Данте Алигьери – The Divine Comedy / Божественная комедия (страница 35)

Completely to avoid the sand and flame;

And after we are come to him, I see

35 A little farther off upon the sand

A people sitting near the hollow place.

Then said to me the Master: “So that full

Experience of this round thou bear away,

Now go and see what their condition is.

40 There let thy conversation be concise;

Till thou returnest I will speak with him,

That he concede to us his stalwart shoulders.”

Thus farther still upon the outermost

Head of that seventh circle all alone

45 I went, where sat the melancholy folk.

Out of their eyes was gushing forth their woe;

This way, that way, they helped them with their hands

Now from the flames and now from the hot soil.

Not otherwise in summer do the dogs,

50 Now with the foot, now with the muzzle, when

By fleas, or flies, or gadflies, they are bitten.

When I had turned mine eyes upon the faces

Of some, on whom the dolorous fire is falling,

Not one of them I knew; but I perceived

55 That from the neck of each there hung a pouch,

Which certain colour had, and certain blazon;

And thereupon it seems their eyes are feeding.

And as I gazing round me come among them,

Upon a yellow pouch I azure saw

60 That had the face and posture of a lion.

Proceeding then the current of my sight,

Another of them saw I, red as blood,

Display a goose more white than butter is.

And one, who with an azure sow and gravid

65 Emblazoned had his little pouch of white,

Said unto me: “What dost thou in this moat?

Now get thee gone; and since thou'rt still alive,

Know that a neighbour of mine, Vitaliano,

Will have his seat here on my left-hand side.

70 A Paduan am I with these Florentines;

Full many a time they thunder in mine ears,

Exclaiming, 'Come the sovereign cavalier,

He who shall bring the satchel with three goats;'”

Then twisted he his mouth, and forth he thrust

75 His tongue, like to an ox that licks its nose.

And fearing lest my longer stay might vex

Him who had warned me not to tarry long,

Backward I turned me from those weary souls.

I found my Guide, who had already mounted

80 Upon the back of that wild animal,

And said to me: “Now be both strong and bold.

Now we descend by stairways such as these;

Mount thou in front, for I will be midway,

So that the tail may have no power to harm thee.”

85 Such as he is who has so near the ague

Of quartan that his nails are blue already,

And trembles all, but looking at the shade;

Even such became I at those proffered words;

But shame in me his menaces produced,

90 Which maketh servant strong before good master.

I seated me upon those monstrous shoulders;

I wished to say, and yet the voice came not

As I believed, “Take heed that thou embrace me.”

But he, who other times had rescued me

95 In other peril, soon as I had mounted,

Within his arms encircled and sustained me,

And said: “Now, Geryon, bestir thyself;