English Edition, translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| 1 | WHEN we had crossed the threshhold of the door |
| 2 | Which the perverted love of souls disuses, |
| 3 | Because it makes the crooked way seem straight, |
| 4 | Re-echoing I heard it closed again; |
| 5 | And if I had turned back mine eyes upon it, |
| 6 | What for my failing had been fit excuse? |
| 7 | We mounted upward through a rifted rock, |
| 8 | Which undulated to this side and that, |
| 9 | Even as a wave receding and advancing. |
| 10 | Here it behoves us use a little art, |
| 11 | Began my Leader, to adapt ourselves |
| 12 | NOW here, now there, to the receding side. |
| 13 | And this our footsteps so infrequent made, |
| 14 | That sooner had the moon’s decreasing disk |
| 15 | Regained its bed to sink again to rest, |
| 16 | Than we were forth from out that needle’s eye; |
| 17 | But when we free and in the open were |
| 18 | There where the mountain backward piles itself, |
| 19 | I wearied out, and both of us uncertain |
| 20 | About our way, we stopped upon a plain |
| 21 | More desolate than roads across the deserts. |
| 22 | From where its margin borders on the void, |
| 23 | To foot of the high bank that ever rises, |
| 24 | A human body three times told would measure; |
| 25 | And far as eye of mine could wing its flight, |
| 26 | Now on the left, and on the right flank now, |
| 27 | The same this cornice did appear to me. |
| 28 | Thereon our feet had not been moved as yet, |
| 29 | When I perceived the embankment round about, |
| 30 | Which all right of ascent had interdicted, |
| 31 | To be of marble white, and so adorned |
| 32 | With sculptures, that not only Polycletus, |
| 33 | But Nature’s self, had there been put to shame. |
| 34 | The Angel, who came down to earth with tidings |
| 35 | Of peace, that had been wept for many a year, |
| 36 | And opened Heaven from its long interdict, |
| 37 | In front of us appeared so truthfully |
| 38 | There sculptured in a gracious attitude, |
| 39 | He did not seem an image that is silent. |
| 40 | One would have sworn that he was saying,Ave; |
| 41 | For she was there in effigy portrayed |
| 42 | Who turned the key to ope the exalted love, |
| 43 | And in her mien this language had impressed, |
| 44 | Ecce ancilla Dei, as distinctly |
| 45 | As any figure stamps itself in wax. |
| 46 | Keep not thy mind upon one place alone, |
| 47 | The gentle Master said, who had me standing |
| 48 | Upon that side where people have their hearts; |
| 49 | Whereat I moved mine eyes, and I beheld |
| 50 | In rear of Mary, and upon that side |
| 51 | Where he was standing who conducted me, |
| 52 | Another story on the rock imposed; |
| 53 | Wherefore I passed Virgilius and drew near, |
| 54 | So that before mine eyes it might be set. |
| 55 | There sculptured in the self-same marble were |
| 56 | The cart and oxen, drawing the holy ark, |
| 57 | Wherefore one dreads an office not appointed. |
| 58 | People appeared in front, and all of them |
| 59 | In seven choirs divided, of two senses |
| 60 | Made one say No,the other, Yes, they sing. |
| 61 | Likewise unto the smoke of the frankincense, |
| 62 | Which there was imaged forth, the eyes and nose |
| 63 | Were in the yes and no discordant made. |
| 64 | Preceded there the vessel benedight, |
| 65 | Dancing with girded loins, the humble Psalmist, |
| 66 | And more and less than King was he in this. |
| 67 | Opposite, represented at the window |
| 68 | Of a great palace, Michal looked upon him, |
| 69 | Even as a woman scornful and afflicted. |
| 70 | I moved my feet from where I had been standing, |
| 71 | To examine near at hand another story |
| 72 | Which after Michal glimmered white upon me. |
| 73 | There the high glory of the Roman Prince |
| 74 | Was chronicled, whose great beneficence |
| 75 | Moved Gregory to his great victory; |
| 76 | ‘Tis of the Emperor Trajan I am speaking; |
| 77 | And a poor widow at his bridle stood, |
| 78 | In attitude of weeping and of grief. |
| 79 | Around about him seemed it thronged and full |
| 80 | Of cavaliers, and the eagles in the gold |
| 81 | Above them visibly in the wind were moving. |
| 82 | The wretched woman in the midst of these |
| 83 | Seemed to be saying: Give me vengeance, Lord, |
| 84 | For my dead son, for whom my heart is breaking |
| 85 | And he to answer her: Now wait until |
| 86 | I shall return. And she: My Lord, like one |
| 87 | In whom grief is impatient, shouldst thou not |
| 88 | Return ? And he: Who shall be where I am |
| 89 | Will give it thee.And she: Good deed of others |
| 90 | What boots it thee, if thou neglect thine own? |
| 91 | Whence he: Now comfort thee, for it behoves me |
| 92 | That I discharge my duty ere I move; |
| 93 | Justice so wills, and pity doth retain me.’ |
| 94 | He who on no new thing has ever looked |
| 95 | Was the creator of this visible language, |
| 96 | Novel to us, for here it is not found. |
| 97 | While I delighted me in contemplating |
| 98 | The images of such humility, |
| 99 | And dear to look on for their Maker’s sake, |
| 100 | Behold, upon this side, but rare they make |
| 101 | Their steps, the Poet murmured, many people, |
| 102 | These will direct us to the lofty stairs. |
| 103 | Mine eyes, that in beholding were intent |
| 104 | To see new things, of which they curious are, |
| 105 | In turning round towards him were not slow. |
| 106 | But still I wish not, Reader, thou shouldst swerve |
| 107 | From thy good purposes, because thou hearest |
| 108 | How God ordaineth that the debt be paid; |
| 109 | Attend not to the fashion of the torment, |
| 110 | Think of what follows; think that at the worst |
| 111 | It cannot reach beyond the mighty sentence. |
| 112 | Master, began I, that which I behold |
| 113 | Moving towards us seems to me not persons, |
| 114 | And what I know not, so in sight I waver. |
| 115 | And he to me: The grievous quality |
| 116 | Of this their torment bows them so to earth, |
| 117 | That my own eyes at first contended with it; |
| 118 | But look there fixedly, and disentangle |
| 119 | By sight what cometh underneath those stones; |
| 120 | Already canst thou see how each is stricken. |
| 121 | O ye proud Christians! wretched, weary ones! |
| 122 | Who, in the vision of the mind infirm |
| 123 | Confidence have in your backsliding steps, |
| 124 | Do ye not comprehend that we are worms, |
| 125 | Born to bring forth the angelic butterfly |
| 126 | That flieth unto judgment without screen? |
| 127 | Why floats aloft your spirit high in air? |
| 128 | Like are ye unto insects undeveloped |
| 129 | Even as the worm in whom formation fails! |
| 130 | As to sustain a ceiling or a roof, |
| 131 | In place of corbel, oftentimes a figure |
| 132 | Is seen to join its knees unto its breast, |
| 133 | Which makes of the unreal real anguish |
| 134 | Arise in him who sees it, fashioned thus |
| 135 | Beheld I those, when I had ta’en good heed. |
| 136 | True is it, they were more or less bent down, |
| 137 | According as they more or less were laden; |
| 138 | And he who had most patience in his looks |
| 139 | Weeping did seem to say, I can no more! |