Данте Алигьери – The Divine Comedy / Божественная комедия (страница 24)

15 Even as one whom anger racks within.

My Sage towards him shouted: “Peradventure

Thou think'st that here may be the Duke of Athens,

Who in the world above brought death to thee?

Get thee gone, beast, for this one cometh not

20 Instructed by thy sister, but he comes

In order to behold your punishments.”

As is that bull who breaks loose at the moment

In which he has received the mortal blow,

Who cannot walk, but staggers here and there,

25 The Minotaur beheld I do the like;

And he, the wary, cried: “Run to the passage;

While he wroth, 'tis well thou shouldst descend.”

Thus down we took our way o'er that discharge

Of stones, which oftentimes did move themselves

30 Beneath my feet, from the unwonted burden.

Thoughtful I went; and he said: “Thou art thinking

Perhaps upon this ruin, which is guarded

By that brute anger which just now I quenched.

Now will I have thee know, the other time

35 I here descended to the nether Hell,

This precipice had not yet fallen down.

But truly, if I well discern, a little

Before His coming who the mighty spoil

Bore off from Dis, in the supernal circle,

40 Upon all sides the deep and loathsome valley

Trembled so, that I thought the Universe

Was thrilled with love, by which there are who think

The world ofttimes converted into chaos;

And at that moment this primeval crag

45 Both here and elsewhere made such overthrow.

But fix thine eyes below; for draweth near

The river of blood, within which boiling is

Whoe'er by violence doth injure others.”

O blind cupidity, O wrath insane,

50 That spurs us onward so in our short life,

And in the eternal then so badly steeps us!

I saw an ample moat bent like a bow,

As one which all the plain encompasses,

Conformable to what my Guide had said.

55 And between this and the embankment's foot

Centaurs in file were running, armed with arrows,

As in the world they used the chase to follow.

Beholding us descend, each one stood still,

And from the squadron three detached themselves,

60 With bows and arrows in advance selected;

And from afar one cried: “Unto what torment

Come ye, who down the hillside are descending?

Tell us from there; if not, I draw the bow.”

My Master said: “Our answer will we make

65 To Chiron, near you there; in evil hour,

That will of thine was evermore so hasty.”

Then touched he me, and said: “This one is Nessus,

Who perished for the lovely Dejanira,

And for himself, himself did vengeance take.

70 And he in the midst, who at his breast is gazing,

Is the great Chiron, who brought up Achilles;

That other Pholus is, who was so wrathful.

Thousands and thousands go about the moat

Shooting with shafts whatever soul emerges

75 Out of the blood, more than his crime allots.”

Near we approached unto those monsters fleet;

Chiron an arrow took, and with the notch

Backward upon his jaws he put his beard.

After he had uncovered his great mouth,