English Edition, translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| 1 | WHENE’ER is broken up the game of Zara, |
| 2 | He who has lost remains behind despondent, |
| 3 | The throws repeating, and in sadness learns; |
| 4 | The people with the other all depart; |
| 5 | One goes in front, and one behind doth pluck |
| 6 | And at his side one brings himself to mind; |
| 7 | He pauses not, and this and that one hears; |
| 8 | They crowd no more to whom his hand he stretches, |
| 9 | And from the throng he thus defends himself. |
| 10 | Even such was I in that dense multitude, |
| 11 | Turning to them this way and that my face, |
| 12 | And, promising, I freed myself therefrom. |
| 13 | There was the Aretine, who from the arms |
| 14 | Untamed of Ghin di Tacco had his death, |
| 15 | And he who fleeing from pursuit was drowned. |
| 16 | There was imploring with his hands outstretched |
| 17 | Frederick Novello, and that one of Pisa |
| 18 | Who made the good Marzucco seem so strong. |
| 19 | I saw Count Orso; and the soul divided |
| 20 | By hatred and by envy from its body, |
| 21 | As it declared, and not for crime committed, |
| 22 | Pierre de la Brosse I say; and here provide |
| 23 | While still on earth the Lady of Brabant, |
| 24 | So that for this she be of no worse flock! |
| 25 | As soon as I was free from all those shades |
| 26 | Who only prayed that some one else may pray, |
| 27 | So as to hasten their becoming holy, |
| 28 | Began I: It appears that thou deniest, |
| 29 | O light of mine, expressly in some text, |
| 30 | That orison can bend decree of Heaven; |
| 31 | And ne’ertheless these people pray for this. |
| 32 | Might then their expectation bootless be |
| 33 | Or is to me thy saying not quite clear? |
| 34 | And he to me: My writing is explicit, |
| 35 | And not fallacious is the hope of these, |
| 36 | If with sane intellect ’tis well regarded; |
| 37 | For top of judgment doth not vail itself, |
| 38 | Because the fire of love fulfils at once |
| 39 | What he must satisfy who here installs him. |
| 40 | And there, where I affirmed that proposition, |
| 41 | Defect was not amended by a prayer, |
| 42 | Because the prayer from God was separate. |
| 43 | Verily, in so deep a questioning |
| 44 | Do not decide, unless she tell it thee, |
| 45 | Who light ‘twixt truth and intellect shall be. |
| 46 | I know not if thou understand; I speak |
| 47 | Of Beatrice; her shalt thou see above, |
| 48 | Smiling and happy, on this mountain’s top. |
| 49 | And I: Good Leader, let us make more haste, |
| 50 | For I no longer tire me as before; |
| 51 | And see, e’en now the hill a shadow casts. |
| 52 | We will go forward with this day he answered, |
| 53 | As far as now is possible for us; |
| 54 | But otherwise the fact is than thou thinkest. |
| 55 | Ere thou art up there, thou shalt see return |
| 56 | Him, who now hides himself behind the hill, |
| 57 | So that thou dost not interrupthis rays. |
| 58 | But yonder there behold ! a soul that stationed |
| 59 | All, all alone is looking hitherward; |
| 60 | It will point out to us the quickest way. |
| 61 | We came up unto it;O Lombard soul, |
| 62 | How lofty and disdainful thou didst bear thee, |
| 63 | And grand and slow in moving of thine eyes! |
| 64 | Nothing whatever did it say to us, |
| 65 | But let us go our way, eying us only |
| 66 | After the manner of a couchant lion; |
| 67 | Still near to it Virgilius drew, entreating |
| 68 | That it would point us out the best ascent; |
| 69 | And it replied not unto his demand, |
| 70 | But of our native land and of our life |
| 71 | It questioned us; and the sweet Guide began: |
| 72 | Mantua,–and the shade, all in itself recluse, |
| 73 | Rose tow’rds him from the place where first it was. |
| 74 | Saying: O Mantuan, I am Sordello |
| 75 | Of thine own land! and one embraced the other. |
| 76 | Ah! servile Italy, grief’s hostelry! |
