the divine comedy(神曲)-第67节
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Directed us; and we; attent alone
On that; came forth where the ascent began。
〃Venite; benedicti Patris mei;〃
Sounded within a splendour; which was there
Such it o'ercame me; and I could not look。
〃The sun departs;〃 it added; 〃and night cometh;
Tarry ye not; but onward urge your steps;
So long as yet the west becomes not dark。〃
Straight forward through the rock the path ascended
In such a way that I cut off the rays
Before me of the sun; that now was low。
And of few stairs we yet had made assay;
Ere by the vanished shadow the sun's setting
Behind us we perceived; I and my Sages。
And ere in all its parts immeasurable
The horizon of one aspect had become;
And Night her boundless dispensation held;
Each of us of a stair had made his bed;
Because the nature of the mount took from us
The power of climbing; more than the delight。
Even as in ruminating passive grow
The goats; who have been swift and venturesome
Upon the mountain…tops ere they were fed;
Hushed in the shadow; while the sun is hot;
Watched by the herdsman; who upon his staff
Is leaning; and in leaning tendeth them;
And as the shepherd; lodging out of doors;
Passes the night beside his quiet flock;
Watching that no wild beast may scatter it;
Such at that hour were we; all three of us;
I like the goat; and like the herdsmen they;
Begirt on this side and on that by rocks。
Little could there be seen of things without;
But through that little I beheld the stars
More luminous and larger than their wont。
Thus ruminating; and beholding these;
Sleep seized upon me;sleep; that oftentimes
Before a deed is done has tidings of it。
It was the hour; I think; when from the East
First on the mountain Citherea beamed;
Who with the fire of love seems always burning;
Youthful and beautiful in dreams methought
I saw a lady walking in a meadow;
Gathering flowers; and singing she was saying:
〃Know whosoever may my name demand
That I am Leah; and go moving round
My beauteous hands to make myself a garland。
To please me at the mirror; here I deck me;
But never does my sister Rachel leave
Her looking…glass; and sitteth all day long。
To see her beauteous eyes as eager is she;
As I am to adorn me with my hands;
Her; seeing; and me; doing satisfies。〃
And now before the antelucan splendours
That unto pilgrims the more grateful rise;
As; home…returning; less remote they lodge;
The darkness fled away on every side;
And slumber with it; whereupon I rose;
Seeing already the great Masters risen。
〃That apple sweet; which through so many branches
The care of mortals goeth in pursuit of;
To…day shall put in peace thy hungerings。〃
Speaking to me; Virgilius of such words
As these made use; and never were there guerdons
That could in pleasantness compare with these。
Such longing upon longing came upon me
To be above; that at each step thereafter
For flight I felt in me the pinions growing。
When underneath us was the stairway all
Run o'er; and we were on the highest step;
Virgilius fastened upon me his eyes;
And said: 〃The temporal fire and the eternal;
Son; thou hast seen; and to a place art come
Where of myself no farther I discern。
By intellect and art I here have brought thee;
Take thine own pleasure for thy guide henceforth;
Beyond the steep ways and the narrow art thou。
Behold the sun; that shines upon thy forehead;
Behold the grass; the flowerets; and the shrubs
Which of itself alone this land produces。
Until rejoicing come the beauteous eyes
Which weeping caused me to come unto thee;
Thou canst sit down; and thou canst walk among them。
Expect no more or word or sign from me;
Free and upright and sound is thy free…will;
And error were it not to do its bidding;
Thee o'er thyself I therefore crown and mitre!〃
Purgatorio: Canto XXVIII
Eager already to search in and round
The heavenly forest; dense and living…green;
Which tempered to the eyes the new…born day;
Withouten more delay I left the bank;
Taking the level country slowly; slowly
Over the soil that everywhere breathes fragrance。
A softly…breathing air; that no mutation
Had in itself; upon the forehead smote me
No heavier blow than of a gentle wind;
Whereat the branches; lightly tremulous;
Did all of them bow downward toward that side
Where its first shadow casts the Holy Mountain;
Yet not from their upright direction swayed;
So that the little birds upon their tops
