Canto 17

“Behold the wild beast with the pointed tail, that passes mountains, and breaks walls and weapons; behold him that infects all the world.”⁶⁷ Thus began my Leader to speak to me; and he beckoned to him that he should come to shore near the end of the trodden marbles.⁶⁸ And that loathsome image of fraud came onward, and landed his head and his body, but drew not his tail upon the bank. His face was the face of a just man (so benignant was its skin outwardly), and of a serpent all the trunk beside; he had two paws, hairy to the armpits; his back and breast and both his sides were painted with nooses and circles. With more colors of woof and warp Tartars or Turks never made cloth, nor were such webs woven by Arachne.

“Look at the wild beast with the pointed tail. It crosses mountains and breaks through walls and weapons. Look at the creature that infects the whole world.”⁶⁷ This is how my guide began speaking to me. He beckoned the beast to come ashore near the end of the worn marble path.⁶⁸ The loathsome image of fraud came forward and rested its head and body on the shore. But it kept its tail off the bank. Its face was like that of a just man, with such a kindly appearance. The rest of its body was like a serpent’s. It had two paws, hairy up to the armpits. Its back, breast, and sides were covered with patterns of nooses and circles. Neither Tartars nor Turks ever made cloth with more colors in its weave. Nor did Arachne ever weave such webs.

As sometimes boats lie on the shore, so that they are partly in water and partly on the ground, and as yonder, among the gluttonous Germans, the beaver settles himself to make his war,⁶⁹ so lay that worst of beasts upon the rim that closes in the sand with stone. In the void all his tail was quivering, twisting upwards its venomous fork, which like a scorpion’s armed the point.

Sometimes boats rest on the shore, partly in the water and partly on land. In the same way, the beaver settles down to hunt among the gluttonous Germans.⁶⁹ So lay that worst of beasts on the stone rim enclosing the sand. Its whole tail quivered in the void, twisting its venomous fork upward. The fork armed the tip like a scorpion’s.

The Leader said: “Now needs must our way bend a little toward that wicked beast that is couching there.” Therefore we descended on the right hand and took ten steps upon the verge quite to avoid the sand and flame. And when we had come to it, I see, a little farther on, people sitting upon the sand near to the void place.⁷⁰

The Leader said: “Now we must turn a little toward that wicked beast lying there.” So we descended to the right and took ten steps along the edge to avoid the sand and flames. When we reached the beast, I saw people sitting on the sand a little farther on, near the open void.⁷⁰

Here the Master said to me: “In order that thou mayst bear away complete experience of this round, now go and see their condition. Let thy discourse there be brief. Till thou returnest I will speak with this one, that he may concede to us his strong shoulders.”

Here the Master said to me: “Go and see their condition, so you can have a complete experience of this circle. Keep your conversation brief. Until you return, I will speak with this one, so that he may lend us his strong shoulders.”

Thus, still up by the extreme head of that seventh circle, all alone, I went where the sad people were sitting. Through the eyes their woe was bursting forth. This way and that they helped with their hands, sometimes against the vapors,⁷¹ and sometimes against the hot soil. Not otherwise do the dogs in summer, now with muzzle, now with paw, when they are bitten either by fleas, or flies, or gadflies. When I set my eyes on the face of some on whom the woeful fire falls, not one of them I recognized;⁷² but I perceived that from the neck of each was hanging a pouch, that had a certain color and a certain device,⁷³ and thereupon it seems their eyes feed. And as I looking come among them, I saw upon a yellow purse azure that had the face and bearing of a lion.⁷⁴ Then as the current of my look proceeded I saw another, red as blood, display a goose whiter than butter. And one, who had his little white bag marked with an azure and pregnant sow,⁷⁵ said to me, “What art thou doing in this ditch? Now get thee gone, and since thou art still alive, know that my neighbor, Vitaliano, will sit here at my left side. With these Florentines am I, a Paduan; often they stun my ears shouting, “Let the sovereign cavalier come who will bring the pouch with the three goats.”⁷⁶ Then he twisted his mouth, and stuck out his tongue, like an ox that licks his nose.

So, still at the outer edge of the seventh circle, I went alone to where the sorrowful people sat. Their grief poured out through their eyes. They waved their hands this way and that, sometimes against the vapors,⁷¹ and sometimes against the hot ground. Dogs do the same in summer, using their muzzles or paws when fleas, flies, or gadflies bite them. I looked at the faces of some of those on whom the painful fire fell, but recognized none of them;⁷² each had a pouch hanging from the neck, marked with a particular color and emblem,⁷³ and their eyes seemed to feed on the pouches. As I looked among them, I saw a yellow purse bearing a blue lion, with its face and posture clearly shown.⁷⁴ Then my gaze moved on, and I saw another purse, red as blood, bearing a goose whiter than butter. One man had a little white bag marked with a blue, pregnant sow.⁷⁵ He said to me, “What are you doing in this ditch? Now go away. And since you are still alive, know that my neighbor, Vitaliano, will sit here at my left side. I am a Paduan among these Florentines. They often deafen me by shouting, “Let the great knight come, who will bring the pouch with the three goats.”⁷⁶ Then he twisted his mouth and stuck out his tongue, like an ox licking its nose.

