The Inferno

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by Dante


  106–114

  Dante’s fear: Phaeton and Icarus

  115–126

  the descent and Dante’s perceptions of it

  127–134

  simile: sullen falcon (for Geryon’s arrival)

  135–136

  Geryon, disburdened, flies up and away

  INFERNO XVII

  ‘Behold the beast with pointed tail, that leaps →

  past mountains, shatters walls and weapons!

  3

  Behold the one whose stench afflicts the world!’

  was how my guide began.

  Then he signaled to the beast to come ashore

  6

  close to the border of our stony pathway.

  And that foul effigy of fraud came forward,

  beached its head and chest

  9

  but did not draw its tail up on the bank.

  It had the features of a righteous man, →

  benevolent in countenance,

  12

  but all the rest of it was serpent.

  It had forepaws, hairy to the armpits,

  and back and chest and both its flanks →

  15

  were painted and inscribed with rings and curlicues.

  So many vivid colors Turk or Tartar never wove

  in warp and woof or in embroidery on top,

  18

  nor were such colors patterned on Arachne’s loom.

  As sometimes barges lie ashore, →

  partly in water, partly on the land,

  21

  and as among the guzzling Germans

  the beaver sets itself to catch its prey,

  so lay this worst of brutes upon the stony rim

  24

  that makes a boundary for the sandy soil.

  Its length of tail lashed in the void,

  twisting up its forked, envenomed tip,

  27

  armed like a scorpion’s tail.

  My leader said: ‘Now we must change →

  direction for a moment till we reach

  30

  that evil beast stretched out down there.’

  We descended, therefore, to our right,

  and took ten steps along the edge to keep

  33

  our distance from the sand and flames.

  And, when we reached the beast,

  I see some people sitting on the sand

  36

  a short way off, near where it falls away.

  Then the master said to me: ‘So that nothing →

  in this circle escape your understanding,

  39

  go over and examine their condition.

  ‘Let your talk be brief.

  While you are gone, I’ll ask the beast

  42

  to lend us its strong shoulders.’

  Thus, on the seventh circle’s edge,

  still farther out, I went alone

  45

  to where the downcast souls were seated. →

  Their grief came bursting from their eyes.

  With restless hands they sought relief,

  48

  now from the flame and now from burning sand.

  Not otherwise do dogs in summer gnaw and scratch,

  now with muzzle, now with paw,

  51

  when flies or fleas or horseflies bite them.

  Although I searched some of the faces

  of those on whom the painful fire descends,

  54

  I knew not one, but I could see

  the pouches hanging from their necks →

  were different in color, each with its coat of arms.

  57

  On these they seemed to feast their eyes.

  And when I came among them and looked closer,

  on a yellow purse I could make out →

  60

  a lion’s countenance and form in blue.

  Then, farther on, my wandering gaze

  made out another crest, blood-red, →

  63

  marked by a goose more white than butter.

  And one, who had a pregnant sow, in azure, →

  embossed on his white wallet, said to me:

  66

  ‘What are you doing down here in this ditch?

  ‘Now go—but wait, since you’re still alive, →

  know that my neighbor Vitaliano

  69

  shall soon be seated to my left.

  ‘Among these Florentines, I come from Padua.

  Many a time they deafen me with shouting:

  72

  “May the sovereign knight come soon, →

  ‘ “who brings the pouch with three goats on it!” ’

  Then he twisted his mouth and stuck out his tongue →

  75

  like an ox that licks its nose.

  And I, fearing my delay might anger him

  who had warned me to make my stay brief,

  78

  turned back and left those weary souls.

  I found my leader mounted

  on the shoulders of the savage beast.

  81

  He said to me: ‘Now be strong and resolute.

  ‘From here on we descend such stairs as these. →

  You mount in front and I will take the middle

  84

  so that the tail may do no harm.’

  As a man in a shivering-fit of quartan fever,

  so ill his nails have lost all color,

  87

  trembles all over at the sight of shade,

  so was I stricken at his words.

  Rebuked by shame, which, in the presence

  90

  of a worthy master, makes a servant bold,

  I mounted on those huge and ugly shoulders.

