Canto 12

Side by side, like oxen who go yoked, I went on with that burdened spirit so long as the sweet Pedagogue allowed it; but when he said, “Leave him, and come on, for here it is well that, both with sail and oars, each as much as he can should urge his bark,” I straitened up my body again, as is required for walking, although my thoughts remained both bowed down and abated.

I walked beside that burdened spirit like an ox yoked to another, as long as my gentle Teacher allowed. But then he said, “Leave him and come on. Here, each of us should propel his boat as best he can, using both sail and oars.” So I straightened up to walk, although my thoughts remained bowed and humbled.

I was moving on, and following willingly the steps of my Master, and both now were showing how light we were, when he said to me, “Turn thine eyes downward; it will be well for thee, in order to solace the way, to look upon the bed of thy footprints.” As above the buried, so that there may be memory of them, their tombs in earth bear inscribed that which they were before,—whence oftentimes is weeping for them there, through the pricking of remembrance, which only to the pious gives the spur,—so saw I figured there, but of better semblance in respect of skill, all that for pathway juts out from the mountain.

I walked on, willingly following my Master’s steps. We both now showed how light we were. Then he said to me, “Look down. It will comfort you on the way to look at the ground beneath your feet.” Tombs set in the ground above the dead bear inscriptions describing who they were in life, so they will be remembered. People often weep there as memories pierce their hearts, though remembrance stirs only the devout. In the same way, I saw carvings covering the whole path that jutted out from the mountain, but these were more skillfully made.

I saw him who was created more noble than any other creature,¹³⁹ down from heaven with lightning flash descending, at one side.

At one side, I saw the being who was created nobler than any other creature.¹³⁹ He was falling from heaven like a flash of lightning.

I saw Briareus¹⁴⁰ transfixed by the celestial bolt, lying at the other side, heavy upon the earth in mortal chill. I saw Thymbraeus,¹⁴¹ I saw Pallas and Mars, still armed, around their father, gazing at the scattered limbs of the giants.

I saw Briareus¹⁴⁰ on the other side, pierced by a heavenly thunderbolt. He lay heavy on the earth, cold in death. I saw Thymbraeus,¹⁴¹ Pallas, and Mars around their father, still armed and gazing at the giants’ scattered limbs.

I saw Nimrod at the foot of his great toil, as if bewildered, and gazing at the people who in Shinar had with him been proud.

I saw Nimrod at the foot of his great work. He seemed bewildered as he gazed at the people who had shared his pride in Shinar.

O Niobe! with what grieving eyes did I see thee portrayed upon the road between thy seven and seven children slain!

O Niobe, how sadly I looked at your image on the road, between your seven and seven slain children!

O Saul! how on thine own sword here didst thou appear dead on Gilboa, that after felt not rain or dew!¹⁴²

O Saul! How you appeared here, dead on your own sword on Gilboa, where no rain or dew fell afterward!¹⁴²

O mad Arachne,¹⁴³ so I saw thee already half spider, wretched on the shreds of the work that to thy harm by thee was made!

O foolish Arachne,¹⁴³ I saw you there, already half spider and miserable, among the shreds of the work you made to your own harm!

O Rehoboam! here thine image seems not now to threaten, but full of fear, a chariot bears it away before any one pursues it.¹⁴⁴

O Rehoboam! Here your image no longer seems threatening. Instead, full of fear, you are carried away in a chariot before anyone pursues you.¹⁴⁴

The hard pavement showed also how Alcmaeon made the ill-fated ornament seem costly to his mother.¹⁴⁵

The hard pavement also showed how Alcmaeon made his mother pay dearly for the ill-fated ornament.¹⁴⁵

It showed how his sons threw themselves upon Sennacherib within the temple, and how they left him there dead.¹⁴⁶

It showed how Sennacherib’s sons attacked him in the temple and left him dead there.¹⁴⁶

It showed the ruin and the cruel slaughter that Tomyris wrought, when she said to Cyrus, “For blood thou hast thirsted, and with blood I fill thee.”¹⁴⁷

It showed the destruction and cruel slaughter caused by Tomyris when she said to Cyrus, “You thirsted for blood, and I fill you with it.”¹⁴⁷

It showed how the Assyrians fled in rout after Holofernes was killed, and also the remainder of the punishment.¹⁴⁸

It showed how the Assyrians fled in disorder after Holofernes was killed. It also showed the rest of the punishment.¹⁴⁸

I saw Troy in ashes, and in caverns. O Ilion! how cast down and abject the image which is there discerned showed thee!

I saw Troy in ashes and in caverns. O Ilion! The image there showed you so fallen and wretched!

What master has there been of pencil or of style that could draw the shadows and the lines which there would make every subtile genius wonder? Dead the dead, and the living seemed alive. He who saw the truth saw not better than I all that I trod on while I went bent down.—Now be ye proud, and go with haughty look, ye sons of Eve, and bend not down your face so that ye may see your evil path!

