Head of that seventh circle all alone I went, where sat the melancholy folk. Out of their eyes was gushing forth their woe; 45 This way, that way, they helped them with their hands Not otherwise in summer do the dogs, Now with the foot, now with the muzzle, when By fleas, or flies, or gadflies, they are bitten. When I had turned mine eyes upon the faces Of some, on whom the dolorous fire is falling, Not one of them I knew; but I perceived That from the neck of each there hung a pouch, Which certain color had, and certain blazon; And thereupon it seems their eyes are feeding. And as I gazing round me come among them, Upon a yellow pouch I azure saw That had the face and posture of a lion. Proceeding then the current of my sight, Another of them saw I, red as blood, Display a goose more white than butter is. And one, who with an azure sow and gravid Emblazoned had his little pouch of white, Said unto me: "What dost thou in this moat? 50 55 60 65 Now get thee gone; and since thou 'rt still alive, Know that a neighbor of mine, Vitaliano, Will have his seat here on my left-hand side. Full many a time they thunder in mine ears, And fearing lest my longer stay might vex Him who had warned me not to tarry long, Backward I turned me from those weary souls. I found my Guide, who had already mounted Upon the back of that wild animal, And said to me: "Now be both strong and bold. Now we descend by stairways such as these; Mount thou in front, for I will be midway, So that the tail may have no power to harm thee." Such as he is who has so near the ague Of quartan that his nails are blue already, And trembles all, but looking at the shade; Even such became I at those proffered words; But shame in me his menaces produced, 70 75 80 85 Which maketh servant strong before good master. 90 I seated me upon those monstrous shoulders; I wished to say, and yet the voice came not As I believed, "Take heed that thou embrace me." But he, who other times had rescued me In other peril, soon as I had mounted, And said: “Now, Geryon, bestir thyself; The circles large, and the descent be little; Think of the novel burden which thou hast." Even as the little vessel shoves from shore, Backward, still backward, so he thence withdrew; There where his breast had been he turned his tail, A What time abandoned Phaeton the reins, 95 100 105 Whereby the heavens, as still appears, were scorched; Nor when the wretched Icarus his flanks Felt stripped of feathers by the melting wax, On all sides in the air, and saw extinguished 110 Onward he goeth, swimming slowly, slowly; 115 119 eyes cast downward. Because I fires beheld, and heard laments, I saw then, for before I had not seen it, The turning and descending, by great horrors As falcon who has long been on the wing, Who, without seeing either lure or bird, Maketh the falconer say, Ah me, thou stoopest," Descendeth weary, whence he started swiftly, Thorough a hundred circles, and alights Far from his master, sullen and disdainful; Even thus did Geryon place us on the bottom, Close to the bases of the rough-hewn rock, And being disencumbered of our persons, He sped away as arrow from the string. 14 125 130 135 CANTO XVIII. 'HERE is a place in Hell called Malebolge, THERE Wholly of stone and of an iron color, As is the circle that around it turns. Right in the middle of the field malign There yawns a well exceeding wide and deep, Round, then, is that enclosure which remains Between the well and foot of the high, hard bank, As where for the protection of the walls Many and many moats surround the castles, The part in which they are a figure forms, Just such an image those presented there; And as about such strongholds from their gates So from the precipice's base did crags Project, which intersected dikes and moats, Unto the well that truncates and collects them. 5 10 15 |