Ever before me stand, and not in vain; For far more doth their image dry me up Than the disease which strips my face of flesh. The rigid justice that chastises me Draweth occasion from the place in which The currency imprinted with the Baptist, But if I here could see the tristful soul Of Guido, or Alessandro, or their brother, Shades that are going round about speak truth; But what avails it me, whose limbs are tied? If I were only still so light, that in A hundred years I could advance one inch, I had already started on the way, Although the circuit be eleven miles, For them am I in such a family; They did induce me into coining florins, 70 75 80 85 90 And I to him: "Who are the two poor wretches The other the false Sinon, Greek of Troy ; From acute fever they send forth such reek." And one of them, who felt himself annoyed At being, peradventure, named so darkly, It gave a sound, as if it were a drum ; And Master Adam smote him in the face, All motion, for my limbs that heavy are, But hadst it so and more when thou wast coining." The dropsical: "Thou sayest true in that; But thou wast not so true a witness there, Where thou wast questioned of the truth at Troy." 95 100 105 110 "If I spake false, thou falsifiedst the coin," Said Sinon; "and for one fault I am here, And thou for more than any other demon." “Remember, perjurer, about the horse,” He made reply who had the swollen belly, 115 "And rueful be it thee the whole world knows it."120 "Rueful to thee the thirst be wherewith cracks Thy tongue," the Greek said, "and the putrid water Then the false-coiner: "So is gaping wide Thy mouth for speaking evil, as 't is wont; Because if I have thirst, and humor stuff me, Thou hast the burning and the head that aches, And to lick up the mirror of Narcissus 125 Thou wouldst not want words many to invite thee." In listening to them was I wholly fixed, When said the Master to me: "Now just look, For little wants it that I quarrel with thee." When him I heard in anger speak to me, I turned me round towards him with such shame And as he is who dreams of his own harm, Who dreaming wishes it may be a dream, 130 135 Such I became, not having power to speak, For to excuse myself I wished, and still Excused myself, and did not think I did it. "Less shame doth wash away a greater fault," The Master said, "than this of thine has been; If e'er it come to pass that fortune bring thee 140 145 CANTO XXXI. ON NE and the self-same tongue first wounded me, And then held out to me the medicine; Thus do I hear that once Achilles' spear, His and his father's, used to be the cause First of a sad and then a gracious boon. There it was less than night, and less than day, So that my sight went little in advance; But I could hear the blare of a loud horn, So loud it would have made each thunder faint, Which, counter to it following its way, Mine eyes directed wholly to one place. After the dolorous discomfiture When Charlemagne the holy emprise lost, 5 10 15 |