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.D ante talks with Sapia,a lady of Siena.WE were at the summit of the stair where a second time is cut back the mount which by itsascent frees any from ill; there a cornice binds around the steep, in like manner as the first,save that its arc more quickly bends.Shade there is not, nor image that may appear, so bareappears the bank, so bare the way, with the livid hue of the rock. If here one awaits folk toinquire, reasoned the Poet,  I fear that perhaps our selection may have too much delay.Then he directed his eyes fixedly to the sun; he made of his right side center to hismovement, and turned the left part of himself. O sweet light, in whose confidence I enterby the new road, do thou conduct us, said he,  as one would be conducted herewithin; thouwarmest the world, thou shinest over it; if other reason urges not to the contrary, thy raysought to be always guides.As much as one reckons here for a mile distance, so far were we already gone from there,in a short time, through the eagerness of our will.And towards us were heard, not howeverseen, to fly, spirits speaking courteous bidding to the table of love.The first voice that passedin its flight said in loud tone: Vinum non habent, and went repeating it behind us.And beforeit was wholly unheard through growing distant, another passed, crying:  I am Orestes, andalso did not stay. Oh, said I,  Father, what voices are these? And as I asked, lo, the third,saying:  Love them from whom ye have evil. The good Master:  This circle scourges the sinof envy, and there fore are the lashes of the scourge wielded by love.The rein will have to beof the contrary sound; I think that thou wilt hear it, in my judgement, before thou reachestthe passage of pardon.But fix thine eyes intently through the air, and thou wilt see folksitting in front of us, and each one is seated along the cliff. Then I opened my eyes morethan before; I looked before me, and saw shades with cloaks not different from the colour ofthe rock.And after that we were a little more forward I heard them cry:  Mary, pray for us!cry  Michael, and  Peter, and all the saints.I do not believe that there goes on the earththis day a man so hard, that he were not pricked by compassion for those whom I next saw;for when I had arrived so near them that their actions came clearly to me, the tears weredrawn from my eyes for heavy grief.They appeared to me covered with common hair-cloth,and one was supporting another with his shoulder, and all were supported by the bank.Thusblind men, to whom substance is lacking, stand by the pardons to beg their need, and one letshis head fall on another, so that in others pity shortly is planted, not only through the soundof the words, but through the face which no less yearns.And as the Sun reaches not to thosedeprived [of sight], so to the shades in the place whereof I was but now speaking, light ofHeaven will not bestow of itself: for in all of them a thread of iron bores the eyelid, and sewsit in such wise as is done to a wild hawk because he remains not quiet.As I went I seemedto myself to be doing outrage in seeing others and not being seen, wherefore I turned to mysage Counsel.Well knew he what I, the silent, would say, and therefore he awaited not mydemand, but said:  Speak, and be brief and clear. Virgil was going between me and that edgeof the cornice, whence one may fall, because it is enringed with no border; on the other sideme were the devout shades, who through the horrible stitching were straining so that theybathed their cheeks.I turned to them and began:  O folk secure of seeing the light on highwhich alone your desire has in its care, so may grace quickly loosen the scum of yourconscience in such wise that the stream of the mind may ascend clear through it, tell me (forit will be gracious and precious to me) if there is here among you a soul that is Latin; andperhaps to him it will be good, if I become known to him.  O my brother, each is citizen ofa true city; but thou wouldst say, who lived as a pilgrim in Italy. This methought I heard byway of answer somewhat more in front than the place where I was standing, wherefore I letmyself be heard still more that way.Among the others I saw a shade which in its face wasexpectant; and if any would say  How?  it was raising its chin upward in fashion of oneblind. Spirit, said I,  that art quelling thyself in order to mount, if thou art that one whichanswered to me, make thyself known to me either by place or name [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]