| 77 | A ship without a pilot in great tempest! |
| 78 | No Lady thou of Provinces, but brothel! |
| 79 | That noble soul was so impatient, only |
| 80 | At the sweet sound of his own native land, |
| 81 | To make its citizen glad welcome there; |
| 82 | And now within thee are not without war |
| 83 | Thy living ones, and one doth gnaw the other |
| 84 | Of those whom one wall and one fosse shut in! |
| 85 | Search, wretched one, all round about the shores |
| 86 | Thy seaboard, and then look within thy bosom, |
| 87 | If any part of thee enjoyeth peace! |
| 88 | What boots it, that for thee Justinian |
| 89 | The bridle mend, if empty be the saddle? |
| 90 | Withouten this the shame would be the less. |
| 91 | Ah ! people, thou that oughtest to be devout, |
| 92 | And to let Caesar sit upon the saddle, |
| 93 | If well thou hearest what God teacheth thee, |
| 94 | Behold how fell this wild beast has become, |
| 95 | Being no longer by the spur corrected, |
| 96 | Since thou hast laid thy hand upon the bridle. |
| 97 | O German Albert ! who abandonest |
| 98 | Her that has grown recalcitrant and savage, |
| 99 | And oughtest to bestride her saddle-bow, |
| 100 | May a just judgment from the stars down fall |
| 101 | Upon thy blood, and be it new and open, |
| 102 | That thy successor may have fear thereof; |
| 103 | Because thy father and thyself have suffered, |
| 104 | By greed of those transalpine lands distrained, |
| 105 | The garden of the empire to be waste. |
| 106 | Come and behold Montecchi and Cappelletti, |
| 107 | Monaldi and Fillippeschi, careless man! |
| 108 | Those sad already, and these doubt-depressed! |
| 109 | Come, cruel one ! come and behold the oppression |
| 110 | Of thy nobility, and cure their wounds, |
| 111 | And thou shalt see how safe is Santafiore! |
| 112 | Come and behold thy Rome, that is lamenting, |
| 113 | Widowed, alone, and day and night exclaims, |
| 114 | My Caesar, why hast thou forsaken me? |
| 115 | Come and behold how loving are thepeople; |
| 116 | And if for us no pity moveth thee, |
| 117 | Come and be made ashamed of thy renown ! |
| 118 | And if it lawful be, O Jove Supreme! |
| 119 | Who upon earth for us wast crucified, |
| 120 | Are thy just eyes averted otherwhere? |
| 121 | Or preparation is ‘t, that, in the abyss |
| 122 | Of thine own counsel, for some good thou makest |
| 123 | From our perception utterly cut off? |
| 124 | For all the towns of Italy are full |
| 125 | Of tyrants, and becometh a Marcellus |
| 126 | Each peasant churl who plays the partisan! |
| 127 | My Florence ! well mayst thou contented be |
| 128 | With this digression, which concerns thee not, |
| 129 | Thanks to thy people who such forethought take! |
| 130 | Many at heart have justice, but shoot slowly, |
| 131 | That unadvised they come not to the bow, |
| 132 | But on their very lips thy people have it! |
| 133 | Many refuse to bear the common burden; |
| 134 | But thy solicitous people answereth |
| 135 | Without being asked, and crieth: I submit. |
| 136 | Now be thou joyful, for thou hast good reason; |
| 137 | Thou affluent, thou in peace, thou full of wisdom! |
| 138 | If I speak true, the event conceals it not. |
| 139 | Athens and Lacedaemon, they who made |
| 140 | The ancient laws, and were so civilized, |
| 141 | Made towards living well a little sign |
| 142 | Compared with thee, who makest such fine-spun |
| 143 | Provisions, that to middle of November |
| 144 | Reaches not what thou in October spinnest. |
| 145 | How oft, within the time of thy remembrance, |
| 146 | Laws, money, offices, and usages |
| 147 | Hast thou remodelled, and renewed thy members? |
| 148 | And if thou mind thee well, and see the light, |
| 149 | Thou shalt behold thyself like a sick woman, |
| 150 | Who cannot find repose upon her down, |
| 151 | But by her tossing wardeth off her pain. |