The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
CANTO xni. Entering the second division of the seventli circle, Dante finds himself in a weird wood, the trees of which are the spiritis of tliose who have committed violence against their own persons, and who are punished by being fed upon by Harpies.
While Viigil converses with Pietro-^ello Yigne, the confidant and Chancellor of the Emperor Frederic II., two spirits rush through the forest, chased by black bitches, who tear tliem to pieces, such being the punishment of tliose who have committed violence against themselves in tneir estate. I^ESSUS had scarce departed from the place. Or ere we found ourselves within a wood, In which no sign of pathway marked its trace.
No leaves of tender green, but brownly hued, No waving boughs, but gnarled and knotted growth, * No fruit, but thorns with poisonous berries rude. In such a thick and savage undergrowth Koam not the wild beasts through Maremma's lair, Who all the cultivated regions loathe.
48 HELL. OAvfo XHL Their nests tlie Harpies fool constructed there, ^ Who chased the Trojans from the Strofades, With gloomy augury of future fare. Broad wings with human necks and visages, Clawed feet are theirs, great bellies feathered o'er, They make their moan upon the eerie trees.
'^ And my good master : '* Ere thou enterest more Enow in the second circle dost thou stand," So said he, '' which extendeth on its shore Until thou com est to the horrible sand. But well observe, and things thou wilt behold, ^ For which my word could ne'er thy &ith demand. On every side the sound of waiHng roUed, And not a soul I saw by whom 'twas wrought. So that astonied there my steps I hold.
Meseemeth that he fancied that I thought ^ Those voices came from 'twixt the branches sent By people who from us concealment sought. " But," said the master, " if by thee be rent Of any of these plants, some branch's end. The thoughts thou hast will straightway skll be spent.** ^ On that my hand a little I extend. And gathered from a briar a little bough. When its trunk shrieked out, ** Wherefore dost thou rend ?
Then, when the brown blood had begun to flow. Again it shrieked out, " Wherefore dost thou tear ? ^ Does not thy spirit any pity know ? Though now we're changed to shoots, yet men we were : Surely thy hand more clement should have been Had we been souls of serpents in despair.
As when the one end of a firebrand green ^ Is kindled, at the other end it groans And hisses with the hot air issuing keen, So from that broken branch there issued moans And blood together, whence I dropt the bough And stood like one whom sudden terror owns. ^ ** Had it been possible for him to know," Answered my wise one, '' O thou soul in pain. By words alone that which the sight could show, On thee his hand had ne'er such action ta'en.
Only the incredible marvel of the place ^ Forced me to prompt a deed which now I plain. Line 11. " Who chased the Trojans from the Strofades. See " ^neid," bookiii;
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Cino zni. HELL. 49 But tell him who thou wert, so that in grace For some amends, in the upper world thj fame May grow where he his steps again will trace*" " So with thy sweet words me thou dost inflame *'^ That I must speak^ and let it not displease If to some little length I now declaim. I am the one who carried both the keys Of Frederic's heart, and tuned them with such sweet Motion, both locking and unlocking these, ^ That for his secrets no one else was meet. With trust I exercised my high emprise, So that for it my pulses ceased to beat. Envy, the harlot whose bold, shameless eyes
Were never absent yet from Csesar's hall
SA
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CANTO xni. Entering the second division of the seventli circle, Dante finds himself in a weird wood, the trees of which are the spiritis of tliose who have committed violence against their own persons, and who are punished by being fed upon by Harpies.
While Viigil converses with Pietro-^ello Yigne, the confidant and Chancellor of the Emperor Frederic II., two spirits rush through the forest, chased by black bitches, who tear tliem to pieces, such being the punishment of tliose who have committed violence against themselves in tneir estate. I^ESSUS had scarce departed from the place. Or ere we found ourselves within a wood, In which no sign of pathway marked its trace.
No leaves of tender green, but brownly hued, No waving boughs, but gnarled and knotted growth, * No fruit, but thorns with poisonous berries rude. In such a thick and savage undergrowth Koam not the wild beasts through Maremma's lair, Who all the cultivated regions loathe.
48 HELL. OAvfo XHL Their nests tlie Harpies fool constructed there, ^ Who chased the Trojans from the Strofades, With gloomy augury of future fare. Broad wings with human necks and visages, Clawed feet are theirs, great bellies feathered o'er, They make their moan upon the eerie trees. '^ And my good master : '* Ere you enterest more Enow in the second circle do you stand," So said he, '' which extends on its shore Until you com est to the horrible sand. But well observe, and things you will behold, ^ For which my word could ne'er your &ith demand." On every side the sound of waiHng roUed, And not a soul I saw by whom 'twas wrought. So that astonied there my steps I hold. Meseems that he fancied that I thought ^ Those voices came from 'twixt the branches sent By people who from us concealment sought. " But," said the master, " if by you be rent Of any of these plants, some branch's end. The thoughts you have will straightway skll be spent.** ^ On that my hand a little I extend. And gathered from a briar a little bough. When its trunk shrieked out, ** Wherefore do you rend ?" Then, when the brown blood had begun to flow. Again it shrieked out, " Wherefore do you tear ? ^ Does not your spirit any pity know ? Though now we're changed to shoots, yet men we were : Surely your hand more clement should have been Had we been souls of serpents in despair." As when the one end of a firebrand green ^ Is kindled, at the other end it groans And hisses with the hot air issuing keen, So from that broken branch there issued moans And blood together, whence I dropt the bough And stood like one whom sudden terror owns. ^ ** Had it been possible for him to know," Answered my wise one, '' O you soul in pain. By words alone that which the sight could show, On you his hand had ne'er such action ta'en. Only the incredible marvel of the place ^ Forced me to prompt a deed which now I plain. Line 11. " Who chased the Trojans from the Strofades." See " ^neid," bookiii;
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Cino zni. HELL. 49 But tell him who you were, so that in grace For some amends, in the upper world thj fame May grow where he his steps again will trace*" " So with your sweet words me you do inflame *'^ That I must speak^ and let it not displease If to some little length I now declaim. I am the one who carried both the keys Of Frederic's heart, and tuned them with such sweet Motion, both locking and unlocking these, ^ That for his secrets no one else was meet. With trust I exercised my high emprise, So that for it my pulses ceased to beat. Envy, the harlot whose bold, shameless eyes
Were never absent yet from Csesar's hall
SA
>»
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