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VIRGIL APPROACHES THE DOORKEEPER. DANTE GOES ON WRITING.<br />
DANTE:<br />
INF C8 109-111 / DANTE INF C8 109-111 / KLINE<br />
Così sen va, e quivi m'abbandona So the gentle father goes, and leaves me there,<br />
lo dolce padre, e io rimagno in forse, and I am left in doubt:<br />
che sì e no nel capo mi tenciona. since ‘yes’ and ‘no’ war inside my head.<br />
INF C8 112-117 / KLINE<br />
I could not hear what terms he offered them, but he had not been standing there long with them, when, each vying<br />
with the other, they rushed back. Our adversaries closed the gate in my lord’s face, leaving him outside, and he<br />
turned to me again with slow steps.<br />
DANTE QUIETLY VERSIFIES AS VIRGIL INAUDIBLY CLAIMS HIS AUTHORITY TO ENTER.<br />
DANTE:<br />
INF C8 109-111 / DANTE INF C8 109-111 / KLINE<br />
Così sen va, e quivi m'abbandona So the gentle father goes, and leaves me there,<br />
lo dolce padre, e io rimagno in forse, and I am left in doubt:<br />
che sì e no nel capo mi tenciona. since ‘yes’ and ‘no’ war inside my head.<br />
♫Sì? Sì? Sì?...No! No! No * * * * * * * * * *<br />
INF C8 111<br />
The Angels on the battlement sing a high-pitched travesty of Virgil’s argument, consisting entirely<br />
of repetitions of the question: Sì?<br />
The Angels peer over the battlement at the doorkeeper. After a long moment the doorkeeper gives<br />
the smallest shake of his head.<br />
The Angels sing a mocking repeated: No!<br />
Virgil tries again twice. Each time the Angels raise the pitch of the Sì? ’s, and lower the pitch and<br />
raise the volume of their No! ’s.<br />
After the third attempt, a bass single No! may be sung by Satan within the City.<br />
VIRGIL RETURNS TO DANTE, LOOKING DISTRESSED [INF C8 112-117].<br />
VIRGIL:<br />
INF C8 118-120 / DANTE INF C8 118-120 / KLINE<br />
Li occhi a la terra e le ciglia avea rase His eyes were on the ground, and his expression<br />
d'ogne baldanza, e dicea ne' sospiri: devoid of all daring, and he said, sighing: Who are<br />
«Chi m'ha negate le dolenti case!». these who deny me entrance to the house of pain?<br />
INF C8 121-123 / DANTE<br />
E a me disse: «Tu, perch' io m'adiri, And to me he said: Though I am angered,<br />
non sbigottir, ch'io vincerò la prova, do not you be dismayed: I will win the trial,<br />
qual ch'a la difension dentro s'aggiri. whatever obstacle those inside contrive.<br />
INF C8 124-126 / DANTE<br />
Questa lor tracotanza non è nova; This insolence of theirs is nothing new,<br />
ché già l'usaro a men segreta porta, for they displayed it once before, at that less secret<br />
la qual sanza serrame ancor si trova. gate we passed, that has remained unbarred.<br />
INF C8 127-129 / DANTE<br />
Sovr' essa vedestù la scritta morta: Over it you saw the fatal writing, and already<br />
e già di qua da lei discende l'erta, on this side of its entrance, one is coming,<br />
passando per li cerchi sanza scorta, down the steep, passing the circles unescorted,<br />
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