L ' I N F E R N O

INF C3 127-129 / DANTE
Quinci non passa mai anima buona; This way no good spirit ever passes, and so
e però, se Caron di te si lagna, if Charon complains damns at you, you can well
ben puoi sapere omai che 'l suo dir suona. understand, now, the meaning of his words.
DANTE CLOSES THE CANTO.
DANTE:
INF C3 127-129 / DANTE INF C3 127-129 / KLINE
Quinci non passa mai anima buona; This way no good spirit ever passes, and so
e però, se Caron di te si lagna, if Charon complains at you, you can well
ben puoi sapere omai che 'l suo dir suona. understand, now, the meaning of his words.
INF C3 130-136 / KLINE
When he had ended, the gloomy ground trembled so violently, that the memory of my terror still drenches me with
sweat. The weeping earth gave vent, and flashed with crimson light, overpowering all my senses, and I fell, like a
man overcome by sleep.
HE POINTS BACKSTAGE, THEN AT THE AUDIENCE. THE LIGHTS MAY GO OUT [INF C3 130-136].
CANTO 4
INF C4 1-12 / KLINE
A heavy thunder shattered the deep sleep in my head, so that I came to myself, like someone woken by force, and
standing up, I moved my eyes, now refreshed. And looked round, steadily, to find out what place I was in. I found
myself, in truth, on the brink of the valley of the sad abyss that gathers the thunder of an infinite howling. It was so
dark, and deep, and clouded, that I could see nothing by staring into its depths.
LOOKING INTO THE AUDIENCE ABYSS
♫WIND / PERSONS HOWLING * * * * * * * * * *
INF C3 129 from INF C4 9
DANTE MOVES TO STAGE FRONT AND PEERS STRAIGHT DOWN, LOOKING INTO THE
AUDIENCE FOR THE SOURCE OF THE HOWLING. VIRGIL, ‘WHITE OF FACE’ [INF C4 14], PLACES
HIS HAND ON DANTE’S SHOULDER.
VIRGIL:
INF C4 13-15 / DANTE INF C4 13-15 / KLINE
«Or discendiam qua giù nel cieco mondo», The poet, white of face, began:
cominciò il poeta tutto smorto. Now, let us descend into the blind world below:
«Io sarò primo, e tu sarai secondo». I will go first, and you go second.
DANTE:
INF C4 16-18 / DANTE INF C4 16-18 / KLINE
E io, che del color mi fui accorto, And I, who saw his altered colour, said:
dissi: «Come verrò, se tu paventi How can I go on, if you are afraid,
che suoli al mio dubbiare esser conforto?». who are my comfort when I hesitate?
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