L ' I N F E R N O

INF C24 103-105 / DANTE
e poi che fu a terra sì distrutto, and after he was heaped on the ground,
la polver si raccolse per sé stessa the powder gathered itself together,
e 'n quel medesmo ritornò di butto. and immediately returned to its previous shape.
DANTE:
INF C24 106-108 / DANTE INF C24 106-108 / KLINE
Così per li gran savi si confessa So, great sages say, the phoenix dies,
che la fenice more e poi rinasce, and then renews, when it nears
quando al cinquecentesimo anno appressa; its five-hundredth year.
INF C24 109-111 / DANTE
erba né biado in sua vita non pasce, In its life it does not eat grass or grain,
ma sol d'incenso lagrime e d'amomo, but only tears of incense, and amomum:
e nardo e mirra son l'ultime fasce. and its last shroud is nard and myrrh.
DANTE TURNS TO THE SCENE.
169
DANTE:
INF C24 112-114 / DANTE INF C24 112-114 / KLINE
E qual è quel che cade, e non sa como, The sinner when he rose was rises like one who
per forza di demon ch'a terra il tira, falls, and does not know how, through the power
of
o d'altra oppilazion che lega l'omo, a demon that drags him down to the ground, or
through
INF C24 115-117 / DANTE
quando si leva, che 'ntorno si mira some other affliction. that binds men, and,
tutto smarrito de la grande angoscia when he rises, He gazes round, himself,
ch'elli ha sofferta, e guardando sospira: all dazed by the great anguish
INF C24 118-120 / DANTE
tal era 'l peccator levato poscia. he has suffered., and as he gazes, sighs.
Oh potenza di Dio, quant' è severa, O how heavy the power of God,
che cotai colpi per vendetta croscia! that showers down such blows in vengeance!
THE PISTOIAN PHOENIX SPEAKS FROM BEHIND THE WALL.
VANNI FUCCI (VOICE):
INF C24 121-123 / DANTE INF C24 121-123 / KLINE
Lo duca il domandò poi chi ello era; The guide then asked him who he was, at which
per ch’ei rispuose: Io piovvi di Toscana, he answered: I rained down from Tuscany
poco tempo è, in questa gola fiera. into this gully, a short while back.
VANNI FUCCI *---- ? - 1300 + AGE : 35??
PLACE./.LANGUAGE ETC
PISTOIA.
DESCRIPTION
VOICE ONLY.
VANNI FUCCI: ILLEGITIMATE SON OF A NOBLE FAMILY, A TURBULENT BLACK GUELPH FROM PISTOIA WHO, IN 1293,
TOGETHER WITH 2 ACCOMPLICES, STOLE THE TREASURE OF SAN JACOPO FROM THE CHURCH OF SAN ZENO. RAMPIONO DE’
FORESI WAS HELD IN PRISON FOR THE CRIME, WHILE THE CULPRITS WENT UNDETECTED FOR A YEAR. (THERE ARE OTHER
NAMES, VERSIONS.)
NO COMMENTATOR HAS A GOOD WORD TO SAY FOR VANNI FUCCI EXCEPT THE CANONICO CRESCIMBENI…WHO COUNTS HIM
AMONG THE ITALIAN POETS…AND QUOTES A SONNET OF HIS: FOR I HAVE LOST THE GOOD I MIGHT HAVE HAD / THROUGH
LITTLE WIT, AND NOT OF MINE OWN WILL. (LONGFELLOW)