The Divine Comedy (Complete Annotated Edition). Dante Alighieri
Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу The Divine Comedy (Complete Annotated Edition) - Dante Alighieri страница 6

Название: The Divine Comedy (Complete Annotated Edition)

Автор: Dante Alighieri

Издательство: Bookwire

Жанр: Языкознание

Серия:

isbn: 9788027247073

isbn:

СКАЧАТЬ vile fear? why hast not courage there

      Thy safety plan, e’en in the court of heaven;

      And so much certain good my words forebode.”

      As florets, by the frosty air of night

      Bent down and clos’d, when day has blanch’d their leaves,

      Rise all unfolded on their spiry stems;

      So was my fainting vigour new restor’d,

      And to my heart such kindly courage ran,

      That I as one undaunted soon replied:

      “O full of pity she, who undertook

      My succour! and thou kind who didst perform

      So soon her true behest! With such desire

      Thou hast dispos’d me to renew my voyage,

      That my first purpose fully is resum’d.

      Lead on: one only will is in us both.

      Thou art my guide, my master thou, and lord.”

      So spake I; and when he had onward mov’d,

      I enter’d on the deep and woody way.

      Footnotes

      Canto III

       Table of Contents

      ARGUMENT.—Dante, following Virgil, comes to the gate of Hell; where, after having read the dreadful words that are written thereon, they both enter. Here, as he understands from Virgil, those were punished who had passed their time (for living it could not be called) in a state of apathy and indifference both to good and evil. Then, pursuing their way, they arrive at the river Acheron; and there find the old ferryman Charon, who takes the spirits over to the opposite shore; which, as soon as Dante reaches, he is seized with terror, and falls into a trance.

      “THROUGH me you pass into the city of woe:

      Through me you pass into eternal pain:

      Through me among the people lost for aye.

      Justice the founder of my fabric mov’d:

      To rear me was the task of power divine,

      Before me things create were none, save things

      Eternal, and eternal I endure.

      All hope abandon ye who enter here.”

      Such characters in colour dim I mark’d

      Over a portal’s lofty arch inscrib’d:

      Whereat I thus: “Master, these words import

      Hard meaning.” He as one prepar’d replied:

      “Here thou must all distrust behind thee leave;

      Here be vile fear extinguish’d. We are come

      Where I have told thee we shall see the souls

      To misery doom’d, who intellectual good

      Have lost.” And when his hand he had stretch’d forth

      To mine, with pleasant looks, whence I was cheer’d,

      Into that secret place he led me on.

      Here sighs with lamentations and loud moans

      Resounded through the air pierc’d by no star,

      That e’en I wept at entering. Various tongues,

      Horrible languages, outcries of woe,

      Accents of anger, voices deep and hoarse,

      With hands together smote that swell’d the sounds,

      Made up a tumult, that for ever whirls

      Round through that air with solid darkness stain’d,

      Like to the sand that in the whirlwind flies.

      I then, with error yet encompass’d, cried:

      “O master! What is this I hear? What race

      Are these, who seem so overcome with woe?”

      He thus to me: “This miserable fate

      Suffer the wretched souls of those, who liv’d

      Without or praise or blame, with that ill band

      Of angels mix’d, who nor rebellious prov’d

      Nor yet were true to God, but for themselves

      Were only. From his bounds Heaven drove them forth,

      Not to impair his lustre, nor the depth

      Of Hell receives them, lest th’ accursed tribe

      Should glory thence with exultation vain.”

      I then: “Master! what СКАЧАТЬ