Purgatorio: Canto VIII’Twas now the hour that turneth back desireIn those who sail the sea, and melts the heart,The day they’ve said to their sweet friends farewell,And the new pilgrim penetrates with love,If he doth hear from far away a bellThat seemeth to deplore the dying day,When I began to make of no availMy hearing, and to watch one of the soulsUprisen, that begged attention with its hand.It joined and lifted upward both its palms,Fixing its eyes upon the orient,As if it said to God, “Naught else I care for.”“Te lucis ante” so devoutly issuedForth from its mouth, and with such dulcet notes,It made me issue forth from my own mind.And then the others, sweetly and devoutly,Accompanied it through all the hymn entire,Having their eyes on the supernal wheels.Here, Reader, fix thine eyes well on the truth,For now indeed so subtile is the veil,Surely to penetrate within is easy.I saw that army of the gentle-bornThereafterward in silence upward gaze,As if in expectation, pale and humble;And from on high come forth and down descend,I saw two Angels with two flaming swords,Truncated and deprived of their points.Green as the little leaflets just now bornTheir garments were, which, by their verdant pinionsBeaten and blown abroad, they trailed behind.One just above us came to take his station,And one descended to the opposite bank,So that the people were contained between them.Clearly in them discerned I the blond head;But in their faces was the eye bewildered,As faculty confounded by excess.“From Mary’s bosom both of them have come,”Sordello said, “as guardians of the valleyAgainst the serpent, that will come anon.”Whereupon I, who knew not by what road,Turned round about, and closely drew myself,Utterly frozen, to the faithful shoulders.And once again Sordello: “Now descend we’Mid the grand shades, and we will speak to them;Right pleasant will it be for them to see you.”Only three steps I think that I descended,And was below, and saw one who was lookingOnly at me, as if he fain would know me.Already now the air was growing dark,But not so that between his eyes and mineIt did not show what it before locked up.Tow’rds me he moved, and I tow’rds him did move;Noble Judge Nino! how it me delighted,When I beheld thee not among the damned!No greeting fair was left unsaid between us;Then asked he: “How long is it since thou camestO’er the far waters to the mountain’s foot?”“Oh!” said I to him, “through the dismal placesI came this morn; and am in the first life,Albeit the other, going thus, I gain.”And on the instant my reply was heard,He and Sordello both shrank back from me,Like people who are suddenly bewildered.One to Virgilius, and the other turnedTo one who sat there, crying, “Up, Currado!Come and behold what God in grace has willed!”Then, turned to me: “By that especial graceThou owest unto Him, who so concealsHis own first wherefore, that it has no ford,When thou shalt be beyond the waters wide,Tell my Giovanna that she pray for me,Where answer to the innocent is made.I do not think her mother loves me more,Since she has laid aside her wimple white,Which she, unhappy, needs must wish again.Through her full easily is comprehendedHow long in woman lasts the fire of love,If eye or touch do not relight it often.So fair a hatchment will not make for herThe Viper marshalling the MilaneseA-field, as would have made Gallura’s Cock.”In this wise spake he, with the stamp impressedUpon his aspect of that righteous zealWhich measurably burneth in the heart.My greedy eyes still wandered up to heaven,Still to that point where slowest are the stars,Even as a wheel the nearest to its axle.And my Conductor: “Son, what dost thou gaze atUp there?” And I to him: “At those three torchesWith which this hither pole is all on fire.”And he to me: “The four resplendent starsThou sawest this morning are down yonder low,And these have mounted up to where those were.”As he was speaking, to himself SordelloDrew him, and said, “Lo there our Adversary!”And pointed with his finger to look thither.Upon the side on which the little valleyNo barrier hath, a serpent was; perchanceThe same which gave to Eve the bitter food.’Twixt grass and flowers came on the evil streak,Turning at times its head about, and lickingIts back like to a beast that smoothes itself.I did not see, and therefore cannot sayHow the celestial falcons ’gan to move,But well I saw that they were both in motion.Hearing the air cleft by their verdant wings,The serpent fled, and round the Angels wheeled,Up to their stations flying back alike.The shade that to the Judge had near approachedWhen he had called, throughout that whole assaultHad not a moment loosed its gaze on me.“So may the light that leadeth thee on highFind in thine own free-will as much of waxAs needful is up to the highest azure,”Began it, “if some true intelligenceOf Valdimagra or its neighbourhoodThou knowest, tell it me, who once was great there.Currado Malaspina was I called;I’m not the elder, but from him descended;To mine I bore the love which here refineth.”“O,” said I unto him, “through your domainsI never passed, but where is there a dwellingThroughout all Europe, where they are not known?That fame, which doeth honour to your house,Proclaims its Signors and proclaims its land,So that he knows of them who ne’er was there.And, as I hope for heaven, I swear to youYour honoured family in naught abatesThe glory of the purse and of the sword.It is so privileged by use and nature,That though a guilty head misguide the world,Sole it goes right, and scorns the evil way.”And he: “Now go; for the sun shall not lieSeven times upon the pillow which the RamWith all his four feet covers and bestrides,Before that such a courteous opinionShall in the middle of thy head be nailedWith greater nails than of another’s speech,Unless the course of justice standeth still.”
