Canto 19

At the hour when the diurnal heat, vanquished by the Earth or sometimes by Saturn,²⁶³ can warm no more the coldness of the moon,—when the geomancers see their Greater Fortune²⁶⁴ in the east, rising before the dawn along a path which short while stays dark for it,—there came to me in dream²⁶⁵ a woman stammering, with eyes asquint, and crooked on her feet, with hands lopped off, and pallid in her color. I gazed at her; and as the sun comforts the cold limbs which the night bennmbs, so my look made her tongue nimble, and then set her wholly straight in little while, and so colored her wan face as love requires. Then, when she had her speech thus unloosed, she began to sing, so that with difficulty should I have turned my attention from her. “I am,” she sang, “I am the sweet Siren, and the mariners in mid sea I bewitch, so full am I of pleasantness to hear. I turned Ulysses from his wandering way by my song; and whoso abides with me seldom departs, so wholly I content him.”

At the hour when the day’s heat, overcome by the Earth or sometimes by Saturn,²⁶³ can no longer warm the cold moon, the geomancers see their Greater Fortune²⁶⁴ in the east. It rises before dawn along a path that remains dark for it only a little while. At that hour, a woman came to me in a dream.²⁶⁵ She stammered, her eyes were crossed, and her feet were crooked. Her hands had been cut off, and her face was pale. I gazed at her. Just as the sun warms limbs numbed by the cold night, my gaze loosened her tongue. Then, in a little while, it made her body straight and gave her pale face the color that love requires. Once her speech was free, she began to sing. I could hardly have turned my attention away from her. “I am,” she sang, “I am the sweet Siren. I enchant sailors in the open sea, so pleasant is my song to hear. With my song I turned Ulysses from his wandering path. Whoever stays with me seldom leaves, so completely do I satisfy him.”

Not yet was her mouth closed when at my side a Lady²⁶⁶ appeared, holy, and ready to make her confused. “O Virgil, Virgil, who is this?” she sternly said; and he came with his eyes fixed only on that modest one. She took hold of the other, and in front she opened her, rending her garments, and showed me her belly; this waked me with the stench that issued from it. I turned my eyes, and the good Virgil said, “At least three calls have I given thee; arise and come; let us find the opening through which thou mayst enter.”

Before she had finished speaking, a Lady²⁶⁶ appeared at my side. She was holy and ready to put the other woman to shame. “O Virgil, Virgil, who is this?” she asked sternly. He came toward her, keeping his eyes fixed on the modest Lady. She seized the other woman and tore open the front of her garments, exposing her belly to me. The stench from it woke me. I turned my eyes, and the good Virgil said, “I have called you at least three times. Get up and come. Let us find the opening through which you can enter.”

Up I rose, and now were all the circles of the sacred mountain full of the high day, and we went on with the new sun at our backs. Following him, I bore my forehead like one who has it laden with thought, and makes of himself the half arch of a bridge, when I heard, “Come ye! here is the passage,” spoken in a mode soft and benign, such as is not heard in this mortal region. With open wings, which seemed of a swan, he who thus had spoken to us turned us upward between the two walls of the hard rock. He moved his feathers then, and fanned us, affirming qui lugent²⁶⁷ to be blessed, for they shall have their souls mistresses of consolation.²⁶⁸ “What ails thee that ever on the ground thou lookest?” my Guide began to say to me, both of us having mounted up a little from the Angel. “With such apprehension a recent vision makes me go, which bends me to itself so that I cannot from the thought withdraw me.” “Hast thou seen,” said he, “that ancient sorceress who above us henceforth is alone lamented? Hast thou seen how from her man is unbound? Let it suffice thee, and strike thy heels on the ground;²⁶⁹ turn thine eyes to the lure that the eternal King whirls with the great circles.”

I rose, and every circle of the sacred mountain was now filled with daylight. We went on with the new sun at our backs. Following my Guide, I held my head low, like someone burdened with thought, bent like half the arch of a bridge. Then I heard a voice say, “Come, this is the passage.” It was gentle and kind, unlike any voice heard in this mortal world. The speaker spread wings that looked like a swan’s and directed us upward between the two walls of hard rock. Then he moved his feathers and fanned us. He declared qui lugent²⁶⁷ blessed, for their souls would be filled with comfort.²⁶⁸ After we had climbed a little way from the Angel, my Guide said to me, “Why do you keep looking at the ground?” “A recent vision troubles me so much that I walk this way. It draws my thoughts to itself, and I cannot turn them away.” “Have you seen,” he said, “that ancient sorceress who alone is mourned from here onward? Have you seen how a man is freed from her? Let that be enough for you, and walk on firmly.²⁶⁹ Turn your eyes to the lure that the eternal King spins in the great circles.”

