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第50节

the divine comedy(神曲)-第50节

小说: the divine comedy(神曲) 字数: 每页4000字

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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。〃



Purgatorio: Canto IV


Whenever by delight or else by pain;
  That seizes any faculty of ours;
  Wholly to that the soul collects itself;

It seemeth that no other power it heeds;
  And this against that error is which thinks
  One soul above another kindles in us。

And hence; whenever aught is heard or seen
  Which keeps the soul intently bent upon it;
  Time passes on; and we perceive it not;

Because one faculty is that which listens;
  And other that which the soul keeps entire;
  This is as if in bonds; and that is free。

Of this I had experience positive
  In hearing and in gazing at that spirit;
  For fifty full degrees uprisen was

The sun; and I had not perceived it; when
  We came to where those souls with one accord
  Cried out unto us: 〃Here is what you ask。〃

A greater opening ofttimes hedges up
  With but a little forkful of his thorns
  The villager; what time the grape imbrowns;

Than was the passage…way through which ascended
  Only my Leader and myself behind him;
  After that company departed from us。

One climbs Sanleo and descends in Noli;
  And mounts the summit of Bismantova;
  With feet alone; but here one needs must fly;

With the swift pinions and the plumes I say
  Of great desire; conducted after him
  Who gave me hope; and made a light for me。

We mounted upward through the rifted rock;
  And on each side the border pressed upon us;
  And feet and hands the ground beneath required。

When we were come upon the upper rim
  Of the high bank; out on the open slope;
  〃My Master;〃 said I; 〃what way shall we take?〃

And he to me: 〃No step of thine descend;
  Still up the mount behind me win thy way;
  Till some sage escort shall appear to us。〃

The summit was so high it vanquished sight;
  And the hillside precipitous far more
  Than line from middle quadrant to the centre。

Spent with fatigue was I; when I began:
  〃O my sweet Father! turn thee and behold
  How I remain alone; unless thou stay!〃

〃O son;〃 he said; 〃up yonder drag thyself;〃
  Pointing me to a terrace somewhat higher;
  Which on that side encircles all the hill。

These words of his so spurred me on; that I
  Strained every nerve; behind him scrambling up;
  Until the circle was beneath my feet。

Thereon ourselves we seated both of us
  Turned to the East; from which we had ascended;
  For all men are delighted to look back。

To the low shores mine eyes I first directed;
  Then to the sun uplifted them; and wondered
  That on the left hand we were smitten by it。

The Poet well perceived that I was wholly
  Bewildered at the chariot of the light;
  Where 'twixt us and the Aquilon it entered。

Whereon he said to me: 〃If Castor and Pollux
  Were in the company of yonder mirror;
  That up and down conducteth with its light;

Thou wouldst behold the zodiac's jagged wheel
  Revolving still more near unto the Bears;
  Unless it swerved aside from its old track。

How that may be wouldst thou have power to think;
  Collected in thyself; imagine Zion
  Together with this mount on earth to stand;

So that they both one sole horizon have;
  And hemispheres diverse; whereby the road
  Which Phaeton; alas! knew not to drive;

Thou'lt see how of necessity must pass
  This on one side; when that upon the other;
  If thine intelligence right clearly heed。〃

〃Truly; my Master;〃 said I; 〃never yet
  Saw I so clearly as I now discern;
  There where my wit appeared incompetent;

That the mid…circle of supernal motion;
  Which in some art is the Equator called;
  And aye remains between the Sun and Winter;

For reason which thou sayest; departeth hence
  Tow'rds the Septentrion; what time the Hebrews
  Beheld it tow'rds the region of the heat。

But; if it pleaseth thee; I fain would learn
  How far we have to go; for the hill rises
  Higher than eyes of mine have power to rise。〃

And he to me: 〃This mount is such; that ever
  At the beginning down below 'tis tiresome;
  And aye the more one climbs; the less it hurts。

Therefore; when it shall seem so pleasant to thee;
  That going up shall be to thee as easy
  As going down the current in a boat;

Then at this pathway's ending thou wilt be;
  There to repose thy panting breath expect;
  No more I answer; and this I know for true。〃

And as he finished uttering these words;
  A voice close by us sounded: 〃Peradventure
  Thou wilt have need of sitting down ere that。〃

At sound thereof each one of us turned round;
  And saw upon the left hand a great rock;
  Which neither I nor he before had noticed。

Thither we drew; and there were persons there
  Who in the shadow stood behind the rock;
  As one through indolence is wont to stand。

And one of them; who seemed to me fatigued;
  Was sitting down; and both his knees embraced;
  Holding his face low down between them bowed。

〃O my sweet Lord;〃 I said; 〃do turn thine eye
  On him who shows himself more negligent
  Then even Sloth herself his sister were。〃

Then he turned round to us; and he gave heed;
  Just lifting up his eyes above his thigh;
  And said: 〃Now go thou up; for thou art valiant。〃

Then knew I who he was; and the distress;
  That still a little did my breathing quicken;
  My going to him hindered not; and after

I came to him he hardly raised his head;
  Saying: 〃Hast thou seen clearly how the sun
  O'er thy left shoulder drives his chariot?〃

His sluggish attitude and his curt words
  A little unto laughter moved my lips;
  Then I began: 〃Belacqua; I grieve not

For thee henceforth; but tell me; wherefore seated
  In this place art thou?  Waitest thou an escort?
  Or has thy usual habit seized upon thee?〃

And he: 〃O brother; what's the use of climbing?
  Since to my torment would not let me go
  The Angel of God; who sitteth at the gate。

First heaven must needs so long revolve me round
  Outside thereof; as in my life it did;
  Since the good sighs I to the end postponed;

Unless; e'er that; some prayer may bring me aid
  Which rises from a heart that lives in grace;
  What profit others that in heaven are heard not?〃

Meanwhile the Poet was before me mounting;
  And saying: 〃Come now; see the sun has touched
  Meridian; and from the shore the night

Covers already with her foot Morocco。〃



Purgatorio: Canto V


I had already from those shades departed

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