’Twas now the hour that turneth back desireIn those who sail the sea, and melts the heart,The day they’ve said to their sweet friends farewell,
And the new pilgrim penetrates with love,If he doth hear from far away a bellThat seemeth to deplore the dying day,
When I began to make of no availMy hearing, and to watch one of the soulsUprisen, that begged attention with its hand.
It joined and lifted upward both its palms,Fixing its eyes upon the orient,As if it said to God, “Naught else I care for.”
“Te lucis ante” so devoutly issuedForth from its mouth, and with such dulcet notes,It made me issue forth from my own mind.
And then the others, sweetly and devoutly,Accompanied it through all the hymn entire,Having their eyes on the supernal wheels.
Here, Reader, fix thine eyes well on the truth,For now indeed so subtile is the veil,Surely to penetrate within is easy.
I saw that army of the gentle-bornThereafterward in silence upward gaze,As if in expectation, pale and humble;
And from on high come forth and down descend,I saw two Angels with two flaming swords,Truncated and deprived of their points.
Green as the little leaflets just now bornTheir garments were, which, by their verdant pinionsBeaten and blown abroad, they trailed behind.
One just above us came to take his station,And one descended to the opposite bank,So that the people were contained between them.
Clearly in them discerned I the blond head;But in their faces was the eye bewildered,As faculty confounded by excess.
“From Mary’s bosom both of them have come,”Sordello said, “as guardians of the valleyAgainst the serpent, that will come anon.”
Whereupon I, who knew not by what road,Turned round about, and closely drew myself,Utterly frozen, to the faithful shoulders.
And once again Sordello: “Now descend we’Mid the grand shades, and we will speak to them;Right pleasant will it be for them to see you.”
Only three steps I think that I descended,And was below, and saw one who was lookingOnly at me, as if he fain would know me.
Already now the air was growing dark,But not so that between his eyes and mineIt did not show what it before locked up.
Tow’rds me he moved, and I tow’rds him did move;Noble Judge Nino! how it me delighted,When I beheld thee not among the damned!
No greeting fair was left unsaid between us;Then asked he: “How long is it since thou camestO’er the far waters to the mountain’s foot?”
“Oh!” said I to him, “through the dismal placesI came this morn; and am in the first life,Albeit the other, going thus, I gain.”
And on the instant my reply was heard,He and Sordello both shrank back from me,Like people who are suddenly bewildered.
One to Virgilius, and the other turnedTo one who sat there, crying, “Up, Currado!Come and behold what God in grace has willed!”
Then, turned to me: “By that especial graceThou owest unto Him, who so concealsHis own first wherefore, that it has no ford,
When thou shalt be beyond the waters wide,Tell my Giovanna that she pray for me,Where answer to the innocent is made.
I do not think her mother loves me more,Since she has laid aside her wimple white,Which she, unhappy, needs must wish again.
Through her full easily is comprehendedHow long in woman lasts the fire of love,If eye or touch do not relight it often.
So fair a hatchment will not make for herThe Viper marshalling the MilaneseA-field, as would have made Gallura’s Cock.”
In this wise spake he, with the stamp impressedUpon his aspect of that righteous zealWhich measurably burneth in the heart.
My greedy eyes still wandered up to heaven,Still to that point where slowest are the stars,Even as a wheel the nearest to its axle.
And my Conductor: “Son, what dost thou gaze atUp there?” And I to him: “At those three torchesWith which this hither pole is all on fire.”
And he to me: “The four resplendent starsThou sawest this morning are down yonder low,And these have mounted up to where those were.”
As he was speaking, to himself SordelloDrew him, and said, “Lo there our Adversary!”And pointed with his finger to look thither.
Upon the side on which the little valleyNo barrier hath, a serpent was; perchanceThe same which gave to Eve the bitter food.
’Twixt grass and flowers came on the evil streak,Turning at times its head about, and lickingIts back like to a beast that smoothes itself.
I did not see, and therefore cannot sayHow the celestial falcons ’gan to move,But well I saw that they were both in motion.
Hearing the air cleft by their verdant wings,The serpent fled, and round the Angels wheeled,Up to their stations flying back alike.
The shade that to the Judge had near approachedWhen he had called, throughout that whole assaultHad not a moment loosed its gaze on me.
“So may the light that leadeth thee on highFind in thine own free-will as much of waxAs needful is up to the highest azure,”
Began it, “if some true intelligenceOf Valdimagra or its neighbourhoodThou knowest, tell it me, who once was great there.
Currado Malaspina was I called;I’m not the elder, but from him descended;To mine I bore the love which here refineth.”
“O,” said I unto him, “through your domainsI never passed, but where is there a dwellingThroughout all Europe, where they are not known?
That fame, which doeth honour to your house,Proclaims its Signors and proclaims its land,So that he knows of them who ne’er was there.
And, as I hope for heaven, I swear to youYour honoured family in naught abatesThe glory of the purse and of the sword.
It is so privileged by use and nature,That though a guilty head misguide the world,Sole it goes right, and scorns the evil way.”
And he: “Now go; for the sun shall not lieSeven times upon the pillow which the RamWith all his four feet covers and bestrides,
Before that such a courteous opinionShall in the middle of thy head be nailedWith greater nails than of another’s speech,
Unless the course of justice standeth still.”