Inasmuch as the instantaneous flight
Had scattered them asunder o’er
the plain,
Turned to the mountain whither reason
spurs us,
I pressed me close unto my faithful comrade,
And how without him had I kept my course?
Who would have led me up along the mountain?
He seemed to me within himself remorseful;
O noble conscience, and without a stain,
How sharp a sting is trivial fault to
thee!
After his feet had laid aside the haste
Which mars the dignity of every act,
My mind, that hitherto had been restrained,
Let loose its faculties as if delighted,
And I my sight directed to the hill
That highest tow’rds the heaven
uplifts itself.
The sun, that in our rear was flaming red,
Was broken in front of me into the figure
Which had in me the stoppage of its rays;
Unto one side I turned me, with the fear
Of being left alone, when I beheld
Only in front of me the ground obscured.
“Why dost thou still mistrust?” my Comforter
Began to say to me turned wholly round;
“Dost thou not think me with thee,
and that I guide thee?
’Tis evening there already where is buried
The body within which I cast a shadow;
’Tis from Brundusium ta’en,
and Naples has it.
Now if in front of me no shadow fall,
Marvel not at it more than at the heavens,
Because one ray impedeth not another
To suffer torments, both of cold and heat,
Bodies like this that Power provides,
which wills
That how it works be not unveiled to us.
Insane is he who hopeth that our reason
Can traverse the illimitable way,
Which the one Substance in three Persons
follows!
Mortals, remain contented at the ‘Quia;’
For if ye had been able to see all,
No need there were for Mary to give birth;
And ye have seen desiring without fruit,
Those whose desire would have been quieted,
Which evermore is given them for a grief.
I speak of Aristotle and of Plato,
And many others;”—and
here bowed his head,
And more he said not, and remained disturbed.
We came meanwhile unto the mountain’s foot;
There so precipitate we found the rock,
That nimble legs would there have been
in vain.
’Twixt Lerici and Turbia, the most desert,
The most secluded pathway is a stair
Easy and open, if compared with that.
“Who knoweth now upon which hand the hill
Slopes down,” my Master said, his
footsteps staying,
“So that who goeth without wings
may mount?”
And while he held his eyes upon the ground
Examining the nature of the path,
And I was looking up around the rock,
On the left hand appeared to me a throng
Of souls, that moved their feet in our
direction,
And did not seem to move, they came so
slowly.
“Lift up thine eyes,” I to the Master
said;
“Behold, on this side, who will
give us counsel,
If thou of thine own self can have it
not.”
Then he looked at me, and with frank expression
Replied: “Let us go there,
for they come slowly,
And thou be steadfast in thy hope, sweet
son.”
Still was that people as far off from us,
After a thousand steps of ours I say,
As a good thrower with his hand would
reach,
When they all crowded unto the hard masses
Of the high bank, and motionless stood
and close,
As he stands still to look who goes in
doubt.
“O happy dead! O spirits elect already!”
Virgilius made beginning, “by that
peace
Which I believe is waiting for you all,
Tell us upon what side the mountain slopes,
So that the going up be possible,
For to lose time irks him most who most
knows.”
As sheep come issuing forth from out the fold
By ones and twos and threes, and the others
stand
Timidly, holding down their eyes and nostrils,
And what the foremost does the others do,
Huddling themselves against her, if she
stop,
Simple and quiet and the wherefore know
not;
So moving to approach us thereupon
I saw the leader of that fortunate flock,
Modest in face and dignified in gait.
As soon as those in the advance saw broken
The light upon the ground at my right
side,
So that from me the shadow reached the
rock,
They stopped, and backward drew themselves somewhat;
And all the others, who came after them,
Not knowing why nor wherefore, did the
same.
“Without your asking, I confess to you
This is a human body which you see,
Whereby the sunshine on the ground is
cleft.
Marvel ye not thereat, but be persuaded
That not without a power which comes from
Heaven
Doth he endeavour to surmount this wall.”
The Master thus; and said those worthy people:
“Return ye then, and enter in before
us,”
Making a signal with the back o’
the hand
And one of them began: “Whoe’er thou
art,
Thus going turn thine eyes, consider well
If e’er thou saw me in the other
world.”
I turned me tow’rds him, and looked at him closely;
Blond was he, beautiful, and of noble
aspect,
But one of his eyebrows had a blow divided.
When with humility I had disclaimed
E’er having seen him, “Now
behold!” he said,
And showed me high upon his breast a wound.
Then said he with a smile: “I am Manfredi,
The grandson of the Empress Costanza;
Therefore, when thou returnest, I beseech
thee
Go to my daughter beautiful, the mother
Of Sicily’s honour and of Aragon’s,
And the truth tell her, if aught else
be told.
After I had my body lacerated
By these two mortal stabs, I gave myself
Weeping to Him, who willingly doth pardon.
Horrible my iniquities had been;
But Infinite Goodness hath such ample
arms,
That it receives whatever turns to it.
Had but Cosenza’s pastor, who in chase
Of me was sent by Clement at that time,
In God read understandingly this page,
The bones of my dead body still would be
At the bridge-head, near unto Benevento,
Under the safeguard of the heavy cairn.
Now the rain bathes and moveth them the wind,
Beyond the realm, almost beside the Verde,
Where he transported them with tapers
quenched.
By malison of theirs is not so lost
Eternal Love, that it cannot return,
So long as hope has anything of green.
True is it, who in contumacy dies
Of Holy Church, though penitent at last,
Must wait upon the outside this bank
Thirty times told the time that he has been
In his presumption, unless such decree
Shorter by means of righteous prayers
become.
See now if thou hast power to make me happy,
By making known unto my good Costanza
How thou hast seen me, and this ban beside,
For those on earth can much advance us here.”
