THE DIVINE COMEDY: Inferno, Purgatorio & Paradiso (3 Classic Translations in One Edition). Dante Alighieri
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СКАЧАТЬ me full of wonder to my guide;

       And he did answer with a countenance

       Charg'd with no less amazement: whence my view

       Reverted to those lofty things, which came

       So slowly moving towards us, that the bride

       Would have outstript them on her bridal day.

       The lady called aloud: "Why thus yet burns

       Affection in thee for these living, lights,

       And dost not look on that which follows them?"

       I straightway mark'd a tribe behind them walk,

       As if attendant on their leaders, cloth'd

       With raiment of such whiteness, as on earth

       Was never. On my left, the wat'ry gleam

       Borrow'd, and gave me back, when there I look'd.

       As in a mirror, my left side portray'd.

       When I had chosen on the river's edge

       Such station, that the distance of the stream

       Alone did separate me; there I stay'd

       My steps for clearer prospect, and beheld

       The flames go onward, leaving, as they went,

       The air behind them painted as with trail

       Of liveliest pencils! so distinct were mark'd

       All those sev'n listed colours, whence the sun

       Maketh his bow, and Cynthia her zone.

       These streaming gonfalons did flow beyond

       My vision; and ten paces, as I guess,

       Parted the outermost. Beneath a sky

       So beautiful, came foul and-twenty elders,

       By two and two, with flower-de-luces crown'd.

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       All sang one song: "Blessed be thou among

       The daughters of Adam! and thy loveliness

       Blessed for ever!" After that the flowers,

       And the fresh herblets, on the opposite brink,

       Were free from that elected race; as light

       In heav'n doth second light, came after them

       Four animals, each crown'd with verdurous leaf.

       With six wings each was plum'd, the plumage full

       Of eyes, and th' eyes of Argus would be such,

       Were they endued with life. Reader, more rhymes

       Will not waste in shadowing forth their form:

       For other need no straitens, that in this

       I may not give my bounty room. But read

       Ezekiel; for he paints them, from the north

       How he beheld them come by Chebar's flood,

       In whirlwind, cloud and fire; and even such

       As thou shalt find them character'd by him,

       Here were they; save as to the pennons; there,

       From him departing, John accords with me.

       The space, surrounded by the four, enclos'd

       A car triumphal: on two wheels it came

       Drawn at a Gryphon's neck; and he above

       Stretch'd either wing uplifted, 'tween the midst

       And the three listed hues, on each side three;

       So that the wings did cleave or injure none;

       And out of sight they rose. The members, far

       As he was bird, were golden; white the rest

       With vermeil intervein'd. So beautiful

       A car in Rome ne'er grac'd Augustus pomp,

       Or Africanus': e'en the sun's itself

       Were poor to this, that chariot of the sun

       Erroneous, which in blazing ruin fell

       At Tellus' pray'r devout, by the just doom

       Mysterious of all-seeing Jove. Three nymphs

       at the right wheel, came circling in smooth dance;

       The one so ruddy, that her form had scarce

       Been known within a furnace of clear flame:

       The next did look, as if the flesh and bones

       Were emerald: snow new-fallen seem'd the third.

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       Now seem'd the white to lead, the ruddy now;

       And from her song who led, the others took

       Their treasure, swift or slow. At th' other wheel,

       A band quaternion, each in purple clad,

       Advanc'd with festal step, as of them one

       The rest conducted, one, upon whose front

       Three eyes were seen. In rear of all this group,

       Two old men I beheld, dissimilar

       In raiment, but in port and gesture like,

       Solid and mainly grave; of whom the one

       Did show himself some favour'd counsellor

       Of the great Coan, him, whom nature made

       To serve the costliest creature of her tribe.

       His fellow mark'd an opposite intent,

       Bearing a sword, whose glitterance and keen edge,

       E'en as I view'd it with the flood between,

       Appall'd me. Next four others I beheld,

       Of humble seeming: and, behind СКАЧАТЬ