Canto XIX
CANTO XIX
Just before dawn Dante dreams of a stammering woman, squint-eyed, crippled, and sallow-hued, but his steady gaze soon transforms her, loosening her tongue, straightening her posture, and restoring a blush to her cheeks. She is a Siren, a figure of sins of the flesh, and sings of her ability to fulfill human desires. Suddenly, however, a saintly lady symbolizing the light of discernment appears at the Pilgrim’s side, crying out angrily to his Guide about the seductress. Representing the deliberation and judgment of reason, Virgil steps forth to rend the Siren’s garments, exposing her belly so that the stench of it shakes the Poet from his dream (1–33). Dante rises at his Master’s repeated calls and follows him pensively, bent over like the semiarch of a bridge. Speaking with heavenly sweetness, an angel points out the way to the stairs, fanning Dante with his swan-like wings to erase another P, and declaring, “Blessed are those who weep” (34–51). As the Wayfarer goes along perplexed by the meaning of his dream, Virgil explains that it has shown him the deceptive allurement of the sins of the flesh and the possibility of escape from their snares by the power of counsel and free will. The ancient Sage then exhorts his charge to raise his eyes to the celestial spheres calling human beings to God, and Dante’s eagerness mounts like that of a falcon to fly and seize its quarry (52–69). When they emerge upon the fifth terrace, the Travelers find the spirits of the avaricious lying face down, weeping, and sighing, “My soul lies prostrate in the dust.” With Virgil’s permission, the Pilgrim addresses a spirit who has attracted his notice (70–96). It is the soul of Pope Adrian V. Shortly before he died, he realized that his restless heart was not yet still, though as pope he could rise no higher, and his love of the eternal was thus enflamed. Just as he turned his gaze to the things of earth in life, so now he and the other avaricious must lie face down on the ground in death (97–126). The Poet kneels before his papal dignity to speak but is rebuked since earthly positions and relations no longer obtain. Anxious to return to his penance, the former Pope dismisses Dante with a mention of his niece Alagia, the only one of his house in a state of grace left to pray for him (127–145).
1 In that hour when the heat of daytime will
Be quenched by Earth, and sometimes Saturn too,
So it no more warms up the lunar chill,[298]
4 When in the east the geomancers view
Fortuna Major—dawn not having gleamed—
On paths whose darkness soon for it is through,[299]
7 A stamm’ring woman came to me, I dreamed,
With eyes asquint and crooked on her feet,
With crippled hands and sallow hue, it seemed.
10 I looked at her, and as the solar heat
Consoles cold limbs that were benumbed by night,
Just so my gazing made her tongue more fleet.
13 And then in little time I set her right,
And just as love would wish to have her dyed,
I colored too her face, once pale and light.
16 And when her speech had thus become untied,
The song begun would make it hard for me,
Intently fixed on her, to turn aside.
19 She sang: “I am the pleasing Siren, she
Who is so full of pleasantness to hear
She leads astray the sailors in mid-sea.
22 And towards my song I made Ulysses veer[300]
From roving ways; let one with me but stay,
He rarely leaves; I so fulfill him here.”
25 Her mouth was not yet shut when straight-away
Appeared a saintly lady at my side,[301]
One quick to plunge the other in dismay.
28 “O Virgil, Virgil, who is this?” she cried
In angry tones; and he, who fixed his stare
On but that noble one, came on in stride.
31 He seized the first—her frontside was laid bare,
Her clothing rent, her belly on display,
Which woke me with the stench that issued there.
34 Eyes turned, I heard my kindly Master say:
“Get up! Three times at least I’ve called for you;
Come find what gap may be the entrance-way.”
37 I rose. The lofty day had filled anew
Each circle on that sacred mount by now,
And we walked forth, new sun behind us two.[302]
40 I followed after him and bore my brow
Like one who has it burdened with his thought,
Bowed down as half a bridge’s arch would bow.
43 I heard then: “Come, for passage here is wrought”—
Words said in such a soft and gentle tone
As to this mortal sphere is never brought.
46 With open wings, which like a swan’s had shone,
The speaker turned us towards the upward way,
Built up between two walls of hardest stone.
49 His feathers moved and fanned us; “Blest are they
Qui lugent, for their souls shall have the most[303]
Of consolation,” he affirmed, “some day.”
52 “What is the matter that you stare engrossed
Upon the ground?” my Guide began to me
When we’d just climbed beyond the angel’s post.
55 “I’m made to go with such perplexity,
Drawn forth,” I said, “by visions newly shown
That from the thought of them I can’t get free.”
58 “You’ve witnessed now,” he said, “the ancient crone,
You’ve seen how men escape from her appeals;
Above us there they weep for her alone.
61 Enough, though; on the earth now strike your heels,
And turn your eyes up to the lure spun by
The King Eternal with His mighty wheels.”
64 As first the falcon downward turns its eye,
Then at the cry turns up, while forwards leant,
When drawn by its desire for food, so I
67 Became as well; and such—through rocks there rent
To make a way for one who’s upwards bound—
I reached where one first takes the circle’s bent.
70 When I came forth upon that fifth, clear round,[304]
I saw about me there a weeping herd,
All lying with their faces towards the ground.
73 “Adhaesit pavimento,” now I heard,
“Anima mea,” said with sighs so deep[305]
That we could scarcely understand a word.
76 “Elect of God, both hope and justice keep
The torments that you bear less hard to stand;
Direct us to high steps that climb the steep.”
79 “If you’re exempted from the prostrate band
And would most quickly find the way on high,
Keep ever to the outside your right hand.”
82 Thus asked the Poet; thus came this reply,
A little way ahead of us outpoured.
I marked then what was hidden in this cry.[306]
85 I turned my eyes to his, and so my Lord
Assented with a joyful sign