Canto 34

“Vexilla regis prodeunt inferni,²⁵⁶ toward us; therefore look in front,” said my Master; “if thou discernest him.” As a mill that the wind turns seems from afar when a thick fog breathes, or when our hemisphere grows dark with night, such a structure then it seemed to me I saw.

“The banners of the king of Hell advance²⁵⁶ toward us. So look ahead,” said my Master, “and see if you can make him out.” I thought I saw a structure like a windmill in the distance, seen through thick fog or the darkness of night.

Then, because of the wind, I drew me behind my Leader; for there was no other shelter. I was now, and with fear I put it in verse, there²⁵⁷ where the shades were wholly covered, and showed through like a straw in glass. Some are lying; some stand erect, this on his head, and that on his soles; another like a bow inverts his face to his feet.

Then, because of the wind, I sheltered behind my Leader. There was nowhere else to shelter. I had now reached a place I describe in verse with fear. There²⁵⁷ the shades were completely covered, showing through like straw in glass. Some lay down. Some stood upright, one on his head and another on his feet. Another bent like a bow, with his face turned toward his feet.

When we had gone so far forward that it pleased my Master to show me the creature that had the fair semblance, from before me he took himself and made me stop, saying, “Behold Dis, and behold the place where it is needful that with fortitude thou arm thee.” How I became then chilled and hoarse, ask it not, Reader, for I write it not, because all speech would be little. I did not die, and I did not remain alive. Think now for thyself, if thou hast grain of wit, what I became, deprived of one and the other.

When we had gone far enough, my Master decided to show me the creature who had once been beautiful. He stepped aside and made me stop, saying, “Behold Dis, and the place where you must arm yourself with courage.” Reader, do not ask how cold and speechless I became. I will not write of it, because no words could do it justice. I did not die, but I did not remain alive. Now think for yourself, if you have any wit, what I became, deprived of both life and death.

The emperor of the woeful realm from his midbreast issued forth from the ice; and I match better with a giant, than the giants do with his arms. See now how great must be that whole which corresponds to such parts. If he was as fair as he now is foul, and against his Maker lifted up his brow, surely may all tribulation proceed from him. Oh how great a marvel it seemed to me, when I saw three faces on his head! one in front, and that was red; the others were two that were joined to this above the very middle of each shoulder, and they were joined together at the place of the crest; and the right seemed between white and yellow, the left was such to sight as those who come from where the Nile flows valleyward. Beneath each came forth two great wings, of size befitting so huge a bird. Sails of the sea never saw I such. They had no feathers, but their fashion was of a bat; and he was flapping them so that three winds went forth from him, whereby Cocytus was all congealed. With six eyes he was weeping, and over three chins trickled the tears and bloody drivel. With each mouth he was crushing a sinner with his teeth, in manner of a brake, so that he thus was making three of them woeful. To the one in front the biting was nothing to the clawing, so that sometimes his spine remained all stripped of skin.

The emperor of the sorrowful realm rose from the ice, exposed from the middle of his chest up. I am closer in size to a giant than the giants are to his arms. Imagine, then, how vast his whole body must be to match such parts. If he was once as beautiful as he is now ugly, yet raised his brow against his Maker, then surely all suffering may come from him. How amazed I was when I saw three faces on his head! The face in front was red. The other two joined it above the middle of each shoulder, and all three met at the top of his head. The right face was between white and yellow. The left was the color of people from the lands where the Nile flows down into the valley. Beneath each face came two great wings, suited to a bird so huge. I have never seen sails at sea as large as those wings. They had no feathers but were shaped like a bat’s wings. He flapped them, sending out three winds that froze all of Cocytus. He wept from six eyes, and tears and bloody drool ran down his three chins. In each mouth he crushed a sinner between his teeth, like a crushing machine. In this way he tormented all three. For the sinner in the front mouth, the biting was nothing compared with the clawing. Sometimes his back was left completely stripped of skin.

“That soul up there which has the greatest punishment,” said the Master, “is Judas Iscariot, who has his head within, and plies his legs outside. Of the other two who have their heads down, he who hangs from the black muzzle is Brutus; see how he writhes and says no word; and the other is Cassius, who seems so large-limbed. But the night is rising again, and now we must depart, for we have seen the whole.”

“The soul up there suffering the greatest punishment,” said the Master, “is Judas Iscariot. His head is inside, and he kicks his legs outside. The other two hang with their heads down. The one hanging from the black muzzle is Brutus. See how he writhes without saying a word. The other is Cassius, who seems so large-limbed. But night is falling again, and we must leave now, for we have seen everything.”

