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第66章

the divine comedy(神曲)-第66章

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We passed along; athwart the twilight peering
  Forward as far as ever eye could stretch
  Against the sunbeams serotine and lucent;

And lo! by slow degrees a smoke approached
  In our direction; sombre as the night;
  Nor was there place to hide one's self therefrom。

This of our eyes and the pure air bereft us。



Purgatorio: Canto XVI


Darkness of hell; and of a night deprived
  Of every planet under a poor sky;
  As much as may be tenebrous with cloud;

Ne'er made unto my sight so thick a veil;
  As did that smoke which there enveloped us;
  Nor to the feeling of so rough a texture;

For not an eye it suffered to stay open;
  Whereat mine escort; faithful and sagacious;
  Drew near to me and offered me his shoulder。

E'en as a blind man goes behind his guide;
  Lest he should wander; or should strike against
  Aught that may harm or peradventure kill him;

So went I through the bitter and foul air;
  Listening unto my Leader; who said only;
  〃Look that from me thou be not separated。〃

Voices I heard; and every one appeared
  To supplicate for peace and misericord
  The Lamb of God who takes away our sins。

Still 〃Agnus Dei〃 their exordium was;
  One word there was in all; and metre one;
  So that all harmony appeared among them。

〃Master;〃 I said; 〃are spirits those I hear?〃
  And he to me: 〃Thou apprehendest truly;
  And they the knot of anger go unloosing。〃

〃Now who art thou; that cleavest through our smoke
  And art discoursing of us even as though
  Thou didst by calends still divide the time?〃

After this manner by a voice was spoken;
  Whereon my Master said: 〃Do thou reply;
  And ask if on this side the way go upward。〃

And I: 〃O creature that dost cleanse thyself
  To return beautiful to Him who made thee;
  Thou shalt hear marvels if thou follow me。〃

〃Thee will I follow far as is allowed me;〃
  He answered; 〃and if smoke prevent our seeing;
  Hearing shall keep us joined instead thereof。〃

Thereon began I: 〃With that swathing band
  Which death unwindeth am I going upward;
  And hither came I through the infernal anguish。

And if God in his grace has me infolded;
  So that he wills that I behold his court
  By method wholly out of modern usage;

Conceal not from me who ere death thou wast;
  But tell it me; and tell me if I go
  Right for the pass; and be thy words our escort。〃

〃Lombard was I; and I was Marco called;
  The world I knew; and loved that excellence;
  At which has each one now unbent his bow。

For mounting upward; thou art going right。〃
  Thus he made answer; and subjoined: 〃I pray thee
  To pray for me when thou shalt be above。〃

And I to him: 〃My faith I pledge to thee
  To do what thou dost ask me; but am bursting
  Inly with doubt; unless I rid me of it。

First it was simple; and is now made double
  By thy opinion; which makes certain to me;
  Here and elsewhere; that which I couple with it。

The world forsooth is utterly deserted
  By every virtue; as thou tellest me;
  And with iniquity is big and covered;

But I beseech thee point me out the cause;
  That I may see it; and to others show it;
  For one in the heavens; and here below one puts it。〃

A sigh profound; that grief forced into Ai!
  He first sent forth; and then began he: 〃Brother;
  The world is blind; and sooth thou comest from it!

Ye who are living every cause refer
  Still upward to the heavens; as if all things
  They of necessity moved with themselves。

If this were so; in you would be destroyed
  Free will; nor any justice would there be
  In having joy for good; or grief for evil。

The heavens your movements do initiate;
  I say not all; but granting that I say it;
  Light has been given you for good and evil;

And free volition; which; if some fatigue
  In the first battles with the heavens it suffers;
  Afterwards conquers all; if well 'tis nurtured。

To greater force and to a better nature;
  Though free; ye subject are; and that creates
  The mind in you the heavens have not in charge。

Hence; if the present world doth go astray;
  In you the cause is; be it sought in you;
  And I therein will now be thy true spy。

Forth from the hand of Him; who fondles it
  Before it is; like to a little girl
  Weeping and laughing in her childish sport;

Issues the simple soul; that nothing knows;
  Save that; proceeding from a joyous Maker;
  Gladly it turns to that which gives it pleasure。

Of trivial good at first it tastes the savour;
  Is cheated by it; and runs after it;
  If guide or rein turn not aside its love。

Hence it behoved laws for a rein to place;
  Behoved a king to have; who at the least
  Of the true city should discern the tower。

The laws exist; but who sets hand to them?
  No one; because the shepherd who precedes
  Can ruminate; but cleaveth not the hoof;

Wherefore the people that perceives its guide
  Strike only at the good for which it hankers;
  Feeds upon that; and farther seeketh not。

Clearly canst thou perceive that evil guidance
  The cause is that has made the world depraved;
  And not that nature is corrupt in you。

Rome; that reformed the world; accustomed was
  Two suns to have; which one road and the other;
  Of God and of the world; made manifest。

One has the other quenched; and to the crosier
  The sword is joined; and ill beseemeth it
  That by main force one with the other go;

Because; being joined; one feareth not the other;
  If thou believe not; think upon the grain;
  For by its seed each herb is recognized。

In the land laved by Po and Adige;
  Valour and courtesy used to be found;
  Before that Frederick had his controversy;

Now in security can pass that way
  Whoever will abstain; through sense of shame;
  From speaking with the good; or drawing near them。

True; three old men are left; in whom upbraids
  The ancient age the new; and late they deem it
  That God restore them to the better life:

Currado da Palazzo; and good Gherardo;
  And Guido da Castel; who better named is;
  In fashion of the French; the simple Lombard:

Say thou henceforward that the Church of Rome;
  Confounding in itself two governments;
  Falls in the mire; and soils itself and burden。〃

〃O Marco mine;〃 I said; 〃thou reasonest well;
  And now discern I why the sons of Levi
  Have been excluded from the heritage。

But what Gherardo is it; who; as sample
  Of a lost race; thou sayest has remained
  In reprobation of the barbarous age?〃

〃Either thy speech deceives me; or it tempts me;〃
  He answered me; 〃for speaking Tuscan to me;
  It seems of good Gherardo naught thou knowest。

By other surname do I know him not;
  Unless I take it from his daughter Gaia。
  May God be with you; for I come no farther。

Behold the dawn; that through the smoke rays out;
  Already whitening; and I must depart
  Yonder the Angel isere he appear。〃

Thus did he speak; and would no farther hear me。



Purgatorio: Canto XVII


Remember; Reader; if e'er in the Alps
  A mist o'ertook thee; through which thou couldst see
  Not otherwise than through its membrane mole;

How; when the vapours humid and condensed
  Begin to dissipate themselves; the sphere
  Of the sun feebly enters in among them;

And thy imagination will be swift
  In coming to perceive how I re…saw
  The sun at first; that was already setting。

Thus; to the faithful footsteps of my Master
  Mating mine own; I issued from that cloud
  To rays already dead on the low shores。

O thou; Imagination; that dost steal us
  So from without sometimes; that man perceives not;
  Although around may sound a thousand trumpets;

Who moveth thee; if sense impel thee not?
  Moves thee a light; which in the heaven takes form;
  By self; or by a will that downward guides it。

Of her impiety; who changed her form
  Into the bird that most delights in singing;
  In my imagining appeared the trace;

And hereupon my mind was so withdrawn
  Within itself; that from without there came
  Nothing that then might be received by it。

Then reigned within my lofty fantasy
  One crucified; disdainful and ferocious
  In countenance; and even thus was dying。


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