’d a devil black,That running, up advanc’d along the rock.Ah! what fierce cruelty his look bespake!In act how bitter did he seem, with wingsBuoyant outstretch’d and feet of nimblest tread!His shoulder proudly eminent and sharpWas with a sinner charg’d; by either haunchHe held him, the foot’s sinew griping fast.
“Ye of our bridge!” he cried, “keen-talon’d fiends!Lo! one of Santa Zita’s elders! HimWhelm ye beneath, while I return for more.That land hath store of such. All men are there,Except Bonturo, barterers: of ‘no’For lucre there an ‘aye’ is quickly made.”
Him dashing down, o’er the rough rock he turn’d,Nor ever after thief a mastiff loos’dSped with like eager haste. That other sankAnd forthwith writing to the surface rose.But those dark demons, shrouded by the bridge,Cried “Here the hallow’d visage saves not: hereIs other swimming than in Serchio’s wave.Wherefore if thou desire we rend thee not,Take heed thou mount not o’er the pitch.” This said,They grappled him with more than hundred hooks,And shouted: “Cover’d thou must sport thee here;So, if thou canst, in secret mayst thou filch.”E’en thus the cook bestirs him, with his grooms,To thrust the flesh into the caldron downWith flesh-hooks, that it float not on the top.
Me then my guide bespake: “Lest they descry,That thou art here, behind a craggy rockBend low and screen thee; and whate’er of forceBe offer’d me, or insult, fear thou not:For I am well advis’d, who have been erstIn the like fray.” Beyond the bridge’s headTherewith he pass’d, and reaching the sixth pier,Behov’d him then a forehead terror-proof.
With storm and fury, as when dogs rush forthUpon the poor man’s back, who suddenlyFrom whence he standeth makes his suit; so rush’dThose from beneath the arch, and against himTheir weapons all they pointed. He aloud:“Be none of you outrageous: ere your timeDare seize me, come forth from amongst you one,Who having heard my words, decide he thenIf he shall tear these limbs.” They shouted loud,“Go, Malacoda!” Whereat one advanc’d,The others standing firm, and as he came,“What may this turn avail him?” he exclaim’d.
“Believ’st thou, Malacoda! I had comeThus far from all your skirmishing secure,”My teacher answered, “without will divineAnd destiny propitious? Pass we thenFor so Heaven’s pleasure is, that I should leadAnother through this savage wilderness.”
Forthwith so fell his pride, that he let dropThe instrument of torture at his feet,And to the rest exclaim’d: “We have no powerTo strike him.” Then to me my guide: “O thou!Who on the bridge among the crags dost sitLow crouching, safely now to me return.”
I rose, and towards him moved with speed: the fiendsMeantime all forward drew: me terror seiz’dLest they should break the compact they had made.Thus issuing from Caprona, once I sawTh’ infantry dreading, lest his covenantThe foe should break; so close he hemm’d them round.
I to my leader’s side adher’d, mine eyesWith fixt and motionless observance bentOn their unkindly visage. They their hooksProtruding, one the other thus bespake:“Wilt thou I touch him on the hip?” To whomWas answer’d: “Even so; nor miss thy aim.”
But he, who was in conf’rence with my guide,Turn’d rapid round, and thus the demon spake:“Stay, stay thee, Scarmiglione!” Then to usHe added: “Further footing to your stepThis rock affords not, shiver’d to the baseOf the sixth arch. But would you still proceed,Up by this cavern go: not distant far,Another rock will yield you passage safe.Yesterday, later by five hours than now,Twelve hundred threescore years and six had fill’dThe circuit of their course, since here the wayWas broken. Thitherward I straight dispatchCertain of these my scouts, who shall espyIf any on the surface bask. With themGo ye: for ye shall find them nothing fell.Come Alichino forth,” with that he cried,“And Calcabrina, and Cagnazzo thou!The troop of ten let Barbariccia lead.With Libicocco Draghinazzo haste,Fang’d Ciriatto, Grafflacane fierce,And Farfarello, and mad Rubicant.Search ye around the bubbling tar. For these,In safety lead them, where the other cragUninterrupted traverses the dens.”
I then: “O master! what a sight is there!Ah! without escort, journey we alone,Which, if thou know the way, I covet not.Unless thy prudence fail thee, dost not markHow they do gnarl upon us, and their scowlThreatens us present tortures?” He replied:“I charge thee fear not: let them, as they will,Gnarl on: ’tis but in token of their spiteAgainst the souls, who mourn in torment steep’d.”
To leftward o’er the pier they turn’d; but eachHad first between his teeth prest close the tongue,Toward their leader for a signal looking,Which he with sound obscene triumphant gave.