Canto 32

If I had rhymes both harsh and raucous, such as would befit the dismal hole on which thrust²²⁴ all the other rocks, I would press out the juice of my conception more fully; but since I have them not, not without fear I bring myself to speak; for to describe the bottom of the whole universe is no enterprise to take up in jest, nor a tongue that cries mamma or babbo. But may those Dames aid my verse who aided Amphion to close in Thebes; so that from the fact the speech be not diverse.

If I had harsh, grating rhymes to suit the dismal pit against which all the other rocks press,²²⁴ I could express my vision more fully. But since I do not, I am afraid to speak. Describing the bottom of the whole universe is no task to take up lightly. Nor is it a task for a tongue that cries “mamma” or “babbo.” But may those Ladies who helped Amphion enclose Thebes help my verse, so that my words do not stray from the truth.

O populace miscreant above all, that art in the place whereof to speak is hard, better had ye been here²²⁵ or sheep or goats!

O people, more wicked than all others, you are in a place too terrible to describe. Better for you to have been here²²⁵ as sheep or goats!

When we were down in the dark abyss beneath the feet of the giant, but far lower, and I was gazing still at the high wall, I heard say to me, “Beware how thou steppest; take heed thou trample not with thy soles the heads of the wretched weary brethren.” Whereat I turned, and saw before me, and under my feet, a lake which through frost had semblance of glass and not of water.

We were down in the dark abyss, far below the giant's feet. As I was still looking up at the high wall, I heard someone say to me, “Watch where you step. Be careful not to tread on the heads of the wretched, weary brothers.” I turned and saw a lake before me and beneath my feet. The frost had made it look like glass rather than water.

The Danube in Austria makes not for its current so thick a veil in winter, nor the Don yonder under the cold sky, as there was here; for if Tambernich²²⁶ had fallen thereupon, or Pietrapana,²²⁷ it would not even at the edge have given a creak. And as to croak the frog lies with muzzle out of the water, what time²²⁸ oft dreams the peasant girl of gleaning, so, livid up to where shame appears,²²⁹ were the woeful shades within the ice, setting their teeth to the note of the stork.²³⁰ Every one held his face turned downward; from the mouth the cold, and from the eyes the sad heart compels witness of itself among them.

In winter, neither the Danube in Austria nor the Don under its cold sky forms a veil of ice as thick as the one here. If Tambernich²²⁶ or Pietrapana²²⁷ had fallen on it, the ice would not have creaked even at the edge. A frog lies with its snout above the water to croak, at the time²²⁸ when the peasant girl often dreams of gleaning. Just like that, the wretched shades lay in the ice, blue with cold up to where shame appears,²²⁹ their teeth chattering like storks.²³⁰ Each one held his face downward. Their mouths bore witness to the cold, and their eyes to their sorrowful hearts.

When I had looked round awhile, I turned to my feet, and saw two so close that they had the hair of their heads mixed together. “Tell me, ye who so press tight your breasts,” said I, “who are ye?” And they bent their necks, and after they had raised their faces to rue, their eyes, which before were moist only within, gushed up through the lids, and the frost bound the tears between them, and locked them up again. Clamp never girt board to board so strongly; wherefore they like two he goats butted together, such anger overcame them.

After looking around for a while, I looked down at my feet. I saw two people so close together that the hair on their heads was tangled. “Tell me, you who press your chests so tightly together,” I said, “who are you?” They bent their necks and raised their faces in sorrow. Their eyes, which had been wet only inside, overflowed with tears. The frost froze the tears between their eyes, sealing them shut again. No clamp ever held two boards together so tightly. The two were overcome with anger and butted each other like two billy goats.

And one who had lost both his ears through the cold, still with his face downward, said to me, “Why dost thou so mirror thyself on us? If thou wouldst know who are these two, the valley whence the Bisenzio descends belonged to their father Albert, and to them.²³¹ From one body they issued, and all Caina²³² thou mayst search, and thou wilt not find shade more worthy to be fixed in ice; not he whose breast and shadow were broken by one and the same blow by the hand of Arthur;²³³ not Focaccia;²³⁴ not he who encumbers me with his head, so that I cannot see beyond, and was named Sassol Mascheroni:²³⁵ if thou art Tuscan, well knowest thou now who he was. And that thou mayst not put me to more speech, know that I was Camicion de’ Pazzi,²³⁶ and I await Carlino that he may exonerate me.”

One man had lost both his ears to the cold. Still facing downward, he said to me, “Why do you stare at us as if we were a mirror? If you want to know who these two are, the valley where the Bisenzio descends belonged to their father Albert and to them.²³¹ They came from the same body. You may search all of Caina,²³² and you will not find a soul more deserving of being fixed in ice. Not even the man whose breast and shadow were pierced by the same blow from Arthur’s hand.²³³ Nor Focaccia.²³⁴ Nor the man whose head blocks my view, so that I cannot see beyond him. His name was Sassol Mascheroni.²³⁵ If you are Tuscan, you now know well who he was. And so you will not make me speak any more, know that I was Camicion de’ Pazzi,²³⁶ and I await Carlino, so that he may clear me of blame.”

Then I saw a thousand faces made currish by the cold, whence shuddering comes to me, and will always come, at frozen pools.

