Notes
21 Dante, still in a physical
body, is the only one casting a shadow.
26 According to the calculations
of the time, sunrise on the Mount of Purgatory corresponds to evening in Jerusalem and
late-afternoon in Naples where Virgil’s body is buried.
Virgil's biographers, Donatus and Suetonius, state that his body was moved
from Brindisi by order of the Emperor Augustus.
49 The Mediterranean coast of Liguria between
Turbia and Lerici is extremely mountainous.
58 The first area that lies outside the gates
in Antepurgatory is for the late-repentant.
112 Manfred, king of Sicily, was the natural
son of Frederick II; born in 1231, he died in the battle of Benevento in 1266. His
daughter Constance was the mother of Frederick of Sicily and James of Aragon (l. 116).
124 Bartolommeo Pignatelli, cardinal-archbishop of
Cosenza, at the orders of Pope Clement IV had Manfred’s body removed from Benevento
without burial honors and interred outside the Kingdom of Naples. |
|
- While
sudden flight was scattering those shades
-
Across the plain, twirling them toward the hilltop
- Where
Justice and right reason probe the soul,
-
- I
drew in closer to my true companion:
- 5
For how could I have run my course without him?
- Who
would have led me up along the mountain?
-
- He
looked as though heart-stricken with remorse.
- O
pure and noble conscience! How sharp the sting
- A
single trivial fault can give to you!
-
- 10
When he restrained his footsteps from that hurry
- Which
robs all action of its dignity,
- My
mind, up to that moment so confined,
-
-
Opened wide its scope, in earnest quest:
- I
raised my eyes to wonder at the mountain
- 15
Which rises highest from the sea toward heaven.
-
- The
sun, bursting flaming-red behind us,
- Cut
out in front of me the figure formed
- By my
own body blocking out its rays.
-
- I
whirled around to my side in a panic
- 20
That I had been abandoned when I saw
- The
ground had darkened only there before me.
-
- And
my comfort, turning full circle, said,
-
"Why this deep distrust? Do you doubt that
- I am
still with you here and guide you on?
-
- 25
"Now evening comes to the tomb where lies buried
- The
body in which I too once cast a shadow:
- At
Naples laid to rest, moved from Brindisi.
-
-
"Now, if in front of me no shadow travels,
- Do
not marvel more than at the skies
- 30
Where one light does not overstep another.
-
-
"Our bodies endure pain and heat and cold
- Just
as that Power disposes that does not will
- To
reveal to us the ways of all its workings.
-
-
"It is madness to hope that our mere reason
- 35
Might be able to compass the infinite course
-
Upheld by the Three Persons in one substance.
-
-
"Stay contented, human race, with what is,
- Since
were it possible you should see all,
-
There’d be no need for Mary to give birth.
-
- 40
"For you have seen men want things fruitlessly,
- Such
men as would have had their wish fulfilled,
- But
now that wish is their unending grief.
-
-
"I speak of Aristotle and of Plato
- And
of many others," and here he bowed his head
- 45
And said no more — and he remained disturbed.
-
-
Meanwhile we reached the base of a high mountain.
- Here
we discovered a cliff so sheer and steep
- That
the nimblest legs could not have climbed it.
-
-
Between Lerici’s alps and Turbia’s
- 50
The most deserted and most shattered rockslide
-
Compared to this is a free breezy staircase.
-
-
"Now who can tell which side the hill slopes off,"
- My
master questioned, halting in his steps,
-
"To let someone who has no wings ascend?"
-
- 55
And while he stood there with his gaze cast down,
-
Searching out his mind about the pathway,
- And
while I peered up around the stone face,
-
- From
the left appeared to me a family
- Of
souls who moved their feet toward us, and yet,
- 60
So slow their pace they seemed not to come closer.
-
-
"Lift up your eyes, master!" I exclaimed,
-
"See there the ones who’ll give us good advice —
- If in
yourself you can’t arrive at it."
-
- He
looked up then and, with distinct relief,
- 65
Replied, "Let us walk there, for they move slowly
- And
you, dear son, brace up your sturdy hope!"
-
- We
were, as yet, as far off from those people —
- I
mean after we’d gone a thousand paces —
- As a
strong slingsman could cast a stone by hand,
-
- 70
When they all huddled close to the rock wall
- Of
the steep cliff and stood stock still together,
- As
people in befuddlement stop and gape.
-
-
"O elect souls who ended well your lives,"
-
Virgil began, "for the sake of that peace
- 75
Which I believe awaits all of you here,
-
-
"Tell us where the mountain slopes away
- So
that it’s possible to walk up there,
- For
he who knows most hates most to lose time."
-
- Just
as the sheep at first will leave the fold
- 80
By ones, by twos, by threes, while the rest stand
-
Timid, with eyes and nose bent to the ground,
-
- And
what the first has done the others do,
-
Crowding up to him if he should stop,
-
Simple and quiet without knowing why,
-
- 85
So I saw moving forward to approach us
- The
leaders of that happy flock, modest
- In
features and dignified in motion.
-
- When
those coming foremost saw the light
-
Broken on the ground to my right side
- 90
By the shadow reaching from me to the cliff,
-
- They
halted and shrank backward a slight distance,
- And
all the others who were following after,
-
Without their knowing why, did the same thing.
-
-
"Before you ask I will admit to you
- 95
This is a human body which you look at:
- By it
the sunlight on the ground is broken.
-
-
"So do not be astonished, but believe that
- Not
without the power come from heaven
- Does
he endeavor to scale up this wall."
-
- 100
This my master said. And that worthy band
-
Replied, "Turn round and go ahead of us!"
- And
waved us on with the backs of their hands.
-
- Then
one of them began, "Whoever you are,
-
Walking along like this, please turn your face:
- 105
Think if you ever saw me over there."
-
- I
turned to him and eyed him steadily:
- He
was quite handsome, blond, and noble-looking,
- But
one brow bore a gash from a sword-blow.
-
- When
I acknowledged with humility
- 110
That I had never seen him, he said, "Look now!"
- And
showed me a wound just above his breast,
-
- Then
added with a smile, "I am Manfred,
- The
grandson of the glorious Empress Constance,
- And
so I plead that you on your return
-
- 115
"Visit my lovely daughter, mother of
- The
crowns of Sicily and Aragon,
- And
whatever else is said, tell her the truth:
-
-
"After I had my body riven through
- By
two mortal thrusts, I gave up my soul
- 120
Weeping to Him who pardons willingly.
-
-
"Horrible was the depth of my transgressing,
- But
infinite goodness has its arms so wide
- That
it embraces all who turn to it.
-
-
"Had but the pastor of Cosenza, sent
- 125
By Clement at that time to hunt me down,
-
Carefully read the bidding in God’s book,
-
-
"The bones of my body would be resting
- Still
by the bridgehead near Benevento,
- Under
the guard of a mound of heavy stones.
-
- 130
"Now rain drenches them and wind shifts them,
-
Outside my kingdom, by the Verde river,
- Where
he has moved them with extinguished tapers.
-
-
"None ever is so lost by curse of clergy
- But
that eternal Love can yet return,
- 135
As long as hope retains a trace of green.
-
-
"It’s true that he who dies still contumacious
- Of
Holy Church, although he repent at last,
- Must
here remain outside on this embankment
-
-
"For thirty times as long as he persisted
- 140
In his presumption, unless holy prayers
-
Shorten the length imposed by this decree.
-
-
"You see by now how you can make me happy
- By
letting my kindhearted Constance know
- How
you have seen me, and this interdict,
-
- 145
"For those beyond there much advance us here."
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