Canto 26

Rejoice, Florence, since thou art so great that over sea and land thou beatest thy wings, and thy name is spread through Hell. Among the thieves I found five such, thy citizens, whereat shame comes to me, and thou unto great honor risest not thereby. But, if near the morning one dreams the truth, thou shalt feel within little time what Prato, as well as others, craves for thee.¹⁵³ And if now it were, it would not be too soon. Would that it were so! since surely it must be; for the more it will weigh on me the more I age.

Rejoice, Florence, for you are so great that you spread your wings over sea and land. Your name is known throughout Hell. Among the thieves I found five of your citizens. They bring me shame, and they bring you no great honor. But if dreams near morning come true, you will soon feel what Prato and others wish for you.¹⁵³ And if it happened now, it would not be too soon. I wish it would happen now, since it surely must happen. For the older I get, the more it will weigh on me.

We departed thence, and up along the stairs that the bourns¹⁵⁴ had made for our descent before, my Leader remounted and dragged me. And pursuing the solitary way mid the splinters and rocks of the crag, the foot without the hand sped not. Then I grieved, and now I grieve again when I direct my mind to what I saw; and I curb my genius more than I am wont, that it may not run unless virtue guide it; so that if a good star, or better thing, has given me of good, I may not grudge it to myself.

We left there, and my guide climbed back up the steps that the ridges¹⁵⁴ had made for our earlier descent. He pulled me up after him. As we followed the lonely path among the broken rocks of the cliff, we needed both hands and feet. I grieved then, and I grieve again now when I think of what I saw. I restrain my talent more than usual, so that it will not run unless virtue guides it. That way, if a lucky star or something better has given me a gift, I will not deprive myself of it.

As the rustic who rests him on the bill in the season when he that brightens the world keepeth his face least hidden from us, what time the fly yieldeth to the gnat,¹⁵⁵ sees many fireflies down in the valley, perhaps there where he makes his vintage and ploughs,—with as many flames all the eighth pit was resplendent, as I perceived soon as I was there where the bottom became apparent. And as he¹⁵⁶ who was avenged by the bears saw the chariot of Elijah at its departure, when the horses rose erect to heaven, and could not so follow it with his eyes as to see aught save the flame alone, even as a little cloud, mounting upward: thus each¹⁵⁷ was moving through the gulley of the ditch, for not one shows its theft, and every flame steals away a sinner.¹⁵⁸

A farmer rests on a hill in the season when the sun hides its face from us least. At the hour when flies give way to gnats,¹⁵⁵ he sees many fireflies in the valley below. Perhaps he sees them where he harvests grapes and ploughs. The whole eighth pit shone with as many flames, as I saw once I reached a place overlooking its bottom. And he¹⁵⁶ who was avenged by the bears saw Elijah's chariot as it departed. Its horses rose upright toward heaven, and he could follow it with his eyes only until he saw the flame alone, rising like a little cloud. In the same way, each flame¹⁵⁷ moved through the bottom of the ditch. None reveals what it has stolen, and every flame carries away a sinner.¹⁵⁸

I was standing on the bridge, risen up to look, so that if I had not taken hold of a rock I should have fallen below without being pushed. And the Leader, who saw me thus attent, said, “Within these fires are the spirits; each is swathed by that wherewith he is enkindled.” “My Master,” I replied, “by hearing thee am I more certain, but already I deemed that it was so, and already I wished to say to thee, Who is in that fire that cometh so divided at its top that it seems to rise from the pyre on which Eteocles was put with his brother?”¹⁵⁹ He answered me, “There within are tormented Ulysses and Diomed, and thus together they go in punishment, as of old in wrath.¹⁶⁰ And within their flame they groan for the ambush of the horse that made the gate, whence the gentle seed of the Romans issued forth. Within it they lament for the artifice whereby the dead Deidamia still mourns for Achilles, and there for the Palladium they bear the penalty.” “If they can speak within those sparkles,” said I, “Master, much I pray thee, and repray that the prayer avail a thousand, that thou make not to me denial of waiting till the horned flame come hither; thou seest that with desire I bend me toward it.” And he to me, “Thy prayer is worthy of much praise, and therefore I accept it, but take heed that thy tongue restrain itself. Leave speech to me, for I have conceived what thou wishest, for, because they are Greeks, they would be shy, perchance, of thy words.”¹⁶¹