And I, fearing lest longer stay might vex him who had admonished me to stay but little, turned back from these weary souls. I found my Leader, who had already mounted upon the croup of the fierce animal, and he said to me, “Now be strong and courageous; henceforth the descent is by such stairs;⁷⁷ mount thou in front, for I wish to be between, so that the tail cannot do thee harm.”

I feared that staying longer might annoy the one who had warned me to stay only a short while. So I turned away from these weary souls. I found my Guide, who had already climbed onto the fierce creature's back. He said to me, “Now be strong and brave. From here on, we must descend by such stairs.⁷⁷ Get on in front, so I can sit between you and the tail and keep it from harming you.”

As is he who hath the shivering fit of the quartan so near that his nails are already pallid, and he is all of a tremble only looking at the shade, such I became at these words uttered. But his reproaches wrought shame in me, which in presence of a good lord makes a servant strong.

At these words, I became like someone about to suffer a chill from quartan fever. His nails have already turned pale, and he trembles all over just looking at the shade. But his reproaches made me ashamed, and shame makes a servant strong in the presence of a good master.

I seated myself on those huge shoulders. I wished to speak thus, “Take heed that thou embrace me,” but the voice came not as I had thought. But he who other time had succored me, in other peril, soon as I mounted, clasped and sustained me with his arms: and he said, “Geryon, move on now; let the circles be wide, and the descending slow; consider the strange burden that thou hast.”

I sat down on those huge shoulders. I wanted to say, “Make sure you hold me,” but the words did not come as I intended. But the one who had helped me in another danger put his arms around me as soon as I mounted and held me up. He said, “Geryon, move on now. Make wide circles and descend slowly. Remember the strange burden you carry.”

As a little vessel goeth from its place, backward, backward, so he thence withdrew; and when he felt himself quite at play, he turned his tail to where his breast had been, and moved it, stretched out like an eel, and with his paws gathered the air to himself. Greater fear I do not think there was when Phaethon abandoned the reins, whereby heaven, as is still apparent, was scorched; nor when the wretched Icarus felt his flanks unfeathering through the melting of the wax, his father shouting to him, “Ill way thou holdest,” than mine was, when I saw that I was in the air on every side, and saw every sight vanished, except that of the beast. He goes along swimming very slowly, wheels and descends, but I perceive it not, save by the wind upon my face, and from below.

Like a small boat leaving its mooring, the beast backed away, slowly, slowly. When he felt free to move, he turned his tail to where his chest had been. He stretched out his tail like an eel and drew the air toward himself with his paws. I do not think Phaethon was more afraid when he let go of the reins, scorching the heavens, as can still be seen. Nor was the wretched Icarus more afraid when he felt the feathers falling from his sides as the wax melted. His father shouted to him, “You are going the wrong way.” I was no less afraid than either of them when I saw that I was surrounded by air. Everything had vanished from sight except the beast. He swims along very slowly, turning and descending. But I can tell he is moving only by the wind against my face and from below.

I heard now on the right hand the gorge making beneath us a horrible roar; wherefore I stretch out my head, with my eyes downward. Then I became more afraid to lean over, because I saw fires and heard laments; whereat I, trembling, wholly cowered back. And I saw then, what I had not seen before, the descending and the wheeling, by the great evils that were drawing near on diverse sides.

I heard the gorge roaring horribly beneath us on the right, so I stretched out my head and looked down. But when I saw fires and heard cries of anguish, I was even more afraid to lean over. Trembling, I drew back completely. Then I realized what I had not noticed before: we were descending and turning, as great evils approached from different sides.

As the falcon which has been long on wing, that, without sight of lure or bird, makes the falconer say, “Ah me, thou stoopest!” descends weary, there whence he had set forth swiftly, through a hundred circles, and lights far from his master, disdainful and sullen; so Geryon set us at the bottom, at the very foot of the scarped rock, and, disburdened of our persons, darted away as arrow from the bowstring.

A falcon may have been flying for a long time without seeing a lure or a bird. As the tired falcon descends, the falconer cries, “Oh no, you’re coming down!” The falcon circles a hundred times before landing far from its master, sullen and scornful, where it had swiftly taken flight. Just like that falcon, Geryon set us down at the bottom, at the very foot of the steep cliff. Once free of our weight, he shot away like an arrow from a bowstring.