THE VISION

OF

HELL, PURGATORY, AND PARADISE

BY

DANTE ALIGHIERI

TRANSLATED BY

THE REV. H. F. CARY, M. A. 

HELL

OR THE INFERNO

Part 1

Cantos 1 - 2

CANTO I

IN the midway of this our mortal life, I found me in a gloomy wood, astrayGone from the path direct: and e'en to tellIt were no easy task, how savage wildThat forest, how robust and rough its growth, Which to remember only, my dismayRenews, in bitterness not far from death. Yet to discourse of what there good befell, All else will I relate discover'd there. How first I enter'd it I scarce can say, Such sleepy dullness in that instant weigh'dMy senses down, when the true path I left, But when a mountain's foot I reach'd, where clos'dThe valley, that had pierc'd my heart with dread, I look'd aloft, and saw his shoulders broadAlready vested with that planet's beam, Who leads all wanderers safe through every way. 

Then was a little respite to the fear, That in my heart's recesses deep had lain, All of that night, so pitifully pass'd:And as a man, with difficult short breath, Forespent with toiling, 'scap'd from sea to shore, Turns to the perilous wide waste, and standsAt gaze; e'en so my spirit, that yet fail'dStruggling with terror, turn'd to view the straits, That none hath pass'd and liv'd. My weary frameAfter short pause recomforted, againI journey'd on over that lonely steep, The hinder foot still firmer. Scarce the ascentBegan, when, lo! a panther, nimble, light, And cover'd with a speckled skin, appear'd, Nor, when it saw me, vanish'd, rather stroveTo check my onward going; that ofttimesWith purpose to retrace my steps I turn'd. 

The hour was morning's prime, and on his wayAloft the sun ascended with those stars, That with him rose, when Love divine first mov'dThose its fair works: so that with joyous hopeAll things conspir'd to fill me, the gay skinOf that swift animal, the matin dawnAnd the sweet season. Soon that joy was chas'd, And by new dread succeeded, when in viewA lion came, 'gainst me, as it appear'd, With his head held aloft and hunger-mad, That e'en the air was fear-struck. A she-wolfWas at his heels, who in her leanness seem'dFull of all wants, and many a land hath madeDisconsolate ere now. She with such fearO'erwhelmed me, at the sight of her appall'd, That of the height all hope I lost. As one, Who with his gain elated, sees the timeWhen all unwares is gone, he inwardlyMourns with heart-griping anguish; such was I, Haunted by that fell beast, never at peace, Who coming o'er against me, by degreesImpell'd me where the sun in silence rests. 

While to the lower space with backward stepI fell, my ken discern'd the form one of one, Whose voice seem'd faint through long disuse of speech. When him in that great desert I espied, "Have mercy on me!" cried I out aloud, "Spirit! or living man! what e'er thou be!"

He answer'd: "Now not man, man once I was, And born of Lombard parents, Mantuana bothBy country, when the power of Julius yetWas scarcely firm. At Rome my life was pastBeneath the mild Augustus, in the timeOf fabled deities and false. A bardWas I, and made Anchises' upright sonThe subject of my song, who came from Troy, When the flames prey'd on Ilium's haughty towers. But thou, say wherefore to such perils pastReturn'st thou? wherefore not this pleasant mountAscendest, cause and source of all delight?""And art thou then that Virgil, that well-spring, From which such copious floods of eloquenceHave issued?" I with front abash'd replied. "Glory and light of all the tuneful train!May it avail me that I long with zealHave sought thy volume, and with love immenseHave conn'd it o'er. My master thou and guide!Thou he from whom alone I have deriv'dThat style, which for its beauty into fameExalts me. See the beast, from whom I fled. O save me from her, thou illustrious sage!"

"For every vein and pulse throughout my frameShe hath made tremble. " He, soon as he sawThat I was weeping, answer'd, "Thou must needsAnother way pursue, if thou wouldst 'scapeFrom out that savage wilderness. This beast, At whom thou criest, her way will suffer noneTo pass, and no less hindrance makes than death:So bad and so accursed in her kind, That never sated is her ravenous will, Still after food more craving than before. To many an animal in wedlock vileShe fastens, and shall yet to many more, Until that greyhound come, who shall destroyHer with sharp pain. He will not life supportBy earth nor its base metals, but by love, Wisdom, and virtue, and his land shall beThe land 'twixt either Feltro. In his mightShall safety to Italia's plains arise, For whose fair realm, Camilla, virgin pure, Nisus, Euryalus, and Turnus fell. He with incessant chase through every townShall worry, until he to hell at lengthRestore her, thence by envy first let loose. I for thy profit pond'ring now devise, That thou mayst follow me, and I thy guideWill lead thee hence through an eternal space, Where thou shalt hear despairing shrieks, and seeSpirits of old tormented, who invokeA second death; and those next view, who dwellContent in fire, for that they hope to come, Whene'er the time may be, among the blest, Into whose regions if thou then desireT' ascend, a spirit worthier then IMust lead thee, in whose charge, when I depart, Thou shalt be left: for that Almighty King, Who reigns above, a rebel to his law, Adjudges me, and therefore hath decreed, That to his city none through me should come. He in all parts hath sway; there rules, there holdsHis citadel and throne. O happy those, Whom there he chooses!" I to him in few:"Bard! by that God, whom thou didst not adore, I do beseech thee (that this ill and worseI may escape) to lead me, where thou saidst, That I Saint Peter's gate may view, and thoseWho as thou tell'st, are in such dismal plight. "

Onward he mov'd, I close his steps pursu'd. 

