The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
32 HELL. Canto IX. O'er it fell Death's inscription we descried ; And ere now, on this side descendeth here, Passing through every circle without guide, One before whom this realm will open clear." *^
CANTO IX. Virgil pauses, waiting for heavenly assistance. In the meantime the three Furies rise upon the walls of Dis and threaten Dante with the sight of Medusa's head. The Angel then arrives across the Stvz, and the friends retiring, the gates of the city are opened. Dante folio wing Virgil finds the heretics of all denominations punished in tombs of fire. The hue which fear had painted on my face, My leader back returning when I viewed, Sooner to his restored its gentle grace. Like one who listens he intently stood ; Since to the distance eye could never pierce, * Through the blank air and clouds that thickly brewed. " Still I must conquer in this struggle fierce," Began he ; ** and if not — one offered aid. How slow his advent here to me appears !" Clearly I noticed how he overlaid ^® The words with which he had begun with more. Which quite a different meaning had betrayed, But none the less his speech woke terror sore. Because I dragged that broken syllable, Perchance to meaning worse than that it bore. ^^ " Down to the bottom of this gloomy shell Descends there ever one from the first sphere. Whose only pain is helplessly to dwell ?" This question made I, and he answered, " Here Karely it happens that amongst us one ^ Traceth the pathway by the which I steer. 'Tis true that once before I wended down. Forced by Eryton's cruellest control, Who called the shadows back their frames to own.
Lines 1 to 3. Virgil recovers his composure the sooner to allay Dante*8 fears. Lines 16 to 18. Dante appears to think that assistance is to be rendered by one of the sages in Limbo ; hence his question. Line 23 " Forced by Eryton's cruellest control," A witch, who in Lucan's *^ Pharsalia" is introduced as drawing a soul from Hell by her incantations to prophesy the termination of the civil war.
Eryton mast have lived to a good old age if it was now possible for her to employ Virgil after his death on such, an errand.
CiJiTO IX. HELL. 33 But newly I had stripped my fleshly stole, '* When o'er yon walls she forced me to procure From Judas' circle, by her spells, a soul. That is the lowest place, and most obscure. And furthest from the spheres' encircling sky. Well do I know the way, so rest secure. ^" This marsh, that breathes out such a stench on high, Girdles around this residence of woe, Where, without wrath, we cannot henceforth hie.
And more he said, which now I do not know, Because I wholly had withdrawn my eyes ^ Towards the high turret, with its crest aglow. When all at once I saw erect arise The three infernal Furies, tinged with blood. Who looked like females in their limbs and guise, And were girt round with greenest Hydra's brood : ^ Serpents and homed snakes they had for hair.
Which their fell brows encircling, fierce outstood, And he, who knew them well, the slaves that bear The mandates of the Queen of lasting woe, ** Behold !" he cried, " the fierce Erynnes there ! ** That is Megera on the left hand ; lo Aletto she, who waileth on the right, I' the midst Tisiphone. He silent grew.
With talons each one tore her breast in spite, Smote with her palms, and shrieked in such a tone, ^ That to the bard I clung in my affright. '* Medusa, come ! we'll turn him into stone ! Cried they, as all their looks towards me abase, " Theseus' assault unpunished we atone. " Turn thyself back, and cover up thy face. If Gorgon here be shown, and thou shouldst see, Nothing will ever move thee from this place.
So spake my master, and he turned me, he Himself, and trusted not to hands of mine. But with his own he clasped my eyes for me. Line 27. The oirde of Judas Iscariot, called Gtiidecca, is the lowest pit in the tenth and last oirde, and is descrihed in the 84th Canto. Line 54. " Theseus' assault unpunished we atone.
