Caina and Antenora — Canto XXXII

If I had rhymes both rough and stridulous, As were appropriate to the dismal hole Down upon which thrust all the other rocks, I would press out the juice of my conception More fully; but because I have them not, Not without fear I bring myself to speak; For to describe the bottom of all the universe Is no enterprise to take in jest, Nor for a tongue that cries Mamma and Daddy.

But may those Ladies help this verse of mine, Who helped Amphion in enclosing Thebes, So that from fact the saying be not diverse. O rabble ill-begotten above all, Who in the place to speak of which is hard Stand in this place, 'twere better ye had here Been either sheep or goats!

When we were down within the darksome well, Beneath the feet of the giant far below, And I was scanning still the lofty wall, I heard it said to me: "Look how thou steppest; Take heed thou do not trample with thy feet The heads of the tired, miserable brothers." Wherefore I turned me, and before my face Saw and beneath my feet a lake, that from The frost the semblance had of glass, and not of water.

The Danube in Austria never made so thick A veil upon its current in the winter, Nor Tanais yonder under the cold sky, As there was here; for had Tambernic fallen Upon it, or Pietrapana, it would not Even at the edge have given a creak.

And as to croak the frog doth place himself With muzzle out of water,—at the time That oft the peasant-Loss of gleaning dreams,— Livid, as far down as where shame appears, Were the disconsolate shades within the ice, Setting their teeth unto the note of storks. Each one his countenance held downward bent; From mouth the cold, from eyes the doleful heart Among them witness of itself procures.

When I had looked about me, at my feet I saw two frozen so in one hole close, The head of one was cowl unto the other; And even as bread through hunger is devoured, The uppermost on the other set his teeth, There where the brain is to the nape united.

Not in another fashion Tydeus gnawed The temples of Menalippus in disdain, Than that one did the skull and the other things. "O thou, who showest by such bestial sign Thy hatred against him whom thou art eating, Tell me the wherefore," said I, "with this compact, That if with reason thou complain of him, In knowing who ye are, and his transgression, I in the world above repay thee for it, If that wherewith I speak be not dried up."

Before arriving at that part I turned My face about, and stumbled against two Frozen so fast together in one hole, That one head served as hat unto the other. And even as bread through hunger is devoured, One placed his teeth upon the other one Exactly where the brain unites with nape.

"O you, who in such bestial manner show Your hate toward him on whom you feed," I said, "Tell me the reason, on condition this: That if you rightfully complain of him, I, knowing who you are and his offense, May in the world above make recompense, If that with which I speak does not dry up."

A thousand visages then made purple With cold, from whence a shudder comes to me, And evermore will come, at frozen ponds. And while we were advancing tow'rds the middle, At which all gravity together unites, And I was trembling in the eternal shade,— Whether 'twas will, or destiny, or fortune, I do not know; but, walking 'mong the heads, I struck my foot hard in the face of one.

Weeping he growled: "Why dost thou trample me? Unless thou come to augment the vengeance Of Montaperti, why dost thou molest me?" And I: "My Master, now wait here for me, That I through him may free me from a doubt; Then thou shalt hurry me, as much as thou wilt."

The Leader stopped; and I said to that one Who was still uttering malediction roundly: "Who art thou that so railest against others?" "Now who art thou, that goest through Antenora Smiting," he answered, "others' cheeks in such wise, That, if thou living wert, 'twere too much?" "Living I am, and dear to thee it may be," Was my response, "if thou demandest fame, That 'mid the other notes thy name I place."

And he to me: "For the reverse I long; Take thyself hence, and give me no more trouble; For ill thou knowest to flatter in this hollow." Then by the scalp behind I seized upon him, And said: "It must needs be thou name thyself, Or not a hair remain upon thee here."

Whence he to me: "Though thou strip me of hair, I will not tell thee who I am, nor show thee, If on my head a thousand times thou fall." I had his hair in hand already twisted, And more than one shock of it had pulled out, He barking, with his eyes held firmly down, When cried another: "What doth ail thee, Bocca? Is't not enough to clatter with thy jaws, But thou must bark? What devil touches thee?"

"Now," said I, "I care not to have thee speak, Accursed traitor; for unto thy shame I will report of thee veracious news." "Begone," replied he, "and tell what thou wilt; But be not silent, if thou issue hence, Of him who had just now his tongue so ready; He weepeth here the silver of the French. 'I saw,' thus canst thou phrase it, 'him of Duera There where the sinners stand out in the cold.'"

"If thou shouldst questioned be of who was there, Thou hast beside thee him of Beccaria, Of whom the gorget Florence cut asunder. Gianni de' Soldanier, I think, may be Yonder with Ganellon and Tebaldello, Who ope'd Faenza when the people slept."

Already we had gone away from him, When I beheld two frozen in one hole, So that one head a hood was to the other; And even as bread through hunger is devoured, The uppermost on the other set his teeth, There where the brain is to the nape united. Not otherwise did Tydeus gnaw the temples Of Menalippus, in disdain, than that one Did the skull and the other things. "O thou, who showest by such bestial sign Thy hatred against him whom thou art eating, Tell me the wherefore," said I, "with this compact."