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第62节

the divine comedy(神曲)-第62节

小说: the divine comedy(神曲) 字数: 每页4000字

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  Thrust Thomas back to heaven; for amends。

A time I see; not very distant now;
  Which draweth forth another Charles from France;
  The better to make known both him and his。

Unarmed he goes; and only with the lance
  That Judas jousted with; and that he thrusts
  So that he makes the paunch of Florence burst。

He thence not land; but sin and infamy;
  Shall gain; so much more grievous to himself
  As the more light such damage he accounts。

The other; now gone forth; ta'en in his ship;
  See I his daughter sell; and chaffer for her
  As corsairs do with other female slaves。

What more; O Avarice; canst thou do to us;
  Since thou my blood so to thyself hast drawn;
  It careth not for its own proper flesh?

That less may seem the future ill and past;
  I see the flower…de…luce Alagna enter;
  And Christ in his own Vicar captive made。

I see him yet another time derided;
  I see renewed the vinegar and gall;
  And between living thieves I see him slain。

I see the modern Pilate so relentless;
  This does not sate him; but without decretal
  He to the temple bears his sordid sails!

When; O my Lord! shall I be joyful made
  By looking on the vengeance which; concealed;
  Makes sweet thine anger in thy secrecy?

What I was saying of that only bride
  Of the Holy Ghost; and which occasioned thee
  To turn towards me for some commentary;

So long has been ordained to all our prayers
  As the day lasts; but when the night comes on;
  Contrary sound we take instead thereof。

At that time we repeat Pygmalion;
  Of whom a traitor; thief; and parricide
  Made his insatiable desire of gold;

And the misery of avaricious Midas;
  That followed his inordinate demand;
  At which forevermore one needs but laugh。

The foolish Achan each one then records;
  And how he stole the spoils; so that the wrath
  Of Joshua still appears to sting him here。

Then we accuse Sapphira with her husband;
  We laud the hoof…beats Heliodorus had;
  And the whole mount in infamy encircles

Polymnestor who murdered Polydorus。
  Here finally is cried: 'O Crassus; tell us;
  For thou dost know; what is the taste of gold?'

Sometimes we speak; one loud; another low;
  According to desire of speech; that spurs us
  To greater now and now to lesser pace。

But in the good that here by day is talked of;
  Erewhile alone I was not; yet near by
  No other person lifted up his voice。〃

From him already we departed were;
  And made endeavour to o'ercome the road
  As much as was permitted to our power;

When I perceived; like something that is falling;
  The mountain tremble; whence a chill seized on me;
  As seizes him who to his death is going。

Certes so violently shook not Delos;
  Before Latona made her nest therein
  To give birth to the two eyes of the heaven。

Then upon all sides there began a cry;
  Such that the Master drew himself towards me;
  Saying; 〃Fear not; while I am guiding thee。〃

〃Gloria in excelsis Deo;〃 all
  Were saying; from what near I comprehended;
  Where it was possible to hear the cry。

We paused immovable and in suspense;
  Even as the shepherds who first heard that song;
  Until the trembling ceased; and it was finished。

Then we resumed again our holy path;
  Watching the shades that lay upon the ground;
  Already turned to their accustomed plaint。

No ignorance ever with so great a strife
  Had rendered me importunate to know;
  If erreth not in this my memory;

As meditating then I seemed to have;
  Nor out of haste to question did I dare;
  Nor of myself I there could aught perceive;

So I went onward timorous and thoughtful。



Purgatorio: Canto XXI


The natural thirst; that ne'er is satisfied
  Excepting with the water for whose grace
  The woman of Samaria besought;

Put me in travail; and haste goaded me
  Along the encumbered path behind my Leader
  And I was pitying that righteous vengeance;

And lo! in the same manner as Luke writeth
  That Christ appeared to two upon the way
  From the sepulchral cave already risen;

A shade appeared to us; and came behind us;
  Down gazing on the prostrate multitude;
  Nor were we ware of it; until it spake;

Saying; 〃My brothers; may God give you peace!〃
  We turned us suddenly; and Virgilius rendered
  To him the countersign thereto conforming。

Thereon began he: 〃In the blessed council;
  Thee may the court veracious place in peace;
  That me doth banish in eternal exile!〃

〃How;〃 said he; and the while we went with speed;
  〃If ye are shades whom God deigns not on high;
  Who up his stairs so far has guided you?〃

