Inferno: Canto II

The day was departing, and the brown air taking the animals, that are on earth, from their toils; and I, one alone,

was preparing myself to bear the war both of the journey and the pity, which memory, that errs not, shall relate.

O Muses, o high Genius, now help me! O Memory, that hast inscribed what I saw, here will be shewn thy nobleness.

I began: “Poet, who guidest me, look if there be worth in me sufficient, before thou trust me to the arduous passage.

Thou sayest that the father of Sylvius, while subject to corruption, went to the immortal world, and was there in body.

But if the Adversary of all evil was propitious [to him], considering the high effect, and who and what should come from him,

it seems not unfitting to an understanding mind: for in the empyreal heaven, he was chosen to be the father of generous Rome, and of her Empire;

both these, to say the truth, were established for the holy place, where the Successor of [the greatest] Peter sits.

By this journey, for which thou honourest him, he learned things that were the causes of his victory, and of the Papal Mantle.

Afterwards, the Chosen Vessel went thither, to bring confirmation of that Faith which is the entrance to the way of salvation.

But I, why go? or who permits it? I am not Æneas, am not Paul; neither myself nor others deem me worthy of it.

Wherefore, if I resign myself to go, I fear my going may prove foolish; thou art wise, and understandest better than I speak.”

And as one who unwills what he willed, and with new thoughts changes his purpose, so that he wholly quits the thing commenced,

such I made myself on that dim coast: for with thinking I wasted the enterprise, that had been so quick in its commencement.

“If I have rightly understood thy words,” replied that shade of the Magnanimous, “thy soul is smit with coward fear,

which oftentimes encumbers men, so that it turns them back from honoured enterprise; as false seeing does a startled beast.

To free thee from this dread, I will tell thee why I came, and what I heard in the first moment when I took pity of thee.

I was amongst them who are in suspense; and a Lady, so fair and blessed that I prayed her to command, called me.

Her eyes shone brighter than the star[s]; and she began soft and gentle to tell me with angelic voice, in her language:

‘O courteous Mantuan Spirit, whose fame still lasts in the world, and will last as long as Time!

my friend, and not the friend of fortune, is so impeded in his way upon the desert shore, that he has turned back for terror;

and I fear he may already be so far astray, that I have risen too late for his relief, from what I heard of him in Heaven.

Now go, and with thy ornate speech, and with what is necessary for his escape, help him so, that I may be consoled thereby.

I am Beatrice who send thee; I come from a place where I desire to return; love moved me, that makes me speak.

When I shall be before my Lord, I oft will praise thee to him.’ She was silent then, and I began:

‘O Lady [of virtue], through whom [alone] mankind excels all that is contained within the heaven which has the smallest circles!

so grateful to me is thy command, that my obeying, were it done already, seems tardy; it needs not that thou more explain to me thy wish.

But tell me the cause, why thou forbearest not to descend into this centre here below from the spacious place, to which thou burnest to return.’

‘Since thou desirest to know thus far, I will tell thee briefly,’ she replied, ‘why I fear not to come within this place.

Those things alone are to be feared that have the power of hurting; the others not, which are not fearful.

I am made such by God, in his grace, that your misery does not touch me; nor the flame of this burning assail me.

There is a noble Lady in Heaven who has such pity of this hindrance, for which I send thee, that she breaks the sharp judgment there on high.

She called Lucia, in her request, and said: “Now thy faithful one has need of thee; and I commend him to thee.”

Lucia, enemy of all cruelty, arose and came to the place where I was sitting with the ancient Rachel.

She said: “Beatrice, true praise of God; why helpest thou not him who loved thee so, that for thee he left the vulgar crowd?

Hearest not thou the misery of his plaint? Seest thou not the death which combats him upon the river [over] which the sea has no boast?”

None on earth were ever swift to seek their good, or flee their hurt, as I, after these words were uttered,

to come from my blessed seat; confiding in thy noble speech, which honours thee, and them who have heard it.’

After saying this to me, she turned away her bright eyes weeping; by which she made me hasten more to come;

and thus I came to thee, as she desired; took thee from before that savage beast, which bereft thee of the short way to the beautiful mountain.

What is it then? why, why haltest thou? why lodgest in thy heart such coward fear? why art thou not bold and free.

when three such blessed Ladies care for thee in the court of Heaven, and my words promise thee so much good?”

As flowerets, by the nightly chillness bended down and closed, erect themselves all open on their stems when the sun whitens them:

thus I did, with my fainting courage; and so much good daring ran into my heart, that I began as one set free:

“O compassionate she, who succoured me! and courteous thou, who quickly didst obey the true words that she gave thee!

Thou hast disposed my heart with such desire to go, by what thou sayest, that I have returned to my first purpose.

Now go, for both have one will; thou guide, thou lord and master.” Thus I spake to him; and he moving, I entered on the arduous and savage way.