Данте Алигьери – The Divine Comedy / Божественная комедия (страница 28)

135 What blame have I in thy nefarious life?”

When near him had the Master stayed his steps,

He said: “Who wast thou, that through wounds so many

Art blowing out with blood thy dolorous speech?”

And he to us: “O souls, that hither come

140 To look upon the shameful massacre

That has so rent away from me my leaves,

Gather them up beneath the dismal bush;

I of that city was which to the Baptist

Changed its first patron, wherefore he for this

145 Forever with his art will make it sad.

And were it not that on the pass of Arno

Some glimpses of him are remaining still,

Those citizens, who afterwards rebuilt it

Upon the ashes left by Attila,

150 In vain had caused their labour to be done.

Of my own house I made myself a gibbet.”

Canto XIV

Because the charity of my native place

Constrained me, gathered I the scattered leaves,

And gave them back to him, who now was hoarse.

Then came we to the confine, where disparted

5 The second round is from the third, and where

A horrible form of Justice is beheld.

Clearly to manifest these novel things,

I say that we arrived upon a plain,

Which from its bed rejecteth every plant;

10 The dolorous forest is a garland to it

All round about, as the sad moat to that;

There close upon the edge we stayed our feet.

The soil was of an arid and thick sand,

Not of another fashion made than that

15 Which by the feet of Cato once was pressed.

Vengeance of God, O how much oughtest thou

By each one to be dreaded, who doth read

That which was manifest unto mine eyes!

Of naked souls beheld I many herds,

20 Who all were weeping very miserably,

And over them seemed set a law diverse.

Supine upon the ground some folk were lying;

And some were sitting all drawn up together,

And others went about continually.

25 Those who were going round were far the more,

And those were less who lay down to their torment,

But had their tongues more loosed to lamentation.

O'er all the sand-waste, with a gradual fall,

Were raining down dilated flakes of fire,

30 As of the snow on Alp without a wind.

As Alexander, in those torrid parts

Of India, beheld upon his host

Flames fall unbroken till they reached the ground.

Whence he provided with his phalanxes

35 To trample down the soil, because the vapour

Better extinguished was while it was single;

Thus was descending the eternal heat,

Whereby the sand was set on fire, like tinder

Beneath the steel, for doubling of the dole.

40 Without repose forever was the dance

Of miserable hands, now there, now here,

Shaking away from off them the fresh gleeds.

“Master,” began I, “thou who overcomest

All things except the demons dire, that issued

45 Against us at the entrance of the gate,

Who is that mighty one who seems to heed not

The fire, and lieth lowering and disdainful,