And said my Teacher: 〃If thou note the marks
  Which this one bears; and which the Angel traces
  Well shalt thou see he with the good must reign。

But because she who spinneth day and night
  For him had not yet drawn the distaff off;
  Which Clotho lays for each one and compacts;

His soul; which is thy sister and my own;
  In coming upwards could not come alone;
  By reason that it sees not in our fashion。

Whence I was drawn from out the ample throat
  Of Hell to be his guide; and I shall guide him
  As far on as my school has power to lead。

But tell us; if thou knowest; why such a shudder
  Erewhile the mountain gave; and why together
  All seemed to cry; as far as its moist feet?〃

In asking he so hit the very eye
  Of my desire; that merely with the hope
  My thirst became the less unsatisfied。

〃Naught is there;〃 he began; 〃that without order
  May the religion of the mountain feel;
  Nor aught that may be foreign to its custom。

Free is it here from every permutation;
  What from itself heaven in itself receiveth
  Can be of this the cause; and naught beside;

Because that neither rain; nor hail; nor snow;
  Nor dew; nor hoar…frost any higher falls
  Than the short; little stairway of three steps。

Dense clouds do not appear; nor rarefied;
  Nor coruscation; nor the daughter of Thaumas;
  That often upon earth her region shifts;

No arid vapour any farther rises
  Than to the top of the three steps I spake of;
  Whereon the Vicar of Peter has his feet。

Lower down perchance it trembles less or more;
  But; for the wind that in the earth is hidden
  I know not how; up here it never trembled。

It trembles here; whenever any soul
  Feels itself pure; so that it soars; or moves
  To mount aloft; and such a cry attends it。

Of purity the will alone gives proof;
  Which; being wholly free to change its convent;
  Takes by surprise the soul; and helps it fly。

First it wills well; but the desire permits not;
  Which divine justice with the self…same will
  There was to sin; upon the torment sets。

And I; who have been lying in this pain
  Five hundred years and more; but just now felt
  A free volition for a better seat。

Therefore thou heardst the earthquake; and the pious
  Spirits along the mountain rendering praise
  Unto the Lord; that soon he speed them upwards。〃

So said he to him; and since we enjoy
  As much in drinking as the thirst is great;
  I could not say how much it did me good。

And the wise Leader: 〃Now I see the net
  That snares you here; and how ye are set free;
  Why the earth quakes; and wherefore ye rejoice。

Now who thou wast be pleased that I may know;
  And why so many centuries thou hast here
  Been lying; let me gather from thy words。〃

〃In days when the good Titus; with the aid
  Of the supremest King; avenged the wounds
  Whence issued forth the blood by Judas sold;

Under the name that most endures and honours;
  Was I on earth;〃 that spirit made reply;
  〃Greatly renowned; but not with faith as yet。

My vocal spirit was so sweet; that Rome
  Me; a Thoulousian; drew unto herself;
  Where I deserved to deck my brows with myrtle。

Statius the people name me still on earth;
  I sang of Thebes; and then of great Achilles;
  But on the way fell with my second burden。

The seeds unto my ardour were the sparks
  Of that celestial flame which heated me;
  Whereby more than a thousand have been fired;

Of the Aeneid speak I; which to me
  A mother was; and was my nurse in song;
  Without this weighed I not a drachma's weight。

And to have lived upon the earth what time
  Virgilius lived; I would accept one sun
  More than I must ere issuing from my ban。〃

These words towards me made Virgilius turn
  With looks that in their silence said; 〃Be silent!〃
  But yet the power that wills cannot do all things;

For tears and laughter are such pursuivants
  Unto the passion from which each springs forth;
  In the most truthful least the will they follow。

I only smiled; as one who gives the wink;
  Whereat the shade was silent; and it gazed
  Into mine eyes; where most expression dwells;

And; 〃As thou well mayst consummate a labour
  So great;〃 it said; 〃why did thy face just now
  Display to me the lightning of a smile?〃

Now am I caught on this side and on that;
  One keeps me silent; one to speak conjures me;
  Wherefore I sigh; and I am understood。

〃Speak;〃 said my Master; 〃and be not afraid
  Of speaking; but speak out; and say to him
  What he demands with such solicitude。〃

Whence I: 〃Thou pe

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