What master of painting or drawing could portray the shadows and lines there? They would amaze even the most subtle genius. The dead looked dead, and the living looked alive. As I walked bent over, I saw everything beneath my feet as clearly as someone seeing the real thing. Now be proud, children of Eve, and walk with your heads held high. Do not look down, so that you may see your evil path!

More of the mountain had now been circled by us, and of the sun’s course far more spent, than my mind, not disengaged, was aware, when he, who always in advance attent was going on, began, “Lift up thy head; there is no more time for going thus abstracted. See there an Angel, who is hastening to come toward us: see how from the service of the day the sixth hand-maiden returns.¹⁴⁹ With reverence adorn thine acts and thy face so that he may delight to direct us upward. Think that this day never dawns again.”

We had now traveled farther around the mountain than I realized, and much more of the sun’s course had passed. My mind had been occupied. Then he, who always went ahead attentively, began, “Lift your head. There is no more time to go on so lost in thought. Look, an Angel is hurrying toward us. See how the sixth handmaid returns from the day’s service.¹⁴⁹ Let your actions and expression show reverence, so that he may be pleased to direct us upward. Remember that this day will never dawn again.”

I was well used to his admonition ever to lose no time, so that on that theme he could not speak to me obscurely.

I was well used to his warnings never to waste time. So he could not speak unclearly to me about that.

To us came the beautiful creature, clothed in white, and in his face such as seems the tremulous morning star. Its arms it opened, and then it opened its wings; it said, “Come: here at hand are the steps, and easily henceforth one ascends. To this invitation very few come. O human race, born to fly upward, why before a little wind dost thou so fall?”

A beautiful creature dressed in white came toward us. His face shone like the trembling morning star. He opened his arms and then his wings. He said, “Come: the steps are close by, and from here the climb is easy. Very few accept this invitation. O human race, born to fly upward, why do you fall at the slightest wind?”

He led us to where the rock was cut; here he struck his wings across my forehead,¹⁵⁰ then promised me secure progress.

He led us to where the rock had been cut. There, he brushed his wings across my forehead,¹⁵⁰ then promised me a safe journey onward.

As on the right hand, in going up the mountain,¹⁵¹ where sits the church that dominates her the well-guided¹⁵² city above Rubaconte,¹⁵³ the bold flight of the ascent is broken by the stairs, which were made in an age when the record and the stave were secure,¹⁵⁴ in like manner, the bank which falls here very steeply from the next round is slackened; but on this side and that the high rock grazes.¹⁵⁵ As we turned our persons thither, voices sang “Beati pauperes spiritu”¹⁵⁶ in such wise that speech could not tell it. Ah, how different are these passes from those of Hell! for here through songs one enters, and there below through fierce lamentings.

On the right, as one climbs the mountain,¹⁵¹ stands the church that overlooks the well-guided¹⁵² city above Rubaconte.¹⁵³ There, stairs break up the steep climb. They were built in an age when the record and the stave were secure.¹⁵⁴ In the same way, stairs ease the steep bank that descends here from the next terrace. But high rock walls press close on either side.¹⁵⁵ As we turned toward the stairs, voices sang “Beati pauperes spiritu”¹⁵⁶ so beautifully that words cannot describe it. Ah, how different these passages are from those in Hell! Here one enters to songs, but down there to fierce cries of grief.

Now we were mounting up over the holy stairs, and it seemed to me I was far more light than I had seemed on the plain before. Whereon I, “Master, say, what heavy thing has been lifted from me, so that almost no weariness is felt by me as I go on?” He answered, “When the P’s that almost extinct¹⁵⁷ still remain on thy countenance shall be, as one is, quite erased, thy feet will be so conquered by good will that not only they will not feel fatigue, but it will be delight to them to be urged up.” Then I did like those who are going with something on their head, unknown by them unless the signs of others make them suspect; wherefore the hand assists to ascertain, and seeks and finds, and performs that office which cannot be accomplished by the sight; and with the fingers of my right hand outspread, I found only six those letters which he of the keys had encised upon my temples: looking at which my Leader smiled.

We were now climbing the holy stairs, and I felt much lighter than I had on the plain below. So I asked, “Master, what heavy thing has been lifted from me? I feel almost no weariness as I climb.” He answered, “The P’s still on your face have almost faded¹⁵⁷. When they are completely erased, as one already is, your feet will be so guided by goodwill that they will feel no fatigue. Instead, they will delight in being urged upward.” Then I acted like someone who has something on their head without knowing it. Only the signs of others make them suspect it is there. So they use their hand to check. Their hand searches and finds what their eyes cannot see. I spread the fingers of my right hand and found only six of the letters the keeper of the keys had carved on my temples. My Guide smiled as he watched me.