  I wanted to say—though my voice did not come out

  93

  as I intended—‘Make sure you hold me fast!’

  But he who had helped me many times before,

  in other perils, clasped me in his arms

  96

  and steadied me as soon as I was mounted,

  then said: ‘Geryon, move on now. Let your circles →

  be wide and your descending slow.

  99

  Keep in mind your unaccustomed burden.’

  As a bark backs slowly from its mooring,

  so the beast backed off the ledge,

  102

  and when it felt itself adrift,

  turned its tail to where its chest had been and,

  extending it, made it wriggle like an eel’s,

  105

  while with its paws it gathered in the air.

  Phaeton, I think, felt no greater fear →

  when he released the reins and the whole sky

  108

  was scorched, as we still see,

  nor wretched Icarus when he felt the melting wax →

  unfeathering the wings along his back

  111

  and heard his father shout: ‘Not that way!’

  than was my terror when I saw

  air everywhere around

  114

  and all things gone from sight except the beast.

  On it goes, swimming slowly, slowly →

  wheeling, descending, but I feel only

  117

  the wind in my face and blowing from below.

  Now on our right I heard the torrent’s hideous roar

  below us, so that I thrust my head forward

  120

  and dared to look down the abyss.

  Then I was even more afraid of being dropped,

  for I saw fire and heard wailing,

  123

  and so, trembling, I hold on tighter with my legs.

  And for the first time I became aware

  of our descent and wheeling when I saw

  126

  the torments drawing closer all around me.

  As the falcon that has long been on the wing— →
>
  and, without sight of lure or bird

  129

  makes the falconer cry out: ‘Oh, you’re coming down!’—

  descends, weary, with many a wheeling,

  to where it set out swiftly, and alights,

  132

  angry and sullen, far from its master,

  so Geryon set us down at the bottom,

  at the very foot of the jagged cliff,

  and, disburdened of our persons,

  136

  vanished like an arrow from the string.

  OUTLINE: INFERNO XVIII

  1–9

  Malebolge as castle: wall, moats, bridges, pit

  10–18

  similes: moats around castles and overarching bridges

  19–21

  leftward movement after Geryon has departed

  22–25

  first ditch: double file of sinners

  26–33

  simile: bridge in Rome over Tiber during Jubilee Year

  34–39

  the punishing demons with their whips

  40–51

  Dante recognizes Venedico Caccianemico

  52–63

  Venedico’s pandering and that of other Bolognesi

  64–66

  a demon smites him and sends him off

  67–74

  Dante and Virgil mount to the crown of the ridge

  75–78

  Virgil: now Dante can watch the other group of sinners

  79–99

  view of the seducers: Jason

  100–108

  the second ditch: sound of whining, stench

  109–114

  to see within, they mount to the ridge’s crown

  115–126

  flattery: Alessio Interminei of Lucca

  127–136

  flattery: Thaïs the whore; abrupt ending of canto

  INFERNO XVIII

  There is a place in Hell called Malebolge, →

  fashioned entirely of iron-colored rock,

  3

  as is the escarpment that encircles it.

  At the very center of this malignant space

  there yawns a pit, extremely wide and deep.

  6

  I will describe its plan all in due time.

  A path that circles like a belt around the base

  of that high rock runs round the pit,

  9

  its sides descending in ten ditches.

  As where concentric moats surround a castle

  to guard its walls, their patterns clear

  12

  and governed by a meaningful design,

  in such a pattern were these ditches shaped.

  And, just as narrow bridges issue from the gates

  15

  of fortresses to reach the farthest bank,

  so ridges stretched from the escarpment

  down across the banks and ditches

  18

  into the pit at which they end and join.

  Dropped from Geryon’s back, this was the place →

  in which we found ourselves. The poet kept

  21

  to the left and I came on behind him.

  To our right I saw a suffering new to me, →

  new torments, and new scourgers,

  24

  with whom the first ditch was replete.

  The sinners in its depth were naked,

  those on our side of the center coming toward us,

  27

  the others moving with us, but with longer strides,

  just as, because the throngs were vast the year →

  of Jubilee, the Romans had to find a way

  30

  to let the people pass across the bridge,

  so that all those on one side face the castle,

  heading over to Saint Peter’s,

  33

  these, on the other, heading toward the mount.

