HELL. Данте Алигьери

nation

      and wife of flock-attending Israel.

      “Beatrice!” she said, “in harmony with God! 91

      Why, why, O why ignore a lover who

      was taught to love divinity by you?

      Can you not hear him miserably cry, 94

      lonely and lost beside death’s raving sea

      and threatened by a foul rapacity?”

      As soon as Lucy’s words were understood, 97

      nobody ever moved as fast as me.

      I came to you whose wise and truthful speech

      can heal my lover’s hurt and do him good – 100

      speech glorifying you and all who hear,’

      she said, turning her face to hide a tear.

      103 Its brightness urged me to this place. The wolf

      still blocks the uphill path. We’ll reach the top

      going the long way round. With me your guide

      106 and three celestial women on your side,

      why hesitate? What have you got to fear?

      Why all this cowardice? Have you no pride?”

      109 As daisies folding petals up at night,

      heavy with frozen dew, lean to the ground

      until the rising sun’s warm, gift of light

      112 thaws and unbends and opens them, I found

      at last my crippled courage stand upright.

      Like one set free I cried, “Let us go on!

      115 The great compassion of that heavenly she,

      forbye the wonder of your courtesy

      have cured my idiot timidity.

      118 Your words have filled me with new confidence,

      making your will and mine a single will.

      Guide, Lord and Master, come! Let us go hence.”

      121 The wild path that we followed led downhill.

      3: Hell’s Entry. Doom of Moderates. Charon’s Ferry

      ENTER THROUGH ME, CITY OF ENDLESS WOE, 1

      ENTER THROUGH ME ETERNAL AGONY

      ENTER TO JOIN THE WHOLLY LOST BELOW

      CREATIVE LOVE, CREATIVE INTELLECT, 4

      ESTABLISHED ME FOR ALL ETERNITY.

      INFINITE JUSTICE IS MY ARCHITECT.

      NOTHING EXISTED BEFORE I WAS MADE. 7

      NOTHING EXISTING WILL ESCAPE MY SCOPE.

      ALL YOU WHO ENTER HERE, ABANDON HOPE!

      10 These fearful words carved deeply I could see

      above a great dark doorway, so I cried,

      “O Master, do these words apply to me?”

      13 Like a good teacher giving calm advice,

      “Don’t think that I mislead you,” he replied.

      “By now you should have lost your cowardice.

      16 I am assigned (recall) to help you view

      the final state of those dead sinners who

      chose to corrupt the goodness of their minds.”

      19 Smiling to cheer me on, he took my hand

      and led me in beside a dreadful band

      who hurt my ears with horrid lamentation.

      22 Screams, wails, howls, groans and other ugly cries

      went blasting by us in a starless dark

      with skirls of rancorous denunciation,

      25 wild curses yelled in tongues of every nation

      or hoarsely growled, or hissed in execration,

      mingled with bitter moaning, sobs and sighs

      28 that had me weeping too in emulation.

      This madly squealing, roaring, snarling throng

      arms flailing, clutching hands and trampling feet,

      31 went reeling, shambling, charging, tumbling by,

      like sands in whirlwinds, birling round and round

      until their foggy billows hid the sky.

      34 This ghastly crowd and din so filled my head

      I gazed upon my guide and whispered, “Why?”

      “These timid sinners stand aside,” he said,

      “when strong oppressors tyrannise and slay. 37

      They may feel sympathetic to the weak

      but think it wise to keep out of the way.

      When Satan, God’s prime minister, first planned 40

      to rule the universe, he raised a band

      of rebels who split Heaven in two, it seemed,

      till moderates united in a team 43

      to stay aloof from holiness and sin

      until they saw which side was bound to win.

      They were the foremost damned when virtue won. 46

      Outcasts of Hell and Heaven, here they run.”

      “But Master,” I asked, “why do they yell so loud?”

      He said, “This sorry crowd have the distress 49

      of being altogether meaningless.

      They envy now the fate of anyone

      whose deeds and misdeeds will preserve their name 52

      in memory, through good or evil fame.

      Justice and mercy both reject them, so

      we’ll speak no more of them. Look, and let’s go.” 55

      I looked and saw a whirling flag ahead,

      chased by these multitudes. I never knew

      such millions had been numbered with the dead, 58

      but one I knew, that cowardly pope, who,

      elected to reform the Church’s sins,

      fearing to foul his hands by that, withdrew, 61

      true to himself, but to our God untrue.

      Hornets that stung like daggers sped this race

      64 of frantic nudity, so tears, sweat, blood

      splashing the ground from every limb and face

      were sucked by worms wriggling in trampled mud.

      67 Beyond that rushing rabble I could see,

      though dimly lit, a mighty river’s shore

      with quite a different crowd congesting it,

      70 pressing and jostling. They seemed to me

      like people keen to reach the other side.

      I asked my guide, “What are they eager for?”

      73 “Wait and you’ll see,” was all that he replied.

      We reached the river. From the other shore

      I