Canto 9

That color which cowardice painted outwardly on me when I saw my Guide turn back, repressed more speedily his own new color. He stopped attentive, like a man that listens, for the eye could not lead him far through the black air, and through the dense fog.

When I saw my Guide turn back, fear drained the color from my face. Seeing this, he quickly hid his own change of color. He stopped and listened closely, for he could not see far through the dark air and thick fog.

“Yet it must be for us to win the fight,” began he, “unless—Such an one offered herself to us.²² Oh how slow it seems till Some one here arrive!”²³

“Yet we must win the fight,” he began, “unless... Such a one offered herself to us.²² Oh, how long it seems before someone arrives here!”²³

I saw well how he covered up the beginning with the rest that came after, which were words different from the first. But nevertheless his speech gave me fear, because I drew his broken phrase perchance to a worse meaning than it held.

I could see how he covered up his opening words with what he said next. His later words were different from the first. But his speech still frightened me, because I may have taken his unfinished phrase to mean something worse than he intended.

“Into this depth of the dismal shell does any one ever descend from the first grade who has for penalty only hope cut off?”²⁴ This question I put, and he answered me, “Seldom it happens that any one of us maketh the journey on which I am going. It is true that another time I was conjured down here by that cruel Erichtho who was wont to call back shades into their bodies. Short while had my flesh been bare of me, when she made me enter within that wall in order to drag out for her a spirit from the circle of Judas. That is the lowest place, and the darkest, and the farthest from the Heaven that encircles all. Well do I know the road: therefore assure thyself. This marsh which breathes out the great stench girds round about the woeful city wherein now we cannot enter without anger.”

“Does anyone from the first circle ever descend into the depths of this grim pit? Their only punishment is the loss of hope.”²⁴ I asked this question, and he answered, “One of us rarely makes the journey I am making. But once before, I was summoned down here by the cruel Erichtho, who used to call spirits back into their bodies. I had been dead only a short time when she sent me inside that wall. She wanted me to drag out a spirit from the circle of Judas. That is the lowest and darkest place, farthest from the Heaven that surrounds everything. I know the way well, so take heart. The marsh that gives off this terrible stench surrounds the sorrowful city. We cannot enter the city now without meeting anger.”

And more he said, but I hold it not in mind because my eye had wholly attracted me toward the high tower with the ruddy summit, where in an instant were uprisen suddenly three infernal furies, stained with blood, who had the limbs of women and their action, and were girt with greenest hydras. Little serpents and cerastes they had for hair, wherewith their savage brows were bound.

He said more, but I do not remember it because the tall tower with its reddish top had caught my eye. Suddenly, three bloodstained furies from hell appeared on the tower. They had the limbs and movements of women, and bright green hydras were wrapped around their waists. Little snakes and horned vipers formed their hair and curled around their savage brows.

And he, who well knew the handmaids of the queen of the eternal lamentation, said to me, “Behold the fell Erinnyes; this is Megaera on the left side, she who weeps on the right is Alecto, Tisiphone is in the middle,” and therewith he was silent.

He knew the servants of the queen of eternal lamentation well. He said to me, “Look at the fierce Erinnyes. Megaera is on the left. Alecto is weeping on the right. Tisiphone is in the middle.” Then he fell silent.

With her nails each was tearing her breast, they beat themselves with their hands, and cried out so loud that I pressed close to the Poet through dread. “Let Medusa come, so we will make him of stone,” they all said, looking down. “Ill was it we avenged not on Theseus his assault.”

Each tore at her breast with her nails. They beat themselves with their hands and cried out so loudly that I pressed close to the Poet in fear. “Let Medusa come, so we can turn him to stone,” they all said, looking down. “We should have punished Theseus for his attack.”

“Turn thy back, and keep thy sight closed, for if the Gorgon show herself, and thou shouldest see her, no return upward would there ever be.” Thus said the Master, and he himself turned me, and did not so trust to my hands that with his own he did not also blindfold me.

“Turn around and keep your eyes closed. If the Gorgon appears and you see her, you will never be able to return upward.” The Master said this and turned me around himself. He did not trust my hands alone, so he also covered my eyes with his own.

O ye who have sound understanding, regard the doctrine that is hidden under the veil of the strange verses.

You who understand clearly, consider the teaching hidden beneath the veil of these strange verses.

