Canto 27

Now was the flame erect and quiet, through not speaking more, and now was going from us, with the permission of the sweet poet, when another that was coming behind it made us turn our eyes to its tip, by a confused sound that issued forth therefrom. As the Sicilian bull¹⁶⁴—that bellowed first with the plaint of him (and that was right) who had shaped it with his file—was wont to bellow with the voice of the sufferer, so that, although it was of brass, yet it appeared transfixed with pain, thus, through not at first having way or outlet from the fire, the disconsolate words were converted into its language. But when they had taken their course up through the point, giving it that vibration which the tongue had given in their passage, we heard say, “O thou, to whom I direct my voice, thou that wast just speaking Lombard,¹⁶⁵ saying, ‘Now go thy way, no more I urge thee,’ although I may have arrived perchance somewhat late, let it not irk thee to stop to speak with me, behold, it irks not me, and I am burning. If thou but now into this blind world art fallen from that sweet Italian land whence I bring all my sin, tell me if the Romagnuoli have peace or war; for I was from the mountains there between Urbino and the chain from which Tiber is unlocked.”¹⁶⁶

The flame now stood upright and still, since it had stopped speaking. With the gentle poet’s permission, it was moving away from us. Then another flame came behind it, and a confused sound came from its tip, making us turn to look. The Sicilian bull¹⁶⁴ first bellowed with the cries of the man who had shaped it with his file, and rightly so. It used to bellow with the voice of whoever suffered inside it. Although the bull was made of brass, it seemed to be pierced with pain. In the same way, the despairing words were turned into the flame’s own language, because at first they had no way out of the fire. But then the words traveled up through the tip, making it vibrate as the tongue had vibrated in speaking them. We heard it say, “You, to whom I direct my voice, you who were just speaking Lombard,¹⁶⁵ saying, ‘Now go on your way, I urge you no further,’ do not mind stopping to speak with me, though perhaps I have come a little late. Look, I do not mind stopping, and I am burning. If you have just fallen into this blind world from that sweet Italian land where I committed all my sins, tell me whether the Romagnuoli have peace or war. For I came from the mountains between Urbino and the range where the Tiber has its source.”¹⁶⁶

I was still downward attent and leaning over when my Leader touched me on the side, saying, “Speak thou, this is an Italian.” And I, who even now had my answer ready, without delay began to speak, “O soul, that art hidden there below, thy Romagna is not, and never was, without war in the hearts of her tyrants, but open war none have I left there now. Ravenna is as it hath been for many years; the eagle of Polenta¹⁶⁷ is brooding there, so that he covers Cervia with his wings. The city¹⁶⁸ that made erewhile the long struggle, and of the French a bloody heap, finds itself again beneath the green paws. And the old mastiff and the new of Verrucchio,¹⁶⁹ who made the ill disposal of Montagna, make an anger of their teeth there where they are wont. The little lion of the white lair¹⁷⁰ governs the city of Lamone and of Santerno, and changes side from summer to winter. And she¹⁷¹ whose flank the Savio bathes, even as she sits between the plain and the mountain, lives between tyranny and a free state. Now who thou art, I pray thee that thou tell us; be not harder than another hath been,¹⁷² so may thy name in the world hold front.”

I was still leaning over, listening closely to the depths, when my Leader touched my side. “Speak,” he said. “This one is an Italian.” I already had my answer ready, so I began at once. “O soul hidden below, your Romagna is not, and never was, free of war in the hearts of its tyrants. But I left no open war there now. Ravenna is as it has been for many years. The eagle of Polenta¹⁶⁷ still broods there, covering Cervia with his wings. The city¹⁶⁸ that once put up a long struggle and made a bloody heap of the French is again beneath the green paws. And the old and the new mastiffs of Verrucchio,¹⁶⁹ who dealt cruelly with Montagna, use their teeth in anger where they always have. The little lion of the white lair¹⁷⁰ rules the city of Lamone and Santerno, changing sides between summer and winter. And she¹⁷¹ whose flank the Savio washes lies between the plain and the mountain. Just so, she lives between tyranny and a free state. Now please tell us who you are. Do not be less willing than another has been¹⁷², so may your name live on in the world.”

After the fire had somewhat roared according to its fashion, the sharp point moved this way and that, and then gave forth this breath: “If I could believe that my answer might be to a person who should ever return unto the world, this flame would stand without more quiverings; but inasmuch as, if I hear truth, never from this depth did any living man return, without fear of infamy I answer thee.

After the fire had roared for a while, as fire does, its sharp tip moved back and forth. Then it breathed out these words: “If I believed you might ever return to the world, this flame would stop flickering. But, if what I hear is true, no living person has ever returned from these depths. So I answer you without fear of disgrace.

