Inferno: Canto IX

That hue, which coward fear spread o'er my face
When I beheld my master backward turn.
Caused him his own emotion to repress.

As one who listens, he attentive stood;
For with his eye he could not far discern
Through the black air, and through the heavy cloud.

He then began: "To triumph in this fight
Behoves us still: unless... such mighty aid...
Oh! would that he already were in sight!"

Full well I saw his closing words convey'd
A sense at variance with what first he said.
And fain would cloak the doubts he had betray'd:

Nathless, his speech much fear within me wrought,
For haply from his broken words I drew
Worse meaning than they really did import.

"Down from that circle of the dread abyss
Where loss of hope alone the spirits rue.
Doth any e'er descend so low as this?"

I made inquiry; and he answer'd thus:
"It rarely happens that the road I go
Hath e'er been ventured on by one of us.

'Tis true, aforetime I have been this track.
By fell Erichtho conjured down below.
Who to their bodies call'd the spirits back.

Short space had I put off my mortal clay,
When, to the circle which base Judas holds.
She sent me down, to bear a soul away:

That is the lowest place and most obscure.
And farthest from the heaven which all enfolds:
I know the road— feel therefore thou secure.

This marsh, whence vapours rise so foul and rife,
Surrounds that mournful city, which denies
All entrance, save with bitterness and strife."

And more he said than memory can recite;
With such deep fix'd attention were mine eyes
Drawn to the castle of the flaming light: —

There, on a sudden rising up, I view'd
Three hellish furies: — stain'd with blood they were,
And female seem'd their limbs and attitude;

Green hydras twined their hideous waists around;
And serpents and cerastes form'd the hair.
Whose mantling coils their savage temples bound.

Then he, who knew the horrid beldames well,
Attendant on the queen of endless woe,
Exclaim'd to me: "Behold the Erynnis fell:

This is Megaera on the left; — the dread
Aletto weeps upon the right; and lo!
Between them stands Tisiphone:" he said

No more. Each with her nails sore rent her breast;
Struck with her hands; and shriek'd in such despite.
That to the bard I clung, with fear opprest.

"Haste, bring Medusa — change him into stone,"
All cried, as they look'd downward from the height;
"This comes of favour unto Theseus shown."

"Turn back, and from the Gorgon hide thine eyes;
For shouldst thou look on her, whom none withstands.
Vain were the hope again to view the skies."

Thus as the master spake, he sudden wheel'd
My body round, nor trusted to my hands.
But with his own my countenance conceal'd.

O ye, with lofty intellects endow'd,
Behold the secret lore intended here,
Which my mysterious minstrelsy would shroud.

Now o'er the restless waves there came a sound
As of a mighty crashing — fraught with fear.
Which shook both shores throughout the vast profound;

Like to the raging of a mighty wind,
Which, rushing swift to cool some fervid zone.
Shatters the wood; and sweeping unconfined

Tears off the boughs, beats down, and hurls away; —
In clouds of dust advances proudly on.
And fills the beasts and shepherds with dismay.

He loosed my eyes, and, "Let their energies
Be turn'd," he said, "high o'er that ancient scum.
There, where the most offensive vapours rise."

As frogs before the hostile serpent fly
Swift through the water, till to land they come.
And each is buried in the mud; — so I

Above a thousand ruin'd souls survey'd
Fleeing from One, who o'er the Stygian pass.
With feet unmoisten'd, had his passage made.

His left hand oft in front was seen to wave,
The heavy air removing from his face;
And this the sole fatigue he seem'd to have.

Heaven's messenger he was, I plainly saw,
And to the master turn'd; whereat he straight
Made sign that I should bend in silent awe.

Ah! what disdain, methought, his looks disclosed!
Touch'd by his potent wand, the hostile gate
Flew instant open, nor his will opposed.

"Outcasts of heaven! — O abject race!" he cried,
Upon the horrid threshold as he stood,
"Whence in you dwells this insolence and pride?

Why do ye kick against the heavenly will.
Which never fails to make its purpose good.
And oft hath caused you an increase of ill?

What profits it 'gainst fate to butt the horn? —
Think how your Cerberus was overthrown.
And how his jaw and gullet still are torn."

Then back he turn'd along the filthy shore.
Nor spoke to us; but seem'd e'en like to one
By other care opprest and troubled more

Than by the thought of him within his view.
Fired by the hallow'd words, with footstep bold.
And firm assurance, we our way pursue.

The city then we enter'd unopposed:
And I, who was desirous to behold
The state of those by such strong walls enclosed.

Soon as I enter'd, cast around mine eyes.
On every side a spacious district lay,
Replete with torment, and with miseries.

And as at Aries, where Rhone scarce seems to glide; —
And as at Pola, near Quanaro's bay,
(Which bounding fair Italia laves her side,)

Tombs thickly spread diversify the ground;
E'en so vast tombs, resembling these I see
Save in the horrors which here more abound;

For scattered mid the graves were flames of fire,
Which heated them to such intense degree.
That hotter iron no craft could e'er require.

Their lids hung over them; and forth arose
Such dreadful lamentations, as declared
How they who utter'd them were rack'd by throes.

Then I: "O master, say what souls are here.
Who thus within these fiery vaults interred
Their voices raise in sighs of deep despair?"

"Here, with their followers of each sect," he said,
"Dwell the Arch-heretics, a concourse vast;
More than thou thinkest in the tombs are laid.

These monuments have less or greater heat;
Together buried, like with like are class'd."
And then, as to the right I turned my feet.

Between the tombs and ramparts high we pass'd.