And already was coming across the turbid waves a tumult of a sound full of terror at which both the shores trembled. Not otherwise it was than of a wind, impetuous through the opposing heats, that strikes the forest, and without any stay shatters the branches, beats down and carries them away; forward, laden with dust, it goes superb, and makes the wild beasts and the shepherds fly.

A terrifying roar was already coming across the muddy waves, making both shores tremble. It sounded like a fierce wind driven by opposing currents of heat. Such a wind strikes a forest and shatters, knocks down, and carries away branches without stopping. Laden with dust, it sweeps proudly onward, sending wild animals and shepherds fleeing.

My eyes he loosed, and said, “Now direct the nerve of sight across the ancient scum, there yonder where that fume is most bitter.”

He freed my eyes and said, “Now look across the ancient scum, over there where the fumes are most bitter.”

As frogs before the hostile snake all scatter through the water, till each huddles on the ground, I saw more than a thousand destroyed souls flying thus before one, who at the ford was passing over the Styx with dry feet. From his face he removed that thick air, waving his left hand oft before him, and only with that trouble seemed he weary. Well I perceived that he was sent from Heaven, and I turned me to the Master, and he made sign that I should stand quiet and bow down unto him. Ah, how full of disdain he seemed to me! He reached the gate and with a little rod he opened it, for there was no withstanding.

As frogs scatter through the water before a hostile snake, until each one huddles on the bottom, I saw more than a thousand ruined souls fleeing in the same way. They fled before one who was crossing the Styx at the ford with dry feet. He cleared the thick air from his face, often waving his left hand before him. That effort seemed to be the only thing that tired him. I could see that he had been sent from Heaven. I turned to the Master, who signaled for me to stand still and bow to him. Ah, how full of disdain he seemed to me! He reached the gate and opened it with a small rod, for nothing could resist him.

“O outcasts from Heaven, folk despised,” began he upon the horrible threshold, “wherefore is this overweening harbored in you? Why do ye kick against that will from which its end can never be cut short, and which many a time hath increased your grief? What avails it to butt against the fates? Your Cerberus, if ye remember well, still bears his chin and his throat peeled for that.” Then he turned back upon the filthy road and said no word to us, but wore the semblance of a man whom other care constrains and stings, than that of him who is before him.

“O outcasts from Heaven, despised creatures,” he began at the horrible threshold, “why do you harbor such arrogance? Why do you resist the will whose purpose can never be thwarted and which has so often increased your suffering? What good does it do to fight against fate? If you remember well, your Cerberus still has a raw chin and throat from doing that.” Then he turned back along the filthy road and said nothing to us. He looked like a man troubled and driven by concerns other than those of the person before him.

And we moved our feet toward the city, confident after his holy words. Within we entered without any strife, and I, who had desire to observe the condition which such a stronghold locks in, when I was within, sent my eyes round about; and I see on every hand a great plain full of woe and of cruel torment.

Confident after his holy words, we walked toward the city and entered without any trouble. I wanted to see what lay within such a fortress, so I looked around. On every side, I saw a vast plain full of suffering and cruel torment.

As at Arles, where the Rhone stagnates, as at Pola, near the Quarnaro that shuts in Italy and bathes its borders, sepulchres make all the place uneven; so did they here on every side, saving that the manner was more bitter here; for among the tombs flames were scattered, by which they were so intensely kindled that no art requires iron more so. All their lids were lifted; and such dire laments were issuing forth from them as truly seemed of wretches and of sufferers.

At Arles, where the Rhone grows still, tombs make the ground uneven everywhere. They do the same at Pola, near the Quarnaro, which encloses Italy and washes its borders. Tombs covered the ground on every side here too, but the sight was more terrible. Flames scattered among the tombs heated them more intensely than any craft requires iron to be heated. All the lids were raised. From the tombs came such dreadful cries that they truly seemed to come from wretched people in pain.

And I, “Master, who are these folk that, buried within those coffers, make themselves heard with their woeful sighs?” And he to me, “Here are the heresiarchs with their followers of every sect, and the tombs are much more laden than thou thinkest. Like with like is buried here, and the monuments are more and less hot.”

And I said, “Master, who are these people buried in those tombs, whose sorrowful sighs we can hear?” He replied, “These are the leaders of heresies and their followers from every sect. The tombs are much fuller than you think. People of the same sect are buried together, and some tombs are hotter than others.”

And when he to the right hand had turned, we passed between the torments and the high battlements.

After he turned right, we passed between the torments and the high battlements.