CANTO II

NOW was the day departing, and the air, Imbrown'd with shadows, from their toils releas'dAll animals on earth; and I alonePrepar'd myself the conflict to sustain, Both of sad pity, and that perilous road, Which my unerring memory shall retrace. 

O Muses! O high genius! now vouchsafeYour aid! O mind! that all I saw hast keptSafe in a written record, here thy worthAnd eminent endowments come to proof. 

I thus began: "Bard! thou who art my guide, Consider well, if virtue be in meSufficient, ere to this high enterpriseThou trust me. Thou hast told that Silvius' sire, Yet cloth'd in corruptible flesh, amongTh' immortal tribes had entrance, and was thereSensible present. Yet if heaven's great Lord, Almighty foe to ill, such favour shew'd, In contemplation of the high effect, Both what and who from him should issue forth, It seems in reason's judgment well deserv'd:Sith he of Rome, and of Rome's empire wide, In heaven's empyreal height was chosen sire:Both which, if truth be spoken, were ordain'dAnd 'stablish'd for the holy place, where sitsWho to great Peter's sacred chair succeeds. He from this journey, in thy song renown'd, Learn'd things, that to his victory gave riseAnd to the papal robe. In after-timesThe chosen vessel also travel'd there, To bring us back assurance in that faith, Which is the entrance to salvation's way. But I, why should I there presume? or whoPermits it? not, Aeneas I nor Paul. Myself I deem not worthy, and none elseWill deem me. I, if on this voyage thenI venture, fear it will in folly end. Thou, who art wise, better my meaning know'st, Than I can speak. " As one, who unresolvesWhat he hath late resolv'd, and with new thoughtsChanges his purpose, from his first intentRemov'd; e'en such was I on that dun coast, Wasting in thought my enterprise, at firstSo eagerly embrac'd. "If right thy wordsI scan, " replied that shade magnanimous, "Thy soul is by vile fear assail'd, which oftSo overcasts a man, that he recoilsFrom noblest resolution, like a beastAt some false semblance in the twilight gloom. That from this terror thou mayst free thyself, I will instruct thee why I came, and whatI heard in that same instant, when for theeGrief touch'd me first. I was among the tribe, Who rest suspended, when a dame, so blestAnd lovely, I besought her to command, Call'd me; her eyes were brighter than the starOf day; and she with gentle voice and softAngelically tun'd her speech address'd:"O courteous shade of Mantua! thou whose fameYet lives, and shall live long as nature lasts!A friend, not of my fortune but myself, On the wide desert in his road has metHindrance so great, that he through fear has turn'd. Now much I dread lest he past help have stray'd, And I be ris'n too late for his relief, From what in heaven of him I heard. Speed now, And by thy eloquent persuasive tongue, And by all means for his deliverance meet, Assist him. So to me will comfort spring. I who now bid thee on this errand forthAm Beatrice; from a place I come

(Note: Beatrice. I use this word, as it ispronounced in the Italian, as consisting of foursyllables, of which the third is a long one. )

Revisited with joy. Love brought me thence, Who prompts my speech. When in my Master's sightI stand, thy praise to him I oft will tell. "

She then was silent, and I thus began:"O Lady! by whose influence alone, Mankind excels whatever is contain'dWithin that heaven which hath the smallest orb, So thy command delights me, that to obey, If it were done already, would seem late. No need hast thou farther to speak thy will;Yet tell the reason, why thou art not lothTo leave that ample space, where to returnThou burnest, for this centre here beneath. "

She then: "Since thou so deeply wouldst inquire, I will instruct thee briefly, why no dreadHinders my entrance here. Those things aloneAre to be fear'd, whence evil may proceed, None else, for none are terrible beside. I am so fram'd by God, thanks to his grace!That any suff'rance of your miseryTouches me not, nor flame of that fierce fireAssails me. In high heaven a blessed dameBesides, who mourns with such effectual griefThat hindrance, which I send thee to remove, That God's stern judgment to her will inclines. "To Lucia calling, her she thus bespake:"Now doth thy faithful servant need thy aidAnd I commend him to thee. " At her wordSped Lucia, of all cruelty the foe, And coming to the place, where I abodeSeated with Rachel, her of ancient days, She thus address'd me: "Thou true praise of God!Beatrice! why is not thy succour lentTo him, who so much lov'd thee, as to leaveFor thy sake all the multitude admires?Dost thou not hear how pitiful his wail, Nor mark the death, which in the torrent flood, Swoln mightier than a sea, him struggling holds?""Ne'er among men did any with such speedHaste to their profit, flee from their annoy, As when these words were spoken, I came here, Down from my blessed seat, trusting the forceOf thy pure eloquence, which thee, and allWho well have mark'd it, into honour brings. "

"When she had ended, her bright beaming eyesTearful she turn'd aside; whereat I feltRedoubled zeal to serve thee. As she will'd, Thus am I come: I sav'd thee from the beast, Who thy near way across the goodly mountPrevented. What is this comes o'er thee then?Why, why dost thou hang back? why in thy breastHarbour vile fear? why hast not courage thereAnd noble daring? Since three maids so blestThy safety plan, e'en in the court of heaven;And so much certain good my words forebode. "

As florets, by the frosty air of nightBent down and clos'd, when day has blanch'd their leaves, Rise all unfolded on their spiry stems;So was my fainting vigour new restor'd, And to my heart such kindly courage ran, That I as one undaunted soon replied:"O full of pity she, who undertookMy succour! and thou kind who didst performSo soon her true behest! With such desireThou hast dispos'd me to renew my voyage, That my first purpose fully is resum'd. Lead on: one only will is in us both. Thou art my guide, my master thou, and lord. "

So spake I; and when he had onward mov'd, I enter'd on the deep and woody way.