the divine comedy(神曲)-第52节
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But let us go our way; eying us only
After the manner of a couchant lion;
Still near to it Virgilius drew; entreating
That it would point us out the best ascent;
And it replied not unto his demand;
But of our native land and of our life
It questioned us; and the sweet Guide began:
〃Mantua;〃and the shade; all in itself recluse;
Rose tow'rds him from the place where first it was;
Saying: 〃O Mantuan; I am Sordello
Of thine own land!〃 and one embraced the other。
Ah! servile Italy; grief's hostelry!
A ship without a pilot in great tempest!
No Lady thou of Provinces; but brothel!
That noble soul was so impatient; only
At the sweet sound of his own native land;
To make its citizen glad welcome there;
And now within thee are not without war
Thy living ones; and one doth gnaw the other
Of those whom one wall and one fosse shut in!
Search; wretched one; all round about the shores
Thy seaboard; and then look within thy bosom;
If any part of thee enjoyeth peace!
What boots it; that for thee Justinian
The bridle mend; if empty be the saddle?
Withouten this the shame would be the less。
Ah! people; thou that oughtest to be devout;
And to let Caesar sit upon the saddle;
If well thou hearest what God teacheth thee;
Behold how fell this wild beast has become;
Being no longer by the spur corrected;
Since thou hast laid thy hand upon the bridle。
O German Albert! who abandonest
Her that has grown recalcitrant and savage;
And oughtest to bestride her saddle…bow;
May a just judgment from the stars down fall
Upon thy blood; and be it new and open;
That thy successor may have fear thereof;
Because thy father and thyself have suffered;
By greed of those transalpine lands distrained;
The garden of the empire to be waste。
Come and behold Montecchi and Cappelletti;
Monaldi and Fillippeschi; careless man!
Those sad already; and these doubt…depressed!
Come; cruel one! come and behold the oppression
Of thy nobility; and cure their wounds;
And thou shalt see how safe is Santafiore!
Come and behold thy Rome; that is lamenting;
Widowed; alone; and day and night exclaims;
〃My Caesar; why hast thou forsaken me?〃
Come and behold how loving are the people;
And if for us no pity moveth thee;
Come and be made ashamed of thy renown!
And if it lawful be; O Jove Supreme!
Who upon earth for us wast crucified;
Are thy just eyes averted otherwhere?
Or preparation is 't; that; in the abyss
Of thine own counsel; for some good thou makest
From our perception utterly cut off?
For all the towns of Italy are full
Of tyrants; and becometh a Marcellus
Each peasant churl who plays the partisan!
My Florence! well mayst thou contented be
With this digression; which concerns thee not;
Thanks to thy people who such forethought take!
Many at heart have justice; but shoot slowly;
That unadvised they come not to the bow;
But on their very lips thy people have it!
Many refuse to bear the common burden;
But thy solicitous people answereth
Without being asked; and crieth: 〃I submit。〃
Now be thou joyful; for thou hast good reason;
Thou affluent; thou in peace; thou full of wisdom!
If I speak true; the event conceals it not。
Athens and Lacedaemon; they who made
The ancient laws; and were so civilized;
Made towards living well a little sign
Compared with thee; who makest such fine…spun
Provisions; that to middle of November
Reaches not what thou in October spinnest。
How oft; within the time of thy remembrance;
Laws; money; offices; and usages
Hast thou remodelled; and renewed thy members?
And if thou mind thee well; and see the light;
Thou shalt behold thyself like a sick woman;
Who cannot find repose upon her down;
But by her tossing wardeth off her pain。
Purgatorio: Canto VII
After the gracious and glad salutations
Had three and four times been reiterated;
Sordello backward drew and said; 〃Who are you?〃
〃Or ever to this mountain were directed
The souls deserving to ascend to God;
My bones were buried by Octavian。
I am Virgilius; and for no crime else
Did I lose heaven; than for not having faith;〃
In this wise then my Leader made reply。
As one who suddenly before him sees
Something whereat he marvels; who believes
And yet does not; saying; 〃It is! it is not!〃
So he appeared; and then bowed down his brow;
And with humility returned towards him;
And; where inferiors embrace; embraced him。
〃O glory of the Latians; thou;〃 he said;
〃Through whom our language showed what it could do
O pride eternal of the place I came from;
What merit or what grace to me reveals thee?
