THE DIVINE COMEDY: Inferno, Purgatorio & Paradiso (3 Classic Translations in One Edition). Dante Alighieri
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Название: THE DIVINE COMEDY: Inferno, Purgatorio & Paradiso (3 Classic Translations in One Edition)

Автор: Dante Alighieri

Издательство: Bookwire

Жанр: Языкознание

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isbn: 9788027233335

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СКАЧАТЬ Full more than thousand splendours towards us,

       And in each one was heard: "Lo! one arriv'd

       To multiply our loves!" and as each came

       The shadow, streaming forth effulgence new,

       Witness'd augmented joy. Here, reader! think,

       If thou didst miss the sequel of my tale,

       To know the rest how sorely thou wouldst crave;

       And thou shalt see what vehement desire

       Possess'd me, as soon as these had met my view,

       To know their state. "O born in happy hour!

       Thou to whom grace vouchsafes, or ere thy close

       Of fleshly warfare, to behold the thrones

       Of that eternal triumph, know to us

       The light communicated, which through heaven

       Expatiates without bound. Therefore, if aught

       Thou of our beams wouldst borrow for thine aid,

       Spare not; and of our radiance take thy fill."

       Thus of those piteous spirits one bespake me;

       And Beatrice next: "Say on; and trust

       As unto gods!"—"How in the light supreme

       Thou harbour'st, and from thence the virtue bring'st,

       That, sparkling in thine eyes, denotes thy joy,

       l mark; but, who thou art, am still to seek;

       Or wherefore, worthy spirit! for thy lot

       This sphere assign'd, that oft from mortal ken

       Is veil'd by others' beams." I said, and turn'd

       Toward the lustre, that with greeting, kind

       Erewhile had hail'd me. Forthwith brighter far

       Than erst, it wax'd: and, as himself the sun

       Hides through excess of light, when his warm gaze

       Hath on the mantle of thick vapours prey'd;

       Within its proper ray the saintly shape

       Was, through increase of gladness, thus conceal'd;

       And, shrouded so in splendour answer'd me,

       E'en as the tenour of my song declares.

       "After that Constantine the eagle turn'd

       Against the motions of the heav'n, that roll'd

       Consenting with its course, when he of yore,

       Lavinia's spouse, was leader of the flight,

       A hundred years twice told and more, his seat

       At Europe's extreme point, the bird of Jove

       Held, near the mountains, whence he issued first.

       There, under shadow of his sacred plumes

       Swaying the world, till through successive hands

       To mine he came devolv'd. Caesar I was,

       And am Justinian; destin'd by the will

       Of that prime love, whose influence I feel,

       From vain excess to clear th' encumber'd laws.

       Or ere that work engag'd me, I did hold

       Christ's nature merely human, with such faith

       Contented. But the blessed Agapete,

       Who was chief shepherd, he with warning voice

       To the true faith recall'd me. I believ'd

       His words: and what he taught, now plainly see,

       As thou in every contradiction seest

       The true and false oppos'd. Soon as my feet

       Were to the church reclaim'd, to my great task,

       By inspiration of God's grace impell'd,

       I gave me wholly, and consign'd mine arms

       To Belisarius, with whom heaven's right hand

       Was link'd in such conjointment, 't was a sign

       That I should rest. To thy first question thus

       I shape mine answer, which were ended here,

       But that its tendency doth prompt perforce

       To some addition; that thou well, mayst mark

       What reason on each side they have to plead,

       By whom that holiest banner is withstood,

       Both who pretend its power and who oppose.

       "Beginning from that hour, when Pallas died

       To give it rule, behold the valorous deeds

       Have made it worthy reverence. Not unknown

       To thee, how for three hundred years and more

       It dwelt in Alba, up to those fell lists

       Where for its sake were met the rival three;

       Nor aught unknown to thee, which it achiev'd

       Down to the Sabines' wrong to Lucrece' woe,

       With its sev'n kings conqu'ring the nation round;

       Nor all it wrought, by Roman worthies home

       'Gainst Brennus and th' Epirot prince, and hosts

       Of single chiefs, or states in league combin'd

       Of social warfare; hence Torquatus stern,

       And Quintius nam'd of his neglected locks,

       The Decii, and the Fabii hence acquir'd

       Their fame, which I with duteous zeal embalm.

       By it the pride of Arab hordes was quell'd,

       When they led on by Hannibal o'erpass'd

       The Alpine rocks, whence glide thy currents, Po!

       Beneath its guidance, in their prime of days

       СКАЧАТЬ