L ' I N F E R N O

135
INF C17 106-108 / DANTE
Maggior paura non credo che fosse I do not believe the fear was greater
quando Fetonte abbandonò li freni, when Phaëthon let slip the reins,
per che 'l ciel, come pare ancor, si cosse; and the sky was scorched, as it still appears to be;
PHAËTON: COULD NOT CONTROL THE SUN-CHARIOT OF HIS FATHER, PHOEBUS APOLLO, & WAS DESTROYED BY JUPITER.
INF C17 109-111 / DANTE
né quando Icaro misero le reni or when poor Icarus felt the feathers melt from
sentì spennar per la scaldata cera, his arms, as the wax was heated, and his father
gridando il padre a lui «Mala via tieni!», Daedalus cried: “You are going the wrong way!”
INF C17 112-114 / DANTE
che fu la mia, quando vidi ch'i' era as mine was when I saw myself surrounded
ne l'aere d'ogne parte, e vidi spenta by the air, on all sides, and saw everything vanish,
ogne veduta fuor che de la fera. except the savage beast.
DANTE: & DANTE:
INF C17 115-117 / DANTE INF C17 115-117 / KLINE
Ella sen va notando lenta lenta; He goes down, swimming slowly, slowly:
rota e discende, ma non me n'accorgo wheels and falls: but I do not see it
se non che al viso e di sotto mi venta. except by the wind, on my face, and from below.
LEONARDO RICCI (‘NATURE’ 7/4/2005) SUGGESTS THAT THIS IS ANTICIPATES GALILEO’S OBSERVATION THAT TRAVELLERS ON
A SHIP OFTEN CANNOT TELL WITHOUT VISUAL CUES WHETHER THEY ARE AT REST OR IN MOTION. GALILEO MADE
EXPERIMENTS AND PRODUCED HIS THEORY OF INVARIANCE, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT THE LAWS OF PHYSICS REMAIN
UNCHANGED BY CHANGES IN VELOCITY. THAT IS TRUE UP TO NEAR THE SPEED OF LIGHT. G.K.
INF C17 118-120 / KLINE
Already I heard the cataract, on the right, make a terrible roaring underneath us, at which I stretched my neck out,
with my gaze downwards.
DANTE:
INF C17 121-123 / DANTE INF C17 121-123 / KLINE
Allor fu' io più timido a lo stoscio, Then I was more afraid to dismount,
però ch'i' vidi fuochi e senti' pianti; because I saw fires, and heard moaning,
ond' io tremando tutto mi raccoscio. so that I cowered, trembling all over.
INF C17 124-126 / DANTE
E vidi poi, ché nol vedea davanti, And then I saw what I had not seen before,
lo scendere e 'l girar per li gran mali our sinking and circling through the great evils
che s'appressavan da diversi canti. that drew close on every side.
VIRGIL:
INF C17 125-126 / DANTE INF C17 125-126 / KLINE
lo scendere e 'l girar per li gran mali our sinking and circling through the great evils
che s'appressavan da diversi canti. that drew close on every side.
DANTE:
INF C17 127-129 / DANTE
Come 'l falcon ch'è stato assai su l'ali, As the falcon, that has been long on the wing,
che sanza veder logoro o uccello descends wearily, without seeing bird or lure,
fa dire al falconiere «Omè, tu cali!», making the falconer cry: “Ah, you stoop!”
INF C17 130-132 / DANTE
discende lasso onde si move isnello, and settles far from his master
per cento rote, e da lunge si pone disdainful and sullen,
dal suo maestro, disdegnoso e fello; so Geryon set us down,
VIRGIL:
INF C17 133 / DANTE INF C17 133 / KLINE
così ne puose al fondo Gerïone so Geryon set us down,
INF C17 136 / DANTE
si dileguò come da corda cocca. and shot off., like an arrow from the bow.
DANTE CLOSES THE CANTO.