27

Already was the flame erect and quiet, To speak no more, and now departed from us With the permission of the gentle Poet; When yet another, which behind it came, Caused us to turn our eyes upon its top By a confused sound that issued forth therefrom.

As the Sicilian bull (that bellowed first With the lament of him, and that was right, Who with his file had modulated it) Bellowed so with the voice of the afflicted, That, notwithstanding it was made of brass, Still it appeared with agony transfixed; Thus, by not having any way or outlet At the beginning in the fire, the words Disconsolate were converted to its language.

But afterwards, when they had found their way Up through the point, giving it that vibration The tongue had given them in their passage out, We heard it said: "O thou, at whom I aim My voice, and who but now wast speaking Lombard, Saying, 'Now go thy way, no more I urge thee,' Because I come perchance a little late, To stay and speak with me let it not irk thee; Thou seest it irks not me, and I am burning."

"If thou but recently into this world Of blindness art fallen down from that sweet land Of Latium, whence I bring all my transgression, Say, if the Romagnuoli have peace or war, For I was from the mountains there between Urbino and the yoke whence Tiber bursts."

I still was downward bent and listening, When my conductor touched me on the side, Saying: "Speak thou: this one a Latian is." And I, who had beforehand my reply In readiness, without delay began speaking: "O soul, that down below there art concealed, Romagna thine is not and never has been Without war in the bosom of its tyrants; But open war I none have left there now."

"Ravenna stands as it long years has stood; The Eagle of Polenta there is brooding, So that she covers Cervia with her vans. The city which once made the long resistance, And of the French a sanguinary heap, Beneath the Green Paws finds itself again."

"But pray thee tell me now, who art thou, be Not harder than another has just been, So may thy name in the world hold its front." After the fire a little more had roared In its own fashion, the sharp point it moved This way and that, and then gave forth such breath:

"If I believed that my reply were made To one who to the world would e'er return, This flame without more flickering would stand still; But inasmuch as never from this depth Did any one return, if I hear true, Without the fear of infamy I answer."

"I was a man of arms, and then became A Cordeliere, trusting thus begirt To make amends; and certainly my trust Had been fulfilled but for the High Priest, Whom may ill betide! that set me back Into the former sins; and how and wherefore I will that thou shalt hear from me.

While I was still the form of bone and pulp My mother gave to me, the deeds I did Were not those of the lion, but the fox. The machinations and the covert ways I knew them all, and practised so their craft, That to the ends of earth the sound went forth.

When now unto that portion of mine age I saw myself arrived, when each one ought To lower the sails, and coil away the ropes, That which before had pleased me then displeased me; And penitent and confessing I surrendered, Ah woe is me! and it would have bestead me."

"The Prince of the new Pharisees, having war Near unto Lateran, and not with Saracens Nor Jews, for each one of his enemies Was Christian, and not one of them had been To conquer Acre, nor a trafficker In the land of the Soldan, Neither the highest office nor holy orders In him regarded, nor in me that cord Which used to make those girt with it more lean."

"But even as Constantine besought Sylvester Within Soracte to cure his leprosy, So this one sought me as a master To cure him of the fever of his pride. He asked me counsel, and I held my peace, Because his words appeared inebriate. And then he said: 'Be not thy heart afraid; Henceforward I absolve thee; and do thou teach me To act so that Palestrina I may raze. Heaven I can lock and unlock, as thou knowest; For two are the keys which my predecessor Held not in dear regard.'"

"Then urged me on his weighty arguments To where my silence seemed the worst advice; And I said: 'Father, since thou washest me Of that sin into which I now must fall, The promise long with the fulfilment short Will make thee triumph in thy lofty seat.' Francis came afterward, when I was dead, For me; but one of the black Cherubim Said to him: 'Take him not; do me no wrong. He must come down among my servitors, Because he gave the fraudulent advice, From which time forth I have been at his hair; For who repents not cannot be absolved, Nor can one repent and will at the same time, Because of the contradiction which consents not.'"

"O miserable me! how I did shudder When he seized on me, saying: 'Peradventure Thou didst not think that I was a logician!' He bore me unto Minos, who entwined Eight times his tail about his stubborn back, And after he had bitten it in great rage, Said: 'This is one of the sinners of the thievish fire.' Therefore, where thou dost see, I lost am here, And vested thus in going I am grieved."

When it had thus completed its recital, The flame departed uttering lamentations, Wreathing and flapping its sharp-pointed horn. Onward we passed, both I and my Conductor, Up o'er the crag above another arch That covers the fosse, in which the fee is paid By those who sowing discord win their burden.