Inferno: Canto VIIII say, continuing, that long beforeWe to the foot of that high tower had come,Our eyes went upward to the summit of it,By reason of two flamelets we saw placed there,And from afar another answer them,So far, that hardly could the eye attain it.And, to the sea of all discernment turned,I said: “What sayeth this, and what respondethThat other fire? and who are they that made it?”And he to me: “Across the turbid wavesWhat is expected thou canst now discern,If reek of the morass conceal it not.”Cord never shot an arrow from itselfThat sped away athwart the air so swift,As I beheld a very little boatCome o’er the water tow’rds us at that moment,Under the guidance of a single pilot,Who shouted, “Now art thou arrived, fell soul?”“Phlegyas, Phlegyas, thou criest out in vainFor this once,” said my Lord; “thou shalt not have usLonger than in the passing of the slough.”As he who listens to some great deceitThat has been done to him, and then resents it,Such became Phlegyas, in his gathered wrath.My Guide descended down into the boat,And then he made me enter after him,And only when I entered seemed it laden.Soon as the Guide and I were in the boat,The antique prow goes on its way, dividingMore of the water than ’tis wont with others.While we were running through the dead canal,Uprose in front of me one full of mire,And said, “Who ’rt thou that comest ere the hour?”And I to him: “Although I come, I stay not;But who art thou that hast become so squalid?”“Thou seest that I am one who weeps,” he answered.And I to him: “With weeping and with wailing,Thou spirit maledict, do thou remain;For thee I know, though thou art all defiled.”Then stretched he both his hands unto the boat;Whereat my wary Master thrust him back,Saying, “Away there with the other dogs!”Thereafter with his arms he clasped my neck;He kissed my face, and said: “Disdainful soul,Blessed be she who bore thee in her bosom.That was an arrogant person in the world;Goodness is none, that decks his memory;So likewise here his shade is furious.How many are esteemed great kings up there,Who here shall be like unto swine in mire,Leaving behind them horrible dispraises!”And I: “My Master, much should I be pleased,If I could see him soused into this broth,Before we issue forth out of the lake.”And he to me: “Ere unto thee the shoreReveal itself, thou shalt be satisfied;Such a desire ’tis meet thou shouldst enjoy.”A little after that, I saw such havocMade of him by the people of the mire,That still I praise and thank my God for it.They all were shouting, “At Philippo Argenti!”And that exasperate spirit FlorentineTurned round upon himself with his own teeth.We left him there, and more of him I tell not;But on mine ears there smote a lamentation,Whence forward I intent unbar mine eyes.And the good Master said: “Even now, my Son,The city draweth near whose name is Dis,With the grave citizens, with the great throng.”And I: “Its mosques already, Master, clearlyWithin there in the valley I discernVermilion, as if issuing from the fireThey were.” And he to me: “The fire eternalThat kindles them within makes them look red,As thou beholdest in this nether Hell.”Then we arrived within the moats profound,That circumvallate that disconsolate city;The walls appeared to me to be of iron.Not without making first a circuit wide,We came unto a place where loud the pilotCried out to us, “Debark, here is the entrance.”More than a thousand at the gates I sawOut of the Heavens rained down, who angrilyWere saying, “Who is this that without deathGoes through the kingdom of the people dead?”And my sagacious Master made a signOf wishing secretly to speak with them.A little then they quelled their great disdain,And said: “Come thou alone, and he begoneWho has so boldly entered these dominions.Let him return alone by his mad road;Try, if he can; for thou shalt here remain,Who hast escorted him through such dark regions.”Think, Reader, if I was discomfortedAt utterance of the accursed words;For never to return here I believed.“O my dear Guide, who more than seven timesHast rendered me security, and drawn meFrom imminent peril that before me stood,Do not desert me,” said I, “thus undone;And if the going farther be denied us,Let us retrace our steps together swiftly.”And that Lord, who had led me thitherward,Said unto me: “Fear not; because our passageNone can take from us, it by Such is given.But here await me, and thy weary spiritComfort and nourish with a better hope;For in this nether world I will not leave thee.”So onward goes and there abandons meMy Father sweet, and I remain in doubt,For No and Yes within my head contend.I could not hear what he proposed to them;But with them there he did not linger long,Ere each within in rivalry ran back.They closed the portals, those our adversaries,On my Lord’s breast, who had remained withoutAnd turned to me with footsteps far between.His eyes cast down, his forehead shorn had heOf all its boldness, and he said, with sighs,“Who has denied to me the dolesome houses?”And unto me: “Thou, because I am angry,Fear not, for I will conquer in the trial,Whatever for defence within be planned.This arrogance of theirs is nothing new;For once they used it at less secret gate,Which finds itself without a fastening still.O’er it didst thou behold the dead inscription;And now this side of it descends the steep,Passing across the circles without escort,One by whose means the city shall be opened.”
