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第63章

the divine comedy(神曲)-第63章

小说: the divine comedy(神曲) 字数: 每页4000字

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  Didst thou appear there lifeless in Gilboa;
  That felt thereafter neither rain nor dew!

O mad Arachne! so I thee beheld
  E'en then half spider; sad upon the shreds
  Of fabric wrought in evil hour for thee!

O Rehoboam! no more seems to threaten
  Thine image there; but full of consternation
  A chariot bears it off; when none pursues!

Displayed moreo'er the adamantine pavement
  How unto his own mother made Alcmaeon
  Costly appear the luckless ornament;

Displayed how his own sons did throw themselves
  Upon Sennacherib within the temple;
  And how; he being dead; they left him there;

Displayed the ruin and the cruel carnage
  That Tomyris wrought; when she to Cyrus said;
  〃Blood didst thou thirst for; and with blood I glut thee!〃

Displayed how routed fled the Assyrians
  After that Holofernes had been slain;
  And likewise the remainder of that slaughter。

I saw there Troy in ashes and in caverns;
  O Ilion! thee; how abject and debased;
  Displayed the image that is there discerned!

Whoe'er of pencil master was or stile;
  That could portray the shades and traits which there
  Would cause each subtile genius to admire?

Dead seemed the dead; the living seemed alive;
  Better than I saw not who saw the truth;
  All that I trod upon while bowed I went。

Now wax ye proud; and on with looks uplifted;
  Ye sons of Eve; and bow not down your faces
  So that ye may behold your evil ways!

More of the mount by us was now encompassed;
  And far more spent the circuit of the sun;
  Than had the mind preoccupied imagined;

When he; who ever watchful in advance
  Was going on; began: 〃Lift up thy head;
  'Tis no more time to go thus meditating。

Lo there an Angel who is making haste
  To come towards us; lo; returning is
  From service of the day the sixth handmaiden。

With reverence thine acts and looks adorn;
  So that he may delight to speed us upward;
  Think that this day will never dawn again。〃

I was familiar with his admonition
  Ever to lose no time; so on this theme
  He could not unto me speak covertly。

Towards us came the being beautiful
  Vested in white; and in his countenance
  Such as appears the tremulous morning star。

His arms he opened; and opened then his wings;
  〃Come;〃 said he; 〃near at hand here are the steps;
  And easy from henceforth is the ascent。〃

At this announcement few are they who come!
  O human creatures; born to soar aloft;
  Why fall ye thus before a little wind?

He led us on to where the rock was cleft;
  There smote upon my forehead with his wings;
  Then a safe passage promised unto me。

As on the right hand; to ascend the mount
  Where seated is the church that lordeth it
  O'er the well…guided; above Rubaconte;

The bold abruptness of the ascent is broken
  By stairways that were made there in the age
  When still were safe the ledger and the stave;

E'en thus attempered is the bank which falls
  Sheer downward from the second circle there;
  But on this; side and that the high rock graze。

As we were turning thitherward our persons;
  〃Beati pauperes spiritu;〃 voices
  Sang in such wise that speech could tell it not。

Ah me! how different are these entrances
  From the Infernal! for with anthems here
  One enters; and below with wild laments。

We now were hunting up the sacred stairs;
  And it appeared to me by far more easy
  Than on the plain it had appeared before。

Whence I: 〃My Master; say; what heavy thing
  Has been uplifted from me; so that hardly
  Aught of fatigue is felt by me in walking?〃

He answered: 〃When the P's which have remained
  Still on thy face almost obliterate
  Shall wholly; as the first is; be erased;

Thy feet will be so vanquished by good will;
  That not alone they shall not feel fatigue;
  But urging up will be to them delight。〃

Then did I even as they do who are going
  With something on the head to them unknown;
  Unless the signs of others make them doubt;

Wherefore the hand to ascertain is helpful;
  And seeks and finds; and doth fulfill the office
  Which cannot be accomplished by the sight;

And with the fingers of the right hand spread
  I found but six the letters; that had carved
  Upon my temples he who bore the keys;

Upon beholding which my Leader smiled。



Purgatorio: Canto XIII


We were upon the summit of the stairs;
  Where for the second time is cut away
  The mountain; which ascending shriveth all。

There in like manner doth a cornice bind
  The hill all round about; as does the first;
  Save that its arc more suddenly is curved。

Shade is there none; nor sculpture that appears;
  So seems the bank; and so the road seems smooth;
  With but the livid colour of the stone。

〃If to inquire we wait for people here;〃
  The Poet said; 〃I fear that peradventure
  Too much delay will our election have。〃

Then steadfast on the sun his eyes he fixed;
  Made his right side the centre of his motion;
  And turned the left part of himself about。

〃O thou sweet light! with trust in whom I enter
  Upon this novel journey; do thou lead us;〃
  Said he; 〃as one within here should be led。

Thou warmest the world; thou shinest over it;
  If other reason prompt not otherwise;
  Thy rays should evermore our leaders be!〃

As much as here is counted for a mile;
  So much already there had we advanced
  In little time; by dint of ready will;

And tow'rds us there were heard to fly; albeit
  They were not visible; spirits uttering
  Unto Love's table courteous invitations;

The first voice that passed onward in its flight;
  〃Vinum non habent;〃 said in accents loud;
  And went reiterating it behind us。

And ere it wholly grew inaudible
  Because of distance; passed another; crying;
  〃I am Orestes!〃 and it also stayed not。

〃O;〃 said I; 〃Father; these; what voices are they?〃
  And even as I asked; behold the third;
  Saying: 〃Love those from whom ye have had evil!〃

And the good Master said: 〃This circle scourges
  The sin of envy; and on that account
  Are drawn from love the lashes of the scourge。

The bridle of another sound shall be;
  I think that thou wilt hear it; as I judge;
  Before thou comest to the Pass of Pardon。

But fix thine eyes athwart the air right steadfast;
  And people thou wilt see before us sitting;
  And each one close against the cliff is seated。〃

Then wider than at first mine eyes I opened;
  I looked before me; and saw shades with mantles
  Not from the colour of the stone diverse。

And when we were a little farther onward;
  I heard a cry of; 〃Mary; pray for us!〃
  A cry of; 〃Michael; Peter; and all Saints!〃

I do not think there walketh still on earth
  A man so hard; that he would not be pierced
  With pity at what afterward I saw。

For when I had approached so near to them
  That manifest to me their acts became;
  Drained was I at the eyes by heavy grief。

Covered with sackcloth vile they seemed to me;
  And one sustained the other with his shoulder;
  And all of them were by the bank sustained。

Thus do the blind; in want of livelihood;
  Stand at the doors of churches asking alms;
  And one upon another leans his head;

So that in others pity soon may rise;
  Not only at the accent of their words;
  But at their aspect; which no less implores。

And as unto the blind the sun comes not;
  So to the shades; of whom just now I spake;
  Heaven's light will not be bounteous of itself;

For all their lids an iron wire transpierces;
  And sews them up; as to a sparhawk wild
  Is done; because it will not quiet stay。

To me it seemed; in passing; to do outrage;
  Seeing the others without being seen;
  Wherefore I turned me to my counsel sage。

Well knew he what the mute one wished to say;
  And therefore waited not for my demand;
  But said: 〃Speak; and be brief; and to the point。〃

I had Virgilius upon that side
  Of the embankment from which one may fall;
  Since by no border 'tis engarlanded;

Upon the other side of me I had
  The shades devout; who through the horrible seam
  Pressed out the tears so that they bathed their cheeks。

To them I turned me; and; 〃O people; certain;〃
  Began I; 

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