The Furies lament that ihey allowed^ Theseus to depart from Hell in safety, through whose escape another hying soul has now ventured within their kingdom, a mistake they will not repeat. This is one of those rare instances in which Gary's translation apj^ears to me to be in error, though the Italian text wiU accept his interpretation : — " Mai non vengiammo in Teseo I'assalto. " E'en when by Theseus' might assailed, we took No ill revenge. I read with Yentari : " Mistakenly, we did not avenge Theseus' assault. D
32 HELL. Canto IX. O'er it fell Death's inscription we descried ; And ere now, on this side descends here, Passing through every circle without guide, One before whom this realm will open clear." *^
CANTO IX. Virgil pauses, waiting for heavenly assistance. In the meantime the three Furies rise upon the walls of Dis and threaten Dante with the sight of Medusa's head. The Angel then arrives across the Stvz, and the friends retiring, the gates of the city are opened. Dante folio wing Virgil finds the heretics of all denominations punished in tombs of fire. The hue which fear had painted on my face, My leader back returning when I viewed, Sooner to his restored its gentle grace. Like one who listens he intently stood ; Since to the distance eye could never pierce, * Through the blank air and clouds that thickly brewed. " Still I must conquer in this struggle fierce," Began he ; ** and if not — one offered aid. How slow his advent here to me appears !" Clearly I noticed how he overlaid ^® The words with which he had begun with more. Which quite a different meaning had betrayed, But none the less his speech woke terror sore. Because I dragged that broken syllable, Perchance to meaning worse than that it bore. ^^ " Down to the bottom of this gloomy shell Descends there ever one from the first sphere. Whose only pain is helplessly to dwell ?" This question made I, and he answered, " Here Karely it happens that amongst us one ^ Tracs the pathway by the which I steer. 'Tis true that once before I wended down. Forced by Eryton's cruellest control, Who called the shadows back their frames to own.
Lines 1 to 3. Virgil recovers his composure the sooner to allay Dante*8 fears. Lines 16 to 18. Dante appears to think that assistance is to be rendered by one of the sages in Limbo ; hence his question. Line 23 " Forced by Eryton's cruellest control," A witch, who in Lucan's *^ Pharsalia" is introduced as drawing a soul from Hell by her incantations to prophesy the termination of the civil war.
Eryton mast have lived to a good old age if it was now possible for her to employ Virgil after his death on such, an errand.
CiJiTO IX. HELL. 33 But newly I had stripped my fleshly stole, '* When o'er yon walls she forced me to procure From Judas' circle, by her spells, a soul. That is the lowest place, and most obscure. And furthest from the spheres' encircling sky. Well do I know the way, so rest secure. ^" This marsh, that breathes out such a stench on high, Girdles around this residence of woe, Where, without wrath, we cannot henceforth hie." And more he said, which now I do not know, Because I wholly had withdrawn my eyes ^ Towards the high turret, with its crest aglow. When all at once I saw erect arise The three infernal Furies, tinged with blood. Who looked like females in their limbs and guise, And were girt round with greenest Hydra's brood : ^ Serpents and homed snakes they had for hair. Which their fell brows encircling, fierce outstood, And he, who knew them well, the slaves that bear The mandates of the Queen of lasting woe, ** Behold !" he cried, " the fierce Erynnes there ! ** That is Megera on the left hand ; lo Aletto she, who wails on the right, I' the midst Tisiphone." He silent grew. With talons each one tore her breast in spite, Smote with her palms, and shrieked in such a tone, ^ That to the bard I clung in my affright. '* Medusa, come ! we'll turn him into stone !" Cried they, as all their looks towards me abase, " Theseus' assault unpunished we atone." " Turn yourself back, and cover up your face. If Gorgon here be shown, and you should see, Nothing will ever move you from this place." So spake my master, and he turned me, he Himself, and trusted not to hands of mine. But with his own he clasped my eyes for me. Line 27. The oirde of Judas Iscariot, called Gtiidecca, is the lowest pit in the tenth and last oirde, and is descrihed in the 84th Canto. Line 54. " Theseus' assault unpunished we atone." The Furies lament that ihey allowed^ Theseus to depart from Hell in safety, through whose escape another hying soul has now ventured within their kingdom, a mistake they will not repeat. This is one of those rare instances in which Gary's translation apj^ears to me to be in error, though the Italian text wiU accept his interpretation : — " Mai non vengiammo in Teseo I'assalto." " E'en when by Theseus' might assailed, we took No ill revenge." I read with Yentari : " Mistakenly, we did not avenge Theseus' assault." D
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