the divine comedy(神曲)-第6章
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He whose omniscience everything transcends
The heavens created; and gave who should guide them;
That every part to every part may shine;
Distributing the light in equal measure;
He in like manner to the mundane splendours
Ordained a general ministress and guide;
That she might change at times the empty treasures
From race to race; from one blood to another;
Beyond resistance of all human wisdom。
Therefore one people triumphs; and another
Languishes; in pursuance of her judgment;
Which hidden is; as in the grass a serpent。
Your knowledge has no counterstand against her;
She makes provision; judges; and pursues
Her governance; as theirs the other gods。
Her permutations have not any truce;
Necessity makes her precipitate;
So often cometh who his turn obtains。
And this is she who is so crucified
Even by those who ought to give her praise;
Giving her blame amiss; and bad repute。
But she is blissful; and she hears it not;
Among the other primal creatures gladsome
She turns her sphere; and blissful she rejoices。
Let us descend now unto greater woe;
Already sinks each star that was ascending
When I set out; and loitering is forbidden。〃
We crossed the circle to the other bank;
Near to a fount that boils; and pours itself
Along a gully that runs out of it。
The water was more sombre far than perse;
And we; in company with the dusky waves;
Made entrance downward by a path uncouth。
A marsh it makes; which has the name of Styx;
This tristful brooklet; when it has descended
Down to the foot of the malign gray shores。
And I; who stood intent upon beholding;
Saw people mud…besprent in that lagoon;
All of them naked and with angry look。
They smote each other not alone with hands;
But with the head and with the breast and feet;
Tearing each other piecemeal with their teeth。
Said the good Master: 〃Son; thou now beholdest
The souls of those whom anger overcame;
And likewise I would have thee know for certain
Beneath the water people are who sigh
And make this water bubble at the surface;
As the eye tells thee wheresoe'er it turns。
Fixed in the mire they say; 'We sullen were
In the sweet air; which by the sun is gladdened;
Bearing within ourselves the sluggish reek;
Now we are sullen in this sable mire。'
This hymn do they keep gurgling in their throats;
For with unbroken words they cannot say it。〃
Thus we went circling round the filthy fen
A great arc 'twixt the dry bank and the swamp;
With eyes turned unto those who gorge the mire;
Unto the foot of a tower we came at last。
Inferno: Canto VIII
I say; continuing; that long before
We to the foot of that high tower had come;
Our eyes went upward to the summit of it;
By reason of two flamelets we saw placed there;
And from afar another answer them;
So far; that hardly could the eye attain it。
And; to the sea of all discernment turned;
I said: 〃What sayeth this; and what respondeth
That other fire? and who are they that made it?〃
And he to me: 〃Across the turbid waves
What is expected thou canst now discern;
If reek of the morass conceal it not。〃
Cord never shot an arrow from itself
That sped away athwart the air so swift;
As I beheld a very little boat
Come o'er the water tow'rds us at that moment;
Under the guidance of a single pilot;
Who shouted; 〃Now art thou arrived; fell soul?〃
〃Phlegyas; Phlegyas; thou criest out in vain
For this once;〃 said my Lord; 〃thou shalt not have us
Longer than in the passing of the slough。〃
As he who listens to some great deceit
That has been done to him; and then resents it;
Such became Phlegyas; in his gathered wrath。
My Guide descended down into the boat;
And then he made me enter after him;
And only when I entered seemed it laden。
Soon as the Guide and I were in the boat;
The antique prow goes on its way; dividing
More of the water than 'tis wont with others。
While we were running through the dead canal;
Uprose in front of me one full of mire;
And said; 〃Who 'rt thou that comest ere the hour?〃
And I to him: 〃Although I come; I stay not;
But who art thou that hast become so squalid?〃
〃Thou seest that I am one who weeps;〃 he answered。
And I to him: 〃With weeping and with wailing;
Thou spirit maledict; do thou remain;
For thee I know; though thou art all defiled。〃
Then stretched he both his hands unto the boat;
Whereat my wary Master thrust him back;
Saying; 〃Away there with the other dogs!〃
Thereafter with his arms he clasped my neck;
He kissed my face; and said: 〃Disdainful soul;
Blessed be she who bore thee in her bosom。
That was an arrogant person in the world;
Goodness is none; that decks his memory;
So likewise here his shade is furious。
How many are esteemed great kings up there;
Who here shall be like unto swine in mire;
Leaving behind them horrible dispraises!〃
And I: 〃My Master; much should I be pleased;
If I could see him soused into this broth;
Before we issue forth out of the lake。〃
And he to me: 〃Ere unto thee the shore
Reveal itself; thou shalt be satisfied;
Such a desire 'tis meet thou shouldst enjoy。〃
A little after that; I saw such havoc
Made of him by the people of the mire;
That still I praise and thank my God for it。
They all were shouting; 〃At Philippo Argenti!〃
And that exasperate spirit Florentine
Turned round upon himself with his own teeth。
We left him there; and more of him I tell not;
But on mine ears there smote a lamentation;
Whence forward I intent unbar mine eyes。
And the good Master said: 〃Even now; my Son;
The city draweth near whose name is Dis;
With the grave citizens; with the great throng。〃
And I: 〃Its mosques already; Master; clearly
Within there in the valley I discern
Vermilion; as if issuing from the fire
They were。〃 And he to me: 〃The fire eternal
That kindles them within makes them look red;
As thou beholdest in this nether Hell。〃
Then we arrived within the moats profound;
That circumvallate that disconsolate city;
The walls appeared to me to be of iron。
Not without making first a circuit wide;
We came unto a place where loud the pilot
Cried out to us; 〃Debark; here is the entrance。〃
More than a thousand at the gates I saw
Out of the Heavens rained down; who angrily
Were saying; 〃Who is this that without death
Goes through the kingdom of the people dead?〃
And my sagacious Master made a sign
Of wishing secretly to speak with them。
A little then they quelled their great disdain;
And said: 〃Come thou alone; and he begone
Who has so boldly entered these dominions。
Let him return alone by his mad road;
Try; if he can; for thou shalt here remain;
Who hast escorted him through such dark regions。〃
Think; Reader; if I was discomforted
At utterance of the accursed words;
For never to return here I believed。
〃O my dear Guide; who more than seven times
Hast rendered me security; and drawn me
From imminent peril that before me stood;
Do not desert me;〃 said I; 〃thus undone;
And if the going farther be denied us;
Let us retrace our steps together swiftly。〃
And that Lord; who had led me thitherward;
Said unto me: 〃Fear not; because our passage
None can take from us; it by Such is given。
But here await me; and thy weary spirit
Comfort and nourish with a better hope;
For in this nether world I will not leave thee。〃
So onward goes and there abandons me
My Father sweet; and I remain in doubt;
For No and Yes within my head contend。
I could not hear what he proposed to them;
But with them there he did not linger long;
Ere each within in rivalry ran back。
They closed the portals; those our adversaries;
On my Lord's breast; who had remained without
And turned to me with footsteps far between。
His eyes cast down; his forehead shorn had he
Of all its boldness; and he said; with sighs;
〃Who has denied to me the dolesome houses?〃
And unto me: 〃Thou; because I am angry;
Fear not; for I will conquer in the trial;
Whatever