L ' I N F E R N O

VIRGIL: & VIRGIL:
INF C20 25-27 / DANTE INF C20 25-27 / KLINE
Certo io piangea, poggiato a un de' rocchi Truly, I wept, leaning against one of the rocks
del duro scoglio, sì che la mia scorta of the solid cliff, so that my guide said to me:
mi disse: «Ancor se' tu de li altri sciocchi? Are you like other fools?, as well?
VIRGIL:
INF C20 28-30 / DANTE INF C20 28-30 / KLINE
Qui vive la pietà quand' è ben morta; Pity is alive here, where it is best forgotten.
chi è più scellerato che colui Who is more impious than one who bears
che al giudicio divin passion comporta? compassion for God’s judgement?
VIRGIL TRIES LIFTING DANTE’S HEAD.
147
VIRGIL: & VIRGIL:
INF C20 31-33 / DANTE INF C20 31-33 / KLINE
Drizza la testa, drizza, e vedi a cui Lift your head, lift it and see See him for whom
s'aperse a li occhi d'i Teban la terra; earth opened, under the eyes of the Thebans,
per ch'ei gridavan tutti: "Dove rui, at which they all shouted: “Where are you rushing,
INF C20 34-36 / DANTE
Anfïarao? perché lasci la guerra?". Amphiaräus? Why do you quit the battle?”
E non restò di ruinare a valle And he did not stop his downward rush
fino a Minòs che ciascheduno afferra. until he reached Minos, who grasps every sinner.
AMPHIARÄUS: A GREEK SEER, ONE OF THE HEROES AT THE CALYDONIAN BOAR HUNT. IN THE WAR OF THE SEVEN AGAINST
THEBES, AMPHIARAÜS WAS ONE OF THE SEVEN CHAMPIONS. HE FLED ALONG THE BANKS OF THE RIVER ISMENUS IN HIS
CHARIOT AND WAS ON THE POINT OF BEING KILLED WHEN ZEUS CLEFT THE EARTH WITH A THUNDERBOLT. HE VANISHED
FROM SIGHT, CHARIOT & ALL, & NOW REIGNS ALIVE AMONG THE DEAD. (OVID’S METAMORPHOSES 8 317, 9 407-410.)
INF C20 37-39 / DANTE
Mira c'ha fatto petto de le spalle; Note how he has made a chest of his shoulders:
perché volle veder troppo davante, because he willed to see too far beyond him,
di retro guarda e fa retroso calle. he now looks behind and goes backwards.
INF C20 40-42 / DANTE
Vedi Tiresia, che mutò sembiante See Tiresias, who changed his form,
quando di maschio femmina divenne, when he was made into a woman,
cangiandosi le membra tutte quante; all his limbs altering:
TIRESIAS: THEBAN SEER. HE SPENT SEVEN YEARS IN THE FORM OF A WOMAN AFTER STRIKING A PAIR OF COUPLING SNAKES.
ON STRIKING THEM AGAIN HE WAS CHANGED BACK. HE WAS CALLED UPON, BY JUPITER, TO JUDGE AN ARGUMENT, BETWEEN
HIMSELF & JUNO, AS TO WHETHER MEN OR WOMEN GET THE MOST PLEASURE FROM LOVEMAKING. DECIDING IN FAVOUR OF
WOMEN (& SO JUPITER), JUNO STRUCK HIM BLIND. JUPITER GAVE HIM THE POWER OF PROPHECY TO COMPENSATE FOR HIS
BLINDNESS. (OVID’S METAMORPHOSES 3 324-332.)
INF C20 43-45 / DANTE
e prima, poi, ribatter li convenne and later he had to strike the two entwined snakes
li duo serpenti avvolti, con la verga, with his staff, a second time,
che rïavesse le maschili penne. before he could resume a male aspect.
INF C20 46-51 / KLINE
That one is Aruns, who has his back to Tiresias’s belly, he who in the mountains of Tuscan Luni, where the
Carrarese hoe, who live beneath them, had a cave to live in, among the white marble, from which he could gaze at
the stars and the sea, with nothing to spoil his view.’