I stood on the bridge and rose to look. If I had not grabbed a rock, I would have fallen below without being pushed. The Leader saw how intently I was watching and said, “The spirits are inside these fires. Each is wrapped in the flame that burns him.” “My Master,” I replied, “hearing you say so makes me more certain, but I had already thought that was true. I had also wanted to ask you who is in that fire, whose top is split in two. It looks like the flame rising from the pyre where Eteocles was laid with his brother.”¹⁵⁹ He answered, “Ulysses and Diomed are tormented inside it. They go together in punishment, as they once went together in anger.¹⁶⁰ Within their flame they groan for the ambush of the horse, which opened the gate through which the noble ancestors of the Romans came forth. There they mourn for the trick that makes Deidamia, though dead, still mourn Achilles. There, too, they suffer punishment for the Palladium.” “If they can speak from within those flames,” I said, “Master, I beg you, and beg you again, may my prayer count a thousand times. Please do not refuse to wait until the horned flame comes here. You can see how eagerly I lean toward it.” He said to me, “Your prayer deserves great praise, so I grant it. But take care to hold your tongue. Leave the speaking to me, for I understand what you want. Because they are Greeks, they might perhaps be reluctant to hear your words.”¹⁶¹

When the flame had come there where it seemed to my Leader time and place, in this form I heard him speak to it: “O ye who are two within one fire, if I deserved of you while I lived, if I deserved of you much or little, when in the world I wrote the lofty verses, move not, but let one of you tell us, where, having lost himself, he went away to die.” The greater horn of the ancient flame began to waver, murmuring, even as a flame that the wind wearies. Then moving its tip hither and thither, as it had been the tongue that would speak, it cast forth a voice, and said,—

When the flame reached the place where my Leader thought the time and place were right, I heard him speak to it: “You two who are within one fire, if I earned your favor while I lived, whether much or little, when I wrote the lofty verses in the world, do not move on. Let one of you tell us where he went to die after he was lost.” The larger horn of the ancient flame began to flicker and murmur, like a flame stirred by the wind. Then its tip moved back and forth, as if it were a tongue about to speak. A voice came from the flame and said:

“When I departed from Circe, who had retained me more than a year there near to Gaeta, before Aeneas had so named it, neither fondness for my son, nor piety for my old father, nor the due love that should have made Penelope glad, could overcome within me the ardor that I had to gain experience of the world, and of the vices of men, and of their valor. But I put forth on the deep, open sea, with one vessel only, and with that little company by which I had not been deserted. One shore and the other¹⁶² I saw as far as Spain, far as Morocco and the island of Sardinia, and the rest which that sea bathes round about. I and my companions were old and slow when we came to that narrow strait where Hercules set up his bounds, to the end that man may not put out beyond.¹⁶³ On the right hand I left Seville, on the other already I had left Ceuta. ‘O brothers,’ said I, ‘who through a hundred thousand perils have reached the West, to this so little vigil of your senses that remains be ye unwilling to deny, the experience, following the sun, of the world that hath no people. Consider ye your origin; ye were not made to live as brutes, but for pursuit of virtue and of knowledge.’ With this little speech I made my companions so eager for the road that hardly afterwards could I have held them back. And turning our stern to the morning, with our oars we made wings for the mad flight, always gaining on the left hand side. The night saw now all the stars of the other pole, and ours so low that it rose not forth from the ocean floor. Five times rekindled and as many quenched was the light beneath the moon, since we had entered on the deep pass, when there appeared to us a mountain dim through the distance, and it appeared to me so high as I had not seen any. We rejoiced thereat, and soon it turned to lamentation, for from the strange land a whirlwind rose, and struck the fore part of the vessel. Three times it made her whirl with all the waters, the fourth it made her stern lift up, and the prow go down, as pleased Another, till the sea had closed over us.”

“When I left Circe, she had kept me there for more than a year, near Gaeta, before Aeneas gave it that name. Neither my love for my son, nor my duty to my old father, nor the love I owed Penelope could overcome my desire to experience the world and learn about men’s vices and valor. Instead, I sailed out onto the open sea with only one ship and the small company that had not deserted me. I saw both shores¹⁶² as far as Spain and Morocco. I also saw the island of Sardinia and the other lands surrounded by that sea. My companions and I were old and slow when we reached the narrow strait where Hercules set his limits. He set them so that no man would sail beyond them.¹⁶³ I left Seville on my right, and on my other side I had already left Ceuta. ‘O brothers,’ I said, ‘you have reached the West through a hundred thousand dangers. So little time remains while your senses are still awake. Do not deny yourselves the chance to follow the sun and experience the world where no people live. Consider your origins. You were not made to live like beasts, but to pursue virtue and knowledge.’ With this short speech, I made my companions so eager to go on that I could hardly have held them back afterward. We turned our stern toward the morning and used our oars as wings for our mad flight, always bearing to the left. Night now revealed all the stars of the other pole. Our own pole was so low that it did not rise above the ocean floor. The light beneath the moon had been rekindled five times and gone out as many times since we entered the deep passage. Then a mountain appeared to us, dim in the distance. It seemed to me higher than any I had ever seen. We rejoiced at the sight, but our joy soon turned to grief. A whirlwind rose from the strange land and struck the front of the ship. Three times it spun the ship and all the water around it. The fourth time it lifted the stern and drove the prow down, as Another willed, until the sea closed over us.”