Then I saw a thousand faces made doglike by the cold. Because of that sight, frozen pools make me shudder, and always will.

And while we were going toward the centre²³⁷ to which tends every weight, and I was trembling in the eternal shade, whether it was will or destiny, or fortune I know not, but, walking among the heads, I struck my foot hard in the face of one. Wailing he cried out to me, “Why dost thou trample me? If thou comest not to increase the vengeance of Mont’ Aperti, why dost thou molest me?” And I, “My Master, now wait here for me, so that I may free me from a doubt by means of this one, then thou shalt make me hasten as much as thou wilt.” The Leader stopped, and I said to that shade who was bitterly blaspheming still, “Who art thou that thus railest at another?” “Now thou, who art thou, that goest through the Antenora,”²³⁸ he answered, “smiting the cheeks of others, so that if thou wert alive, it would be too much?” “Alive I am, and it may be dear to thee,” was my reply, “if thou demandest fame, that I should set thy name amid the other notes.” And he to me, “For the contrary do I long; take thyself hence, and give me no more trouble, for ill thou knowest to flatter on this plain.” Then I took him by the hair of the crown, and said, “It shall needs be that thou name thyself, or that not a hair remain upon thee here.” Whereon he to me, “Though thou strip me of hair, I will not tell thee who I am, nor will I show it to thee if a thousand times thou fallest on my head.”

We were going toward the center²³⁷ to which every weight is drawn, and I was trembling in the eternal darkness. As I walked among the heads, I struck one of them hard in the face with my foot. I do not know whether it was my will, destiny, or fortune. Wailing, he cried out to me, “Why are you trampling me? If you have not come to increase the vengeance for Mont’ Aperti, why are you tormenting me?” And I said, “My Master, wait here for me now, so I can settle a doubt by questioning this one. Then you can make me hurry as much as you wish.” The Leader stopped, and I spoke to the shade, who was still cursing bitterly. “Who are you to hurl abuse at someone else?” “And who are you,” he answered, “to walk through the Antenora,²³⁸ striking others on the cheek? Even if you were alive, that would be too much.” “I am alive,” I replied, “and if you want fame, you may welcome my adding your name to my other notes.” He said to me, “I long for the opposite. Go away and trouble me no more, for you know little about flattery on this plain.” Then I seized him by the hair on the crown of his head. “You must tell me your name,” I said, “or not a hair will remain on your head.” He replied, “Though you strip me of my hair, I will not tell you who I am. Nor will I reveal it even if you fall on my head a thousand times.”

I already had his hair twisted in my hand, and had pulled out more than one shock, he barking, with his eyes kept close down, when another cried out, “What ails thee, Bocca?²³⁹ Is it not enough for thee to make music with thy jaws, but thou must bark? What devil has hold of thee?” “Now,” said I, “I would not have thee speak, accursed traitor, for to thy shame will I carry true news of thee.” “Begone,” he answered, “and relate what thou wilt, but be not silent, if from here within thou goest forth, of him who now had his tongue so ready. He weeps here the money of the French; I saw, thou canst say, him of Duera,²⁴⁰ there where the sinners stand cooling. Shouldst thou be asked who else was there, thou hast at thy side that Beccheria²⁴¹ whose gorget Florence cut. Gianni del Soldanier²⁴² I think is farther on with Ganellon²⁴³ and Tribaldello,²⁴⁴ who opened Faenza when it was sleeping.”

I had already twisted his hair around my hand and pulled out more than one clump. He was barking, with his eyes fixed downward, when another cried out, “What’s wrong, Bocca?²³⁹ Isn’t it enough to make music with your chattering teeth? Must you bark too? What devil has hold of you?” “Now,” I said, “I don’t want you to speak, you cursed traitor. I will carry true news of you, to your shame.” “Go away,” he answered, “and tell whatever you like. But if you get out of here, don’t keep silent about the one who was so quick to speak just now. He weeps here over the French money he took. You can say you saw Duera²⁴⁰ there, where the sinners stand cooling. If anyone asks who else was there, you have that Beccheria²⁴¹ beside you, whose throat Florence cut. I think Gianni del Soldanier²⁴² is farther on, with Ganellon²⁴³ and Tribaldello,²⁴⁴ who opened Faenza while it was sleeping.”

We had now parted from him when I saw two frozen in one hole, so that the head of one was a hood for the other. And as bread is devoured in hunger, so the uppermost one set his teeth upon the other where the brain joins with the nape. Not otherwise Tydeus gnawed for spite the temples of Menalippus than this one did the skull and the other parts. “O thou! that by so bestial a sign showest hatred against him whom thou dost eat, tell me the wherefore,” said I, “with this compact, that if thou rightfully of him complainest, I, knowing who ye are, and his sin, may yet recompense thee for it in the world above, if that with which I speak be not dried up.”

We had now left him when I saw two people frozen in one hole. The head of one covered the other like a hood. Just as a hungry person devours bread, the one on top sank his teeth into the other where the brain meets the neck. Tydeus gnawed at the temples of Menalippus in hatred, just as this man gnawed at the other's skull and the parts around it. “You show your hatred for the man you are eating in such a beastly way. Tell me why,” I said. “Let us make a bargain. If you have a rightful complaint against him, I may repay you in the world above. But I must know who you both are and what his sin was, and my tongue must not have dried up.”