  Here and there on the dark rock above them

  I watched horned demons armed with heavy scourges →

  36

  lashing them cruelly from behind.

  Ah, how they made them pick their heels up

  at the first stroke! You may be certain

  39

  no one waited for a second or a third.

  While I went on my eye was caught

  by one of them, and quickly I brought out:

  42

  ‘It seems to me I’ve seen that man before.’

  And so I paused to make him out.

  My gentle leader stopped with me,

  45

  and then allowed me to retrace my steps.

  The scourged soul thought that he could hide

  by lowering his face—to no avail.

  48

  I said: ‘You there, with your eyes cast down,

  ‘if I’m not mistaken in your features,

  you’re Venèdico Caccianemico. →

  51

  What has brought you to such stinging torture?’

  And he replied: ‘Unwillingly I tell it,

  moved only by the truth of what you’ve said,

  54

  which brings to mind the world that once I knew.

  ‘It was I who urged Ghisolabella

  to do the will of that marquis,

  57

  no matter how the foul tale goes around.

  ‘I’m not the only Bolognese here lamenting. →

  This place is so crammed with them

  60

  that not so many tongues have learned to say

  ‘ “sipa” between the Sàvena and the Reno.

  And if you’d like some confirmation,

  63

  bring our greedy dispositions back to mind.’

  While he was speaking a demon struck him

  with his lash and said: ‘Away, pimp!

  66

  there are no women here to trick.’ →

  Then I rejoined my escort. A few steps farther

  and we came upon a place

  69

  where a ridge jutted from the bank.

  This we ascended easily and,

  turning to the right upon its jagged ledge,

  72

  we left behind their endless circling. →

  When we came to the point above the hollow →

  that makes a passage for the scourged,

  75

  my leader said: ‘Stop, let them look at you,

  ‘those other ill-born souls whose faces

  you have not yet seen, since we have all

  78

  been moving in the same direction.’

  From the ancient bridge we eyed the band

  advancing toward us on the other side,

  81

  driven with whips just like the first.

  And the good master, without my asking, said:

  ‘See that imposing figure drawing near. →

  84

  He seems to shed no tears despite his pain.

  ‘What regal aspect he still bears!

  He is Jason, who by courage and by craft →

  87

  deprived the men of Colchis of the ram.

  ‘Then he ventured to the isle of Lemnos,

  after those pitiless, bold women

  90

  put all the males among them to their death.

  ‘There with signs of love and polished words

  he deceived the young Hypsipyle,

  93

  who had herself deceived the other women.

  ‘There he left her, pregnant and forlorn.

  Such guilt condemns him to this torment,

  96

  and Medea too is thus avenged.

  ‘With him go all who practice such deceit.

  Let that be all we know of this first ditch

  99

  and of the ones it clenches in its jaws.’

  Now we had come to where the narrow causeway →

  intersects the second ridge to form
r />   102

  a buttress for another arch.

  From here we heard the whimpering of people

  one ditch away, snuffling with their snouts

  105

  and beating on themselves with their own palms.

  The banks, made slimy by a sticky vapor

  from below, were coated with a mould

  108

  offending eyes and nose.

  The bottom is so deep we could see nothing

  unless we climbed to the crown of the arch,

  111

  just where the ridge is highest.

  We went up, and from there I could see,

  in a ditch below, people plunged in excrement

  114

  that could have come from human privies.

  Searching the bottom with my eyes I saw

  a man, his head so smeared with shit

  117

  one could not tell if he were priest or layman.

  He railed: ‘What whets your appetite to stare at me

  more than all the others in their filth?’

  120

  And I answered: ‘The fact, if I remember right,

  ‘that once I saw you when your hair was dry—

  and you are Alessio Interminei of Lucca. →

  123

  That’s why I eye you more than all the rest.’

  Then he, beating on his pate:

  ‘I am immersed down here for the flattery

  126

  with which my tongue was never cloyed.’

  And then my leader said to me: ‘Try to thrust

  your face a little farther forward,

  129

  to get a better picture of the features

  ‘of that foul, disheveled wench down there,

  scratching herself with her filthy nails.

 

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