English Edition, translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| 1 | FROM bridge to bridge thus, speaking other things |
| 2 | Of which my Comedy cares not to sing, |
| 3 | We came along, and held the summit, when |
| 4 | We halted to behold another fissure |
| 5 | Of Malebolge and other vain laments; |
| 6 | And I beheld it marvellously dark. |
| 7 | As in the Arsenal of the Venetians |
| 8 | Boils in the winter the tenacious pitch |
| 9 | To smear their unsound vessels o’er again, |
| 10 | For sail they cannot; and instead thereof |
| 11 | One makes his vessel new, and one recaulks |
| 12 | The ribs of that which many a voyage has made; |
| 13 | One hammers at the prow, one at the stern, |
| 14 | This one makes oars, and that one cordage twists, |
| 15 | Another mends the mainsail and the mizzen; |
| 16 | Thus, not by fire, but by the art divine, |
| 17 | Was boiling down below there a dense pitch |
| 18 | Which upon every side the bank belimed. |
| 19 | I saw it, but I did not see within it |
| 20 | Aught but the bubbles that the boiling raised, |
| 21 | And all swell up and resubside compressed. |
| 22 | The while below there fixedly I gazed, |
| 23 | My Leader, crying out: Beware, beware! |
| 24 | Drew me unto himself from where I stood. |
| 25 | Then I turned round, as one who is impatient |
| 26 | To see what it behoves him to escape, |
| 27 | And whom a sudden terror doth unman. |
| 28 | Who, while he looks, delays not his departure; |
| 29 | And I beheld behind us a black devil, |
| 30 | Running along upon the crag, approach. |
| 31 | Ah, how ferocious was he in his aspect! |
| 32 | And how he seemed to me in action ruthless, |
| 33 | With open wings and light upon his feet! |
| 34 | His shoulders, which sharp-pointed were and high, |
| 35 | A sinner did encumber with both haunches, |
| 36 | And he held clutched the sinews of the feet. |
| 37 | From off our bridge, he said: O Malebranche, |
| 38 | Behold one of the elders of Saint Zita; |
| 39 | Plunge him beneath, for I return for others |
| 40 | Unto that town, which is well furnished with them. |
| 41 | All there are barrators, except Bonturo; |
| 42 | No into Yes for money there is changed. |
| 43 | He hurled him down, and over the hard crag |
| 44 | Turned round, and never was a mastiff loosened |
| 45 | In so much hurry to pursue a thief. |
| 46 | The other sank, and rose again face downward; |
| 47 | But the demons, under cover of the bridge, |
| 48 | Cried: Here the Santo Volto has no place! |
| 49 | Here swims one otherwise than in the Serchio; |
| 50 | Therefore, if for our gaffs thou wishest not, |
| 51 | Do not uplift thyself above the pitch. |
| 52 | They seized him then with more than a hundred rakes; |
| 53 | They said: It here behoves thee to dance covered, |
| 54 | That, if thou canst, thou secretly mayest pilfer. |
| 55 | Not otherwise the cooks their scullions make |
| 56 | Immerse into the middle of the caldron |
| 57 | The meat with hooks, so that it may not float. |
| 58 | Said the good Master to me: That it be not |
| 59 | Apparent thou art here, crouch thyself down |
| 60 | Behind a jag, that thou mayest have some screen; |
| 61 | And for no outrage that is done to me |
| 62 | Be thou afraid, because these things I know, |
| 63 | For once before was I in such a scuffle. |
| 64 | Then he passed on beyond the bridge’s head, |
| 65 | And as upon the sixth bank he arrived, |
| 66 | Need was for him to have a steadfast front. |
| 67 | With the same fury, and the same uproar, |
| 68 | As dogs leap out upon a mendicant, |
| 69 | Who on a sudden begs, where’er he stops, |
| 70 | They issued from beneath the little bridge, |
| 71 | And turned against him all their grappling-irons; |
| 72 | But he cried out: Be none of you malignant! |
| 73 | Before those hooks of yours lay hold of me, |
| 74 | Let one of you step forward, who may hear me, |
| 75 | And then take counsel as to grappling me. |
| 76 | They all cried out: Let Malacoda go; |
| 77 | Whereat one started, and the rest stood still, |
| 78 | And he came to him, saying: What avails it? |
| 79 | Thinkest thou, Malacoda, to behold me |
| 80 | Advanced into this place,my Master said, |
| 81 | Safe hitherto from all your skill of fence, |
| 82 | Without the will divine, and fate auspicious? |
| 83 | Let me go on, for it in Heaven is willed |
| 84 | That I another show this savage road. |
| 85 | Then was his arrogance so humbled in him, |
| 86 | That he let fall his grapnel at his feet, |
| 87 | And to the others said: Now strike him not. |
| 88 | And unto me my Guide: O thou, who sittest |
| 89 | Among the splinters of the bridge crouched down, |
| 90 | Securely now return to me again. |
| 91 | Wherefore I started and came swiftly to him; |
| 92 | And all the devils forward thrust themselves, |
| 93 | So that I feared they would not keep their compact. |
| 94 | And thus beheld I once afraid the soldiers |
| 95 | Who issued under safeguard from Caprona, |
| 96 | Seeing themselves among so many foes. |
| 97 | Close did I press myself with all my person |
| 98 | Beside my Leader, and turned not mine eyes |
| 99 | From off their countenance, which was not good. |
| 100 | They lowered their rakes, and Wilt thou have me hit him, |
| 101 | They said to one another, on the rump? |
| 102 | And answered: Yes; see that thou nick him with it. |
| 103 | But the same demon who was holding parley |
| 104 | With my Conductor turned him very quickly, |
| 105 | And said: Be quiet, be quiet, Scarmiglione; |
| 106 | Then said to us: You can no farther go |
| 107 | Forward upon this crag, because is Iying |
| 108 | All shattered, at the bottom, the sixth arch. |
| 109 | And if it still doth please you to go onward, |
| 110 | Pursue your way along upon this rock; |
| 111 | Near is another crag that yields a path. |
| 112 | Yesterday, five hours later than this hour, |
| 113 | One thousand and two hundred sixty-six |
| 114 | Years were complete, that here the way was broken. |
| 115 | I send in that direction some of mine |
| 116 | To see if any one doth air himself; |
| 117 | Go ye with them; for they will not be vicious. |
| 118 | Step forward, Alichino and Calcabrina, |
| 119 | Began he to cry out, and thou, Cagnazzo; |
| 120 | And Barbariccia, do thou guide the ten. |
| 121 | Come forward, Libicocco and Draghignazzo, |
| 122 | And tusked Ciriatto and Graffiacane, |
| 123 | And Farfarello and mad Rubicante; |
| 124 | Search ye all round about the boiling pitch; |
| 125 | Let these be safe as far as the next crag, |
| 126 | That all unbroken passes o’er the dens. |
| 127 | O me! what is it, Master, that I see? |
| 128 | Pray let us go, I said, without an escort, |
| 129 | If thou knowest how, since for myself I ask none. |
| 130 | If thou art as observant as thy wont is, |
| 131 | Dost thou not see that they do gnash their teeth, |
| 132 | And with their brows are threatening woe to us? |
| 133 | And he to me: I will not have thee fear; |
| 134 | Let them gnash on, according to their fancy, |
| 135 | Because they do it for those boiling wretches. |
| 136 | Along the left-hand dike they wheeled about; |
| 137 | But first had each one thrust his tongue between |
| 138 | His teeth towards their leader for a signal; |
| 139 | And he had made a trumpet of his rump. |