Array Dante Alighieri - Harvard Classics Volume 20

Soon as that way he saw us pass. “O thou!”

He cried, “who through the infernal shades art led,

Own, if again thou know’st me. Thou wast framed

Or ere my frame was broken.” I replied:

“The anguish thou endurest perchance so takes

Thy form from my remembrance, that it seems

As if I saw thee never. But inform

Me thou art, that in a place so sad

Art set, and in such torment, that although

Other be greater, none disgusteth more.”

He thus in answer to my words rejoin’d:

“Thy city, heap’d with envy to the brim,

Aye, that the measure overflows its bounds,

Held me in brighter days. Ye citizens

Were wont to name me Ciacco. [37]For the sin

Of gluttony, damned vice, beneath this rain,

E’en as thou seest, I with fatigue am worn:

Nor I sole spirit in this woe: all these

Have by like crime incurr’d like punishment.”

No more he said, and I my speech resumed:

“Ciacco! thy! dire affliction grieves me much,

Even to tears. But tell me, if thou know’st,

What shall at length befall the citizens

of the divided city; [38]whether any

Just one inhabit there: and tell the cause,

Whence jarring Discord hath assail’d it thus.”

He then: “After long striving they will come

To blood; and the wild party from the woods [39]

Will chase the other [40]with much injury forth.

Then it behooves that this must fall, [41]within

Three solar circles; [42]and the other rise

By borrow’d force of one, who under shore

Now rests. [43]It shall a long space hold aloof

Its forehead, keeping under heavy weight

The other opprest, indignant at the load,

And grieving sore. The just are two in number. [44]

But they neglected. Avarice, envy, pride,

Three fatal sparks, have set the hearts of all

On fire.” Here ceased the lamentable sound;

And I continued thus: “Still would I learn

More from thee, further parley still entreat.

Of Farinata and Tegghiaio [45]say,

They who so well deserved; of Giacopo, [46]

Arrigo, Mosca, [47]and the rest, who bent

Their minds on working good. Oh! tell me where

They bide, and to their knowledge let me come.

For I am prest with keen desire to hear

If Heaven’s sweet cup, or poisonous drug of Hell,

Be to their lip assign’d.” He answer’d straight:

“These are yet blacker spirits. Various crimes

Have sunk them deeper in the dark abyss.

If thou so far descendest, thou mayst see them.

But to the pleasant world, when thou return’st,

Of me make mention, I entreat thee, there.

No more I tell thee, answer thee no more.”

This said, his fixed eyes he turn’d askance,

A little eyed me, then bent down his head,

And ’midst his blind companions with it fell.

When thus my guide: “No more his bed he leaves,

Ere the last angel-trumpet blow. The Power

Adverse to these shall then in glory come,

Each one forthwith to his sad tomb repair,

Resume his fleshly vesture and his form,

And hear the eternal doom re-echoing rend

The vault.” So pass’d we through that mixture foul

Of spirits and rain, with tardy steps; meanwhile

Touching, though slightly, on the life to come.

For thus I question’d: “Shall these tortures, Sir!

When the great sentence passes, be increased,

Or mitigated, or as now severe?”

He then: “Consult thy knowledge; that decides,

That, as each thing to more perfection grows,

It feels more sensibly both good and pain.

Though ne’er to true perfection may arrive

This race accurst, yet nearer then, than now,

They shall approach it.” Compassing that path,

Circuitous we journey’d; and discourse,

Much more than I relate, between us pass’d:

Till at the point, whence the steps led below,

Arrived, there Plutus, the great foe, we found.

Argument.—In the present Canto, Dante describes his descent into the fourth circle, at the beginning of which he sees Plutus stationed. Here one like doom awaits the prodigal and the avaricious; which is, to meet in direful conflict, rolling great weights against each other with mutual upbraidings. From hence Virgil takes occasion to show how vain the goods that are committed into the charge of Fortune; and this moves our author to inquire what being that Fortune is, of whom he speaks: which question being resolved, they go down into the fifth circle, where they find the wrathful and gloomy tormented in the Stygian lake. Having made a compass round great part of this lake, they come at last to the base of a lofty tower.

“Ah me! O Satan! Satan!” [48]loud exclaim’d

Plutus, in accent hoarse of wild alarm:

And the kind sage, whom no event surprised,

To comfort me thus spake: “Let not thy fear

Harm thee, for power in him, be sure, is none

To hinder down this rock thy safe descent.”

Then to that swoln lip turning, “Peace!” he cried,

“Curst wolf! thy fury inward on thyself

Prey, and consume thee! Through the dark profound,

Not without cause, he passes. So ’tis will’d

On high, there where the great Archangel pour’d

Heaven’s vengeance on the first adulterer proud.”

As sails, full spread and bellying with the wind,

Drop suddenly collapsed, if the mast split;

So to the ground down dropp’d the cruel fiend.

Thus we, descending to the fourth steep ledge,

Gain’d on the dismal shore, that all the woe

Hems in of all the universe. Ah me!

Almighty Justice! in what store thou heap’st

New pains, new troubles, as I here beheld.

Wherefore doth fault of ours bring us to this?

E’en as a billow, on Charybdis rising,

Against encounter’d billow dashing breaks;

Such is the dance this wretched race must lead,

Whom more than elsewhere numerous here I found.

From one side and the other, with loud voice,

Both roll’d on weights, by main force of their breasts,

Then smote together, and each one forthwith

Roll’d them back voluble, turning again;

Exclaiming these, “Why holdest thou so fast?”

Those answering, “And why castest thou away?”

So, still repeating their despiteful song,

They to the opposite point, on either hand,

Traversed the horrid circle; then arrived,

Both turn’d them round, and through the middle space,

Conflicting met again. At sight whereof

I, stung with grief, thus spake: “O say, my guide!

What race is this. Were these, whose heads are shorn,

On our left hand, all separate to the Church?”

He straight replied: “In their first life, these all

In mind were so distorted, that they made,

According to due measure, of their wealth

No use. This clearly from their words collect,

Which they howl forth, at each extremity

Arriving of the circle, where their crime

Contrary in kind disparts them. To the Church

Were separate those, that with no hairy cowls

Are crowned, both Popes and Cardinals, o’er whom

Avarice dominion absolute maintains.”

I then: “’Mid such as these some needs must be,

Whom I shall recognize, that with the blot

Of these foul sins were stain’d.” He answering thus:

“Vain thought conceivest thou. That ignoble life,

Which made them vile before, now makes them dark,

And to all knowledge indiscernible.

For ever they shall meet in this rude shock:

These from the tomb with clenched grasp shall rise,

Those with close-shaven locks. That ill they gave,

And ill they kept, hath of the beauteous world