Canto 21

So from bridge to bridge we went, speaking other things, which my Comedy careth not to sing, and held the summit, when we stopped to see the next cleft of Malebolge and the next vain lamentations; and I saw it wonderfully dark.

So we went from bridge to bridge, talking of other things that my Comedy does not care to sing about. At the summit, we stopped to look at the next cleft of Malebolge and hear the next futile cries of grief. I saw that the cleft was astonishingly dark.

As in the Arsenal of the Venetians, in winter, the sticky pitch for smearing their unsound vessels is boiling, because they cannot go to sea, and, instead thereof, one builds him a new bark, and one caulks the sides of that which hath made many a voyage; one hammers at the prow, and one at the stern; another makes oars, and another twists the cordage; and one the foresail and the mainsail patches,—so, not by fire, but by divine art, a thick pitch was boiling there below, which belimed the bank on every side. I saw it, but saw not in it aught but the bubbles which the boiling raised, and all of it swelling up and again sinking compressed.

In winter, at the Arsenal of the Venetians, sticky pitch boils for coating their damaged ships. Because the sailors cannot go to sea, they turn to other work. One builds a new boat, while another caulks the sides of a ship that has made many voyages. One hammers at the bow, and another at the stern. One makes oars, another twists ropes, and another patches the foresail and the mainsail. Just as pitch boils there, thick pitch was boiling below, not by fire, but by divine art. It coated the bank on every side. I saw the pitch, but nothing in it except the bubbles raised by the boiling. The whole surface swelled up and then sank back down.

While I was gazing down there fixedly, my Leader, saying, “Take heed! take heed!” drew me to himself from the place where I was standing. Then I turned as one who is slow to see what it behoves him to fly, and whom a sudden fear unnerves, and delays not to depart in order to see. And I saw behind us a black devil come running up along the crag. Ah! how fell he was in aspect, and how rough he seemed to me in action, with wings open, and light upon his feet! His shoulder, which was sharp and high, was laden by a sinner with both haunches, the sinew of whose feet he held clutched. “O Malebranche¹¹⁵ of our bridge,” he said, “lo, one of the Ancients of Saint Zita¹¹⁶ put him under, for I return again to that city, which I have furnished well with them; every man there is a barrator,¹¹⁷ except Bonturo:¹¹⁸ there, for money, of No they make Ay.” He hurled him down, and along the hard crag he turned, and never mastiff loosed was in such haste to follow a thief.

While I was staring down, my Leader pulled me away from where I stood, saying, “Watch out! Watch out!” I turned like someone who is slow to notice a danger he must flee. Sudden fear unnerves him, and he does not wait to look before leaving. Behind us, I saw a black devil running along the crag. Ah, how fierce he looked! How savage his movements seemed, with his wings spread and his feet moving swiftly! A sinner lay across both sides of his sharp, high shoulder, and the devil gripped the sinews of his feet. “O Malebranche¹¹⁵ of our bridge,” he said, “here is one of the Ancients of Saint Zita¹¹⁶. Put him under, for I am going back to that city, which I have supplied well with sinners. Every man there is a barrator,¹¹⁷ except Bonturo:¹¹⁸ there, for money, they turn No into Yes.” He hurled the sinner down, then turned back along the hard crag. No mastiff ever released to chase a thief was in such a hurry.

That one sank under, and came up back uppermost, but the demons that had shelter of the bridge cried out, “Here the Holy Face¹¹⁹ avails not; here one swims otherwise than in the Serchio;¹²⁰ therefore, if thou dost not want our grapples, make no show above the pitch.” Then they struck him with more than a hundred prongs, and said, “Covered must thou dance here, so that, if thou canst, thou mayst swindle secretly.” Not otherwise cooks make their scullions plunge the meat with their hooks into the middle of the cauldron, so that it may not float.

The man sank under the pitch, then rose to the surface again. But the demons sheltering under the bridge cried out, “The Holy Face¹¹⁹ is no help here. You swim differently here than in the Serchio.¹²⁰ So if you don't want to feel our hooks, don't show yourself above the pitch.” Then they struck him with more than a hundred prongs and said, “You must dance under the pitch here, so that, if you can, you may swindle in secret.” In the same way, cooks make their kitchen assistants use hooks to push meat into the middle of a cauldron, so that it won't float.

The good Master said to me, “In order that it be not apparent that thou art here, crouch down behind a splinter, that may afford some screen to thee, and at any offense that may be done to me be not afraid, for I have knowledge of these things, because another time I was at such a fray.”

The good Master said to me, “Crouch behind a jagged rock that may hide you, so no one sees you here. Do not be afraid of any harm they may do to me. I know about such things because I have been in a fight like this before.”