Like the falcon that first looks down, then turns at the cry, and stretches forward, through desire of the food that draws him thither; such I became, and such, so far as the rock is cleft to afford a way to him who goeth up, did I go on as far as where the circling²⁷⁰ is begun. When I was come forth on the fifth round, I saw people upon it who were weeping, lying upon the earth all turned downward. “Adhoesit pavimento anima mea,”²⁷¹ I heard them saying with such deep sighs that the words were hardly understood. “O elect of God, whose sufferings both justice and hope make less hard, direct us toward the high ascents.” “If ye come secure from the lying down, and wish to find the speediest way, let your right hands always be outside.” So prayed the Poet, and so a little in front was replied to us by them; wherefore I, in his speaking, marked the hidden one;²⁷² and then turned my eyes to my Lord, whereon he granted me, with cheerful sign, that which the look of my desire was asking for. Then when I could do with myself according to my will, I drew me above that creature whose words had first made me note him, saying, “Spirit in whom weeping matures that without which no one can turn to God, suspend a little for me thy greater care. Tell me who thou wast; and why ye have your backs turned upward; and if thou wishest that I obtain aught for thee there whence I alive set forth.” And he to me, “Thy heaven turns to itself our hinder parts thou shalt know; but first, scias quod ego fui successor Petri.²⁷³ Between Sestri and Chiaveri²⁷⁴ descends a beautiful stream,²⁷⁵ and of its name the title of my race makes its top.²⁷⁶ One month and little more I proved how the great mantle weighs on him who guards it from the mire, so that all other burdens seem a feather. My conversion, ah me! was tardy; but when I had become the Roman Shepherd, then I found out the lying life. I saw that there the heart was not at rest; nor was it possible to, mount higher in that life; wherefore the love of this was kindled in me. Up to that time a wretched soul and parted from God had I been, avaricious of everything; now, as thou seest, I am punished for it here. That which avarice doth is displayed here in the purgation of these converted souls, and the Mountain has no more bitter penalty.²⁷⁷ Even as our eye, fixed upon earthly things, was not lifted on high, so justice here to earth has depressed it. As avarice, in which labor is lost, quenched our love for every good, so justice here holds us close, bound and captive in feet and hands; and, so long as it shall be the pleasure of the just Lord, so long shall we stay immovable and outstretched.”

Like a falcon that first looks down, then turns at a cry and stretches forward, eager for the food that draws it, so I turned. I went on through the cleft in the rock that gives a way upward, until I reached the beginning of the circle.²⁷⁰ When I emerged onto the fifth round, I saw people lying face down on the ground, weeping. I heard them say, “My soul clings to the ground,”²⁷¹ with such deep sighs that the words were hardly understandable. “O chosen souls of God, whose sufferings are made easier by both justice and hope, show us the way to the higher ascents.” “If you are free from having to lie down and wish to find the quickest way, always keep your right hands toward the outside.” This was the Poet’s request, and the answer came from a little way ahead. As the hidden speaker replied, I took note of him.²⁷² Then I turned my eyes to my Lord. With a cheerful sign, he granted the permission my longing look had asked for. Once I was free to do as I wished, I went over to the soul whose words had first caught my attention. I said, “Spirit, whose weeping brings to maturity what no one can turn to God without, set aside your greater concern for a little while for me. Tell me who you were and why you lie with your backs turned upward. And tell me if you wish me to obtain anything for you in the place I left while still alive.” He replied, “You will learn why heaven turns our backs toward itself. But first, know that I was a successor of Peter.²⁷³ Between Sestri and Chiaveri²⁷⁴ a beautiful stream flows down,²⁷⁵ and my family’s title takes its highest name from that stream.²⁷⁶ For one month and a little more, I learned how heavily the great mantle weighs on one who guards it from the mire. All other burdens seem like a feather beside it. “Alas, my conversion came late. But when I became the Roman Shepherd, I discovered how false that life was. I saw that the heart found no rest there. Nor was it possible to rise higher in that life. So my love for this life was kindled. Until then I had been a wretched soul, separated from God and greedy for everything. Now, as you see, I am punished for it here. “What greed does is shown here in the cleansing of these converted souls, and the Mountain has no more bitter penalty.²⁷⁷ Just as our eyes were fixed on earthly things and never lifted upward, justice has pressed them down to the earth here. Greed, in which effort is wasted, put out our love for every good thing. So justice holds us close here, bound and captive by our feet and hands. For as long as the just Lord pleases, we will remain motionless and stretched out.”

I had knelt down and wished to speak; but when I began, and he became aware, only by listening, of my reverence, “What cause,” said he, “hath bent thee thus downward?” And I to him, “Because of your dignity my conscience stung me for standing.” “Straighten thy legs, and lift thee up, brother,” he replied; “err not, fellow servant of one power am I with thee and with the rest.²⁷⁸ If ever thou hast understood that holy gospel sound which says neque nubent,²⁷⁹ thou mayst well see why I speak thus. Now go thy way. I will not that thou longer stop; for thy stay hinders my weeping, with which I ripen that which thou hast said. A grandchild I have on earth who is named Alagia,²⁸⁰ good in herself, if only our house make her not wicked by example; and she alone remains to me yonder.”²⁸¹

I had knelt down and wanted to speak. But when I began, he heard my reverence in my voice. “Why have you bowed down like this?” he asked. I replied, “Because of your dignity, I felt guilty for standing.” “Straighten your legs and stand up, brother,” he replied. “Do not be mistaken. I am a fellow servant of the same power as you and all the others.²⁷⁸ If you have understood the holy gospel words neque nubent,²⁷⁹ you can see why I say this. Now go on your way. I do not want you to stay any longer. Your presence hinders my weeping, through which I bring to completion what you have spoken of. I have a granddaughter on earth named Alagia.²⁸⁰ She is good in herself, if only our family does not lead her into wickedness by its example. She alone remains to me on earth.”²⁸¹