Should leave the practice of each art of theirs;
But with full ravishment the hours of prime;
Singing; received they in the midst of leaves;
That ever bore a burden to their rhymes;
Such as from branch to branch goes gathering on
Through the pine forest on the shore of Chiassi;
When Eolus unlooses the Sirocco。
Already my slow steps had carried me
Into the ancient wood so far; that I
Could not perceive where I had entered it。
And lo! my further course a stream cut off;
Which tow'rd the left hand with its little waves
Bent down the grass that on its margin sprang。
All waters that on earth most limpid are
Would seem to have within themselves some mixture
Compared with that which nothing doth conceal;
Although it moves on with a brown; brown current
Under the shade perpetual; that never
Ray of the sun lets in; nor of the moon。
With feet I stayed; and with mine eyes I passed
Beyond the rivulet; to look upon
The great variety of the fresh may。
And there appeared to me (even as appears
Suddenly something that doth turn aside
Through very wonder every other thought)
A lady all alone; who went along
Singing and culling floweret after floweret;
With which her pathway was all painted over。
〃Ah; beauteous lady; who in rays of love
Dost warm thyself; if I may trust to looks;
Which the heart's witnesses are wont to be;
May the desire come unto thee to draw
Near to this river's bank;〃 I said to her;
〃So much that I might hear what thou art singing。
Thou makest me remember where and what
Proserpina that moment was when lost
Her mother her; and she herself the Spring。〃
As turns herself; with feet together pressed
And to the ground; a lady who is dancing;
And hardly puts one foot before the other;
On the vermilion and the yellow flowerets
She turned towards me; not in other wise
Than maiden who her modest eyes casts down;
And my entreaties made to be content;
So near approaching; that the dulcet sound
Came unto me together with its meaning
As soon as she was where the grasses are。
Bathed by the waters of the beauteous river;
To lift her eyes she granted me the boon。
I do not think there shone so great a light
Under the lids of Venus; when transfixed
By her own son; beyond his usual custom!
Erect upon the other bank she smiled;
Bearing full many colours in her hands;
Which that high land produces without seed。
Apart three paces did the river make us;
But Hellespont; where Xerxes passed across;
(A curb still to all human arrogance;)
More hatred from Leander did not suffer
For rolling between Sestos and Abydos;
Than that from me; because it oped not then。
〃Ye are new…comers; and because I smile;〃
Began she; 〃peradventure; in this place
Elect to human nature for its nest;
Some apprehension keeps you marvelling;
But the psalm 'Delectasti' giveth light
Which has the power to uncloud your intellect。
And thou who foremost art; and didst entreat me;
Speak; if thou wouldst hear more; for I came ready
To all thy questionings; as far as needful。〃
〃The water;〃 said I; 〃and the forest's sound;
Are combating within me my new faith
In something which I heard opposed to this。〃
Whence she: 〃I will relate how from its cause
Proceedeth that which maketh thee to wonder;
And purge away the cloud that smites upon thee。
The Good Supreme; sole in itself delighting;
Created man good; and this goodly place
Gave him as hansel of eternal peace。
By his default short while he sojourned here;
By his default to weeping and to toil
He changed his innocent laughter and sweet play。
That the disturbance which below is made
By exhalations of the land and water;
(Which far as may be follow after heat;)
Might not upon mankind wage any war;
This mount ascended tow'rds the heaven so high;
And is exempt; from there where it is locked。
Now since the universal atmosphere
Turns in a circuit with the primal motion
Unless the circle is broken on some side;
Upon this height; that all is disengaged
In living ether; doth this motion strike
And make the forest sound; for it is dense;
And so much power the stricken plant possesses
That with its virtue it impregns the air;
And this; revolving; scatters it around;
And yonder earth; according as 'tis worthy
In self or in its clime; conceives and bears
Of divers qualities the divers trees;
It should not seem a marvel then on earth;
This being heard; whenever any plant
Without seed manifest there taketh root。
And th