I say, continuing, that long beforeWe to the foot of that high tower had come,Our eyes went upward to the summit of it,
By reason of two flamelets we saw placed there,And from afar another answer them,So far, that hardly could the eye attain it.
And, to the sea of all discernment turned,I said: “What sayeth this, and what respondethThat other fire? and who are they that made it?”
And he to me: “Across the turbid wavesWhat is expected thou canst now discern,If reek of the morass conceal it not.”
Cord never shot an arrow from itselfThat sped away athwart the air so swift,As I beheld a very little boat
Come o’er the water tow’rds us at that moment,Under the guidance of a single pilot,Who shouted, “Now art thou arrived, fell soul?”
“Phlegyas, Phlegyas, thou criest out in vainFor this once,” said my Lord; “thou shalt not have usLonger than in the passing of the slough.”
As he who listens to some great deceitThat has been done to him, and then resents it,Such became Phlegyas, in his gathered wrath.
My Guide descended down into the boat,And then he made me enter after him,And only when I entered seemed it laden.
Soon as the Guide and I were in the boat,The antique prow goes on its way, dividingMore of the water than ’tis wont with others.
While we were running through the dead canal,Uprose in front of me one full of mire,And said, “Who ’rt thou that comest ere the hour?”
And I to him: “Although I come, I stay not;But who art thou that hast become so squalid?”“Thou seest that I am one who weeps,” he answered.
And I to him: “With weeping and with wailing,Thou spirit maledict, do thou remain;For thee I know, though thou art all defiled.”
Then stretched he both his hands unto the boat;Whereat my wary Master thrust him back,Saying, “Away there with the other dogs!”
Thereafter with his arms he clasped my neck;He kissed my face, and said: “Disdainful soul,Blessed be she who bore thee in her bosom.
That was an arrogant person in the world;Goodness is none, that decks his memory;So likewise here his shade is furious.
How many are esteemed great kings up there,Who here shall be like unto swine in mire,Leaving behind them horrible dispraises!”
And I: “My Master, much should I be pleased,If I could see him soused into this broth,Before we issue forth out of the lake.”
And he to me: “Ere unto thee the shoreReveal itself, thou shalt be satisfied;Such a desire ’tis meet thou shouldst enjoy.”
A little after that, I saw such havocMade of him by the people of the mire,That still I praise and thank my God for it.
They all were shouting, “At Philippo Argenti!”And that exasperate spirit FlorentineTurned round upon himself with his own teeth.
We left him there, and more of him I tell not;But on mine ears there smote a lamentation,Whence forward I intent unbar mine eyes.
And the good Master said: “Even now, my Son,The city draweth near whose name is Dis,With the grave citizens, with the great throng.”
And I: “Its mosques already, Master, clearlyWithin there in the valley I discernVermilion, as if issuing from the fire
They were.” And he to me: “The fire eternalThat kindles them within makes them look red,As thou beholdest in this nether Hell.”
Then we arrived within the moats profound,That circumvallate that disconsolate city;The walls appeared to me to be of iron.
Not without making first a circuit wide,We came unto a place where loud the pilotCried out to us, “Debark, here is the entrance.”
More than a thousand at the gates I sawOut of the Heavens rained down, who angrilyWere saying, “Who is this that without death
Goes through the kingdom of the people dead?”And my sagacious Master made a signOf wishing secretly to speak with them.
A little then they quelled their great disdain,And said: “Come thou alone, and he begoneWho has so boldly entered these dominions.
Let him return alone by his mad road;Try, if he can; for thou shalt here remain,Who hast escorted him through such dark regions.”
Think, Reader, if I was discomfortedAt utterance of the accursed words;For never to return here I believed.
“O my dear Guide, who more than seven timesHast rendered me security, and drawn meFrom imminent peril that before me stood,
Do not desert me,” said I, “thus undone;And if the going farther be denied us,Let us retrace our steps together swiftly.”
And that Lord, who had led me thitherward,Said unto me: “Fear not; because our passageNone can take from us, it by Such is given.
But here await me, and thy weary spiritComfort and nourish with a better hope;For in this nether world I will not leave thee.”
So onward goes and there abandons meMy Father sweet, and I remain in doubt,For No and Yes within my head contend.
I could not hear what he proposed to them;But with them there he did not linger long,Ere each within in rivalry ran back.
They closed the portals, those our adversaries,On my Lord’s breast, who had remained withoutAnd turned to me with footsteps far between.
His eyes cast down, his forehead shorn had heOf all its boldness, and he said, with sighs,“Who has denied to me the dolesome houses?”
And unto me: “Thou, because I am angry,Fear not, for I will conquer in the trial,Whatever for defence within be planned.
This arrogance of theirs is nothing new;For once they used it at less secret gate,Which finds itself without a fastening still.
O’er it didst thou behold the dead inscription;And now this side of it descends the steep,Passing across the circles without escort,
One by whose means the city shall be opened.”