If I to hear thy words be worthy; tell me
If thou dost come from Hell; and from what cloister。〃
〃Through all the circles of the doleful realm;〃
Responded he; 〃have I come hitherward;
Heaven's power impelled me; and with that I come。
I by not doing; not by doing; lost
The sight of that high sun which thou desirest;
And which too late by me was recognized。
A place there is below not sad with torments;
But darkness only; where the lamentations
Have not the sound of wailing; but are sighs。
There dwell I with the little innocents
Snatched by the teeth of Death; or ever they
Were from our human sinfulness exempt。
There dwell I among those who the three saintly
Virtues did not put on; and without vice
The others knew and followed all of them。
But if thou know and can; some indication
Give us by which we may the sooner come
Where Purgatory has its right beginning。〃
He answered: 〃No fixed place has been assigned us;
'Tis lawful for me to go up and round;
So far as I can go; as guide I join thee。
But see already how the day declines;
And to go up by night we are not able;
Therefore 'tis well to think of some fair sojourn。
Souls are there on the right hand here withdrawn;
If thou permit me I will lead thee to them;
And thou shalt know them not without delight。〃
〃How is this?〃 was the answer; 〃should one wish
To mount by night would he prevented be
By others? or mayhap would not have power?〃
And on the ground the good Sordello drew
His finger; saying; 〃See; this line alone
Thou couldst not pass after the sun is gone;
Not that aught else would hindrance give; however;
To going up; save the nocturnal darkness;
This with the want of power the will perplexes。
We might indeed therewith return below;
And; wandering; walk the hill…side round about;
While the horizon holds the day imprisoned。〃
Thereon my Lord; as if in wonder; said:
〃Do thou conduct us thither; where thou sayest
That we can take delight in tarrying。〃
Little had we withdrawn us from that place;
When I perceived the mount was hollowed out
In fashion as the valleys here are hollowed。
〃Thitherward;〃 said that shade; 〃will we repair;
Where of itself the hill…side makes a lap;
And there for the new day will we await。〃
'Twixt hill and plain there was a winding path
Which led us to the margin of that dell;
Where dies the border more than half away。
Gold and fine silver; and scarlet and pearl…white;
The Indian wood resplendent and serene;
Fresh emerald the moment it is broken;
By herbage and by flowers within that hollow
Planted; each one in colour would be vanquished;
As by its greater vanquished is the less。
Nor in that place had nature painted only;
But of the sweetness of a thousand odours
Made there a mingled fragrance and unknown。
〃Salve Regina;〃 on the green and flowers
There seated; singing; spirits I beheld;
Which were not visible outside the valley。
〃Before the scanty sun now seeks his nest;〃
Began the Mantuan who had led us thither;
〃Among them do not wish me to conduct you。
Better from off this ledge the acts and faces
Of all of them will you discriminate;
Than in the plain below received among them。
He who sits highest; and the semblance bears
Of having what he should have done neglected;
And to the others' song moves not his lips;
Rudolph the Emperor was; who had the power
To heal the wounds that Italy have slain;
So that through others slowly she revives。
The other; who in look doth comfort him;
Governed the region where the water springs;
The Moldau bears the Elbe; and Elbe the sea。
His name was Ottocar; and in swaddling…clothes
Far better he than bearded Winceslaus
His son; who feeds in luxury and ease。
And the small…nosed; who close in council seems
With him that has an aspect so benign;
Died fleeing and disflowering the lily;
Look there; how he is beating at his breast!
Behold the other one; who for his cheek
Sighing has made of his own palm a bed;
Father and father…in…law of France's Pest
Are they; and know his vicious life and lewd;
And hence proceeds the grief that so doth pierce them。
He who appears so stalwart; and chimes in;
Singing; with that one of the manly nose;
The cord of every valour wore begirt;
And if as King had after him remained
The stripling who in rear of him is sit