L ' I N F E R N O

192
VIRGIL TURNS AT HIS WORDS AND DANTE LAUNCHES INTO A FALSELY-FERVENT
DESCRIPTION OF THE 10 TH CHASM. VIRGIL INTERPRETS OR GIVES HIS OWN, BRIEFER
ACCOUNT.
DANTE: & VIRGIL:
INF C29 46-48 / DANTE INF C29 46-48 / KLINE
Qual dolor fora, se de li spedali Such pain there was, as there would be, if the
di Valdichiana tra 'l luglio e 'l settembre diseases in the hospitals of Valdichiana, Maremma
e di Maremma e di Sardigna i mali and Sardinia, between July and September,
INF C29 49-51 / DANTE
fossero in una fossa tutti 'nsembre, were all rife in one ditch:
tal era quivi, e tal puzzo n'usciva a stench arose from it,
qual suol venir de le marcite membre. such as issues from putrid limbs.
INF C29 52-54 / DANTE
Noi discendemmo in su l'ultima riva We descended on the last bank
del lungo scoglio, pur da man sinistra; of the long causeway, again on the left,
e allor fu la mia vista più viva and then my sight was clearer,
INF C29 55-57 / DANTE
giù ver' lo fondo, la 've la ministra down to the depths, where infallible Justice,
de l'alto Sire infallibil giustizia the minister of the Lord on high,
punisce i falsador che qui registra. punishes the falsifiers that it accounts for here.
INF C29 58-60 / DANTE
Non credo ch'a veder maggior tristizia I do not think it would have been a greater
fosse in Egina il popol tutto infermo, sadness to see the people of plague-ridden Aegina,
quando fu l'aere sì pien di malizia, when the air was so malignant,
AEGINA: OVID: METAMORPHOSES 7 523-657
INF C29 61-63 / DANTE
che li animali, infino al picciol vermo, that every animal, even the smallest worm,
cascaron tutti, e poi le genti antiche, was killed, and afterwards, as Poets say,
secondo che i poeti hanno per fermo, for certain, the ancient race
INF C29 64-66 / DANTE
si ristorar di seme di formiche; was restored from the seed of ants,
ch'era a veder per quella oscura valle than it was to see the spirits languishing
languir li spirti per diverse biche. in scattered heaps through that dim valley.
INF C29 67-84 / KLINE
This one lay on its belly, that, on the shoulders of the other, and some were crawling along the wretched path. Step
by step we went, without a word, gazing at, and listening to, the sick who could not lift their bodies. I saw two
sitting, leaning on each other, as one pan is leant to warm against another: I never saw a stable lad his master waits
for, or one who stays awake unwillingly, use a currycomb as fiercely, as each of these two clawed himself with his
nails, because of the intensity of their itching, that has no other relief. And so the nails dragged the scurf off, as a
knife does the scales from bream, or other fish with larger scales.
INF C29 85-108 / KLINE
My Guide began to speak: ‘O you, who strip your chain-mail with your fingers, and often make pincers of them, tell
us if there is any Latian among those here, inside: and may your nails be enough for that task for eternity.’ One of
them replied, weeping: ‘We are both Latians, whom you see so mutilated here, but who are you who enquire of us?
And the guide said: ‘I am one, who with this living man, descends from steep to steep, and mean to show him Hell.’
Then the mutual prop broke, and each one turned, trembling, towards me, along with others that heard him, by the
echo. The good Master addressed me directly, saying: ‘Tell them what you wish,’ and I began as he desired: ‘So that
your memory will not fade, from human minds, in the first world, but will live for many suns, tell us who you are,
and of what race. Do not let your ugly and revolting punishment make you afraid to reveal yourselves to me.’