Then he passed on beyond the head of the bridge, and when he arrived upon the sixth bank, he had need of a steadfast front. With such fury and with such storm, as dogs run out upon the poor wretch, who of a sudden begs where he stops, they came forth from under the little bridge, and turned against him all their forks. But he cried out, “Be no one of you savage; ere your hook take hold of me, let one of you come forward that he may hear me, and then take counsel as to grappling me.” All cried out, “Let Malacoda¹²¹ go!” Whereon one moved, and the rest stood still; and he came toward him, saying, “What doth this avail him?” “Thinkest thou, Malacoda, to see me come here,” said my Master, “safe hitherto from all your hindrances, except by Will Divine and fate propitious? Let us go on, for in Heaven it is willed that I show another this savage road.” Then was his arrogance so fallen that he let the hook drop at his feet, and said to the rest, “Now let him not be struck.”

Then he went past the end of the bridge, and when he reached the sixth bank, he had to stand firm. The demons rushed out from under the little bridge with the fury of dogs rushing at a poor wretch who suddenly stops to beg. They turned all their forks against him. But he cried, “Let none of you attack me. Before your hooks catch me, let one of you come forward and hear me. Then you can decide whether to seize me.” All cried, “Let Malacoda¹²¹ go!” One of them moved forward while the rest stood still. He came toward him, saying, “What good will that do him?” “Do you think I could have come here, Malacoda,” said my Master, “safe so far from all your obstacles, without the Divine Will and favorable fate? Let us go on, for Heaven wills that I show another this savage road.” Then Malacoda’s arrogance fell away so completely that he dropped his hook at his feet and said to the rest, “Now do not strike him.”

And my Leader to me, “O thou that sittest cowering among the splinters of the bridge, securely now return to me.” Whereat I moved and came swiftly to him. And the devils all pressed forward, so that I feared they would not keep their compact. And thus I once saw the foot-soldiers afraid, who came out under pledge from Caprona,¹²² seeing themselves among so many enemies. I drew with my whole body alongside my Leader, and turned not mine eyes from their look, which was not good. They lowered their forks, and, “Wilt thou that I touch him on the rump?” said one to the other, and they answered, “Yes, see thou nick it for him.” But that demon who was holding speech with my Leader turned very quickly and said, “Stay, stay, Scarmiglione!”

My Leader said to me, “You who are crouching among the broken pieces of the bridge, come back to me now. It is safe.” So I got up and hurried to him. All the devils pressed forward, and I feared they would not keep their agreement. I had once seen foot soldiers just as afraid when they came out of Caprona¹²² under a pledge of safe passage. They found themselves surrounded by so many enemies. I pressed my whole body close to my Leader and kept my eyes on the devils, whose looks were not friendly. They lowered their forks, and one said to another, “Shall I poke him in the rump?” They answered, “Yes, give him a nick.” But the demon who had been talking with my Leader turned quickly and said, “Stop, stop, Scarmiglione!”

Then he said to us, “Further advance along this crag there cannot be, because the sixth arch lies all shattered at the bottom. And if to go forward still is your pleasure, go on along this rocky bank; near by is another crag that affords a way. Yesterday, five hours later than this hour, one thousand two hundred and sixty-six years were complete since the way was broken here.¹²³ I am sending thitherward some of these of mine, to see if any one is airing himself; go ye with them, for they will not be wicked. Come forward, Alichino and Calcabrina,” began he to say, “and thou, Cagnazzo; and do thou, Barbariccia, guide the ten. Let Libicocco come also, and Draghignazzo, tusked Ciriatto, and Graffiacane, and Farfarello, and mad Rubicante. Search round about the boiling pitch; let these be safe far as the next crag, that all unbroken goes over these dens.”

Then he said to us, “You cannot go any farther along this crag, because the sixth arch lies shattered at the bottom. If you still want to go forward, follow this rocky bank. Nearby is another crag that offers a way across. Yesterday, five hours later than this hour, it was exactly one thousand two hundred and sixty-six years since the crossing here was broken.¹²³ I am sending some of my men that way to see if anyone is airing himself. Go with them, for they will not harm you. “Come forward, Alichino and Calcabrina,” he began, “and you, Cagnazzo. Barbariccia, you lead the ten. Let Libicocco come too, and Draghignazzo, tusked Ciriatto, Graffiacane, Farfarello, and mad Rubicante. Search around the boiling pitch. Keep these two safe as far as the next crag, which crosses these dens without a break.”

“O me! Master, what is it that I see?” said I; “pray let us go alone without escort, if thou knowest the way, for I desire it not for myself. If thou art as wary as thou art wont to be, dost thou not see that they show their teeth, and threaten harm to us with their brows?” And he to me, “I would not have thee afraid. Let them grin on at their will, for they are doing it at the boiled wretches.”

“Oh, Master, what am I seeing?” I said. “Please, if you know the way, let us go alone without an escort. I do not want one. If you are as wary as usual, can’t you see them baring their teeth? Their scowls threaten us with harm.” And he said to me, “I would not have you afraid. Let them grin as they please, for they are grinning at the wretches being boiled.”

Upon the left bank they wheeled round, but first each had pressed his tongue with his teeth toward their leader for a signal, and he had made a trumpet of his rump.

They turned along the left bank. But first, each pressed his tongue between his teeth as a signal to their leader, and he made a trumpet of his backside.