As was his pleasure, I clasped his neck, and he took opportunity of time and place, and when the wings were opened wide he caught hold on the shaggy flanks; from shag to shag he then descended between the bushy hair and the frozen crusts. When we were just where the thigh turns on the thick of the haunch, my Leader, with effort and stress of breath, turned his head where he had his shanks, and clambered by the hair as a man that ascends, so that I thought to return again to hell.

As he wanted, I clasped his neck. He waited for the right moment and place, and when the wings spread wide, he grabbed the shaggy flanks. Then he climbed down from tuft to tuft, between the thick hair and the frozen crusts. When we reached the point where the thigh joins the thick haunch, my guide turned himself around with great effort, breathing hard. He put his head where his legs had been and clambered along the hair like a man climbing upward. I thought we were going back to hell.

“Cling fast hold,” said the Master, panting like one weary, “for by such stairs it behoves to depart from so much evil.” Then he came forth through the opening of a rock, and placed me upon its edge to sit; then stretched toward me his cautious step.

“Hold on tight,” said the Master, panting as if exhausted, “for we must use such stairs to leave so much evil behind.” Then he came out through an opening in the rock and set me down on its edge. He then stepped carefully toward me.

I raised my eyes, and thought to see Lucifer as I had left him, and I saw him holding his legs upward. And if I then became perplexed, let the dull folk think it that see not what that point is that I had passed.²⁵⁸

I looked up, expecting to see Lucifer as I had left him. Instead, I saw him with his legs pointing upward. If I was confused, let dull people consider why, for they do not understand the point I had passed.²⁵⁸

“Rise up,” said the Master, “on thy feet; the way is long and the road is difficult, and already the sun unto mid-tierce²⁵⁹ returns.”

“Get up,” said the Master. “The way is long and the road is difficult, and the sun is already nearing mid-tierce²⁵⁹ again.”

It was no hallway of a palace where we were, but a natural dungeon that had a bad floor, and lack of light. “Before I tear me from the abyss,” said I when I had risen up, “my Master, speak a little to me to draw me out of error. Where is the ice? and this one, how is he fixed thus upside down? and how in such short while has the sun from eve to morn made transit?” And he to me, “Thou imaginest that thou still art on the other side of the centre where I laid hold on the hair of the guilty Worm that pierces the world. On that side wast thou so long as I descended; when I turned thou didst pass the point to which from all parts whatever has weight is drawn; and thou art now arrived beneath the hemisphere opposite to that which the great dry land covers, and beneath whose zenith the Man was slain who was born and lived without sin. Thou hast thy feet upon the little sphere which forms the other face of the Judecca. Here it is morning when there it is evening; and he who made for us a stairway with his hair is still fixed even as he was before. Upon this side he fell down from heaven, and the earth, which before was spread out here, through fear of him made of the sea a veil, and came to your hemisphere; and perchance to flee from him that land²⁶⁰ which on this side appears left here this empty space and upward ran back.”

We were not in a palace hallway, but in a natural dungeon with a rough floor and little light. When I had stood up, I said, “Master, before I leave the abyss, please clear up my confusion. Where is the ice? How is this one fixed upside down? And how has the sun passed from evening to morning in such a short time?” He said to me, “You imagine you are still on the other side of the center, where I grasped the hair of the guilty Worm that pierces the world. You were on that side as long as I was climbing down. When I turned, you passed the point toward which all things with weight are drawn from every direction. You have now reached the space beneath the hemisphere opposite the one covered by the great expanse of dry land. Beneath that hemisphere’s highest point, the Man who was born and lived without sin was killed. Your feet are on the little sphere that forms the other face of the Judecca. Here it is morning when it is evening there. And the one whose hair made a stairway for us is still fixed just as he was before. He fell from heaven on this side. The earth, which was once spread out here, feared him. It covered itself with the sea like a veil and moved to your hemisphere. And perhaps the land²⁶⁰ that appears on this side fled from him, leaving this empty space and rushing upward.”

A place is there below, stretching as far from Beelzebub as his tomb extends,²⁶¹ which not by sight is known, but by the sound of a rivulet that here descends along the hollow of a rock that it has gnawed with its course that winds and little falls. My Leader and I entered through that hidden way, to return to the bright world. And without care, to have any repose, we mounted up, he first and I second, till through a round opening I saw of those beauteous things which heaven bears, and thence we came forth to see again the stars.

Below, there is a place that stretches as far from Beelzebub as his tomb extends.²⁶¹ We could not see it, but we could hear a stream descending there. The stream winds down a hollow in the rock, which its course has worn away, and falls gently. My Guide and I entered that hidden passage to return to the bright world. Without stopping to rest, we climbed upward, he first and I second. At last, through a round opening, I saw some of the beautiful things the heavens hold. And from there we came out to see the stars again.