“I was a man of arms, and then became a cordelier, trusting, thus girt, to make amends; and surely my trust had been fulfilled but for the Great Priest,¹⁷³ whom may ill betide! who set me back into my first sins; and how and wherefore, I will that thou hear from me. While I was that form of bone and flesh that my mother gave me, my works were not leonine, but of the fox. The wily practices, and the covert ways, I knew them all, and I so plied their art that to the earth’s end the sound went forth. When I saw me arrived at that part of my age where every one ought to strike the sails and to coil up the ropes, what erst was pleasing to me then gave me pain, and I yielded me repentant and confessed. Alas me wretched! and it would have availed. The Prince of the new Pharisees having war near the Lateran,¹⁷⁴—and not with Saracens nor with Jews, for every enemy of his was Christian, and none of them had been to conquer Acre,¹⁷⁵ nor a trafficker in the land of the Soldan,—regarded in himself neither his supreme office, nor the holy orders, nor in me that cord which is wont to make those girt with it more lean; but as Constantine besought Sylvester within Soracte to cure his leprosy,¹⁷⁶ so this one besought me as master to cure his proud fever. He asked counsel of me, and I kept silence, because his words seemed drunken. And then he said to me, ‘Let not thy heart mistrust; from now I absolve thee, and do thou teach me to act so that I may throw Palestrina to the ground. Heaven can I lock and unlock, as thou knowest; for two are the keys that my predecessor held not dear.’ Then his grave arguments pushed me to where silence seemed to me the worst, and I said, ‘Father, since thou washest me of that sin wherein I now must fall, long promise with short keeping will make thee triumph on the High Seat.’ Francis¹⁷⁷ came for me afterwards, when I was dead, but one of the Black Cherubim said to him, ‘Bear him not away; do me not wrong; he must come down among my drudges because he gave the fraudulent counsel, since which till now I have been at his hair; for he who repents not cannot be absolved, nor can repentance and will exist together, because of the contradiction that allows it not.’ O woeful me! how I shuddered when he took me, saying to me, ‘Perhaps thou didst not think that I was a logician.’ To Minos he bore me; and he twined his tail eight times round his hard back, and, after he had bitten it in great rage, he said, ‘This is one of the sinners of the thievish fire.’ Therefore I, where thou seest, am lost, and going thus robed I rankle.” When he had thus completed his speech the flame, sorrowing, departed, twisting and flapping its sharp horn.

“I was a man of arms, and then I became a cordelier, trusting that the cord would help me make amends. And surely my trust would have been fulfilled but for the Great Priest,¹⁷³ may ill befall him! He sent me back into my former sins, and I want you to hear from me how and why. While I lived in the body my mother gave me, my deeds were not those of a lion, but of a fox. I knew every trick and secret way, and I practiced that art so well that my fame spread to the ends of the earth. When I reached the age when everyone should lower the sails and coil the ropes, what had once pleased me caused me pain. I repented and confessed. Alas, wretched me! And that would have saved me. The Prince of the new Pharisees was at war near the Lateran.¹⁷⁴ He was fighting neither Saracens nor Jews, for all his enemies were Christians. None of them had gone to conquer Acre,¹⁷⁵ or traded in the land of the Soldan. Yet he respected neither his supreme office, nor his holy orders, nor the cord I wore, which usually makes those who wear it leaner. Just as Constantine asked Sylvester to cure his leprosy inside Soracte,¹⁷⁶ this man asked me, as a master, to cure his fever of pride. He asked for my counsel, but I kept silent because his words sounded drunken. Then he said to me, ‘Do not mistrust me. I absolve you now, and you must teach me how to bring Palestrina to the ground. I can lock and unlock Heaven, as you know. For I have the two keys that my predecessor did not value.’ His weighty arguments pushed me to the point where silence seemed the worse choice. So I said, ‘Father, since you absolve me of the sin I am about to commit, make long promises and keep them only briefly. That will bring you victory in the High Seat.’ After I died, Francis¹⁷⁷ came for me, but one of the Black Cherubim said to him, ‘Do not carry him away. Do not wrong me. He must come down among my servants because he gave fraudulent counsel. I have had him by the hair ever since. Anyone who does not repent cannot be absolved. And a person cannot repent while still intending to sin, because the contradiction makes it impossible.’ Oh, wretched me! How I shuddered when he seized me and said, ‘Perhaps you did not think I was a logician.’ He carried me to Minos, who wrapped his tail eight times around his hard back. Then Minos bit his tail in great rage and said, ‘This is one of the sinners in the thievish fire.’ So I am lost where you see me, and I suffer, clothed in this flame.” When he had finished speaking, the sorrowing flame departed, twisting and flapping its sharp horn.

We passed onward, I and my Leader, along the crag, far as upon the next arch that covers the ditch in which the fee is paid by those who, sowing discord, win their burden.

My guide and I continued along the rocky ridge until we reached the next arch over the ditch. There, those who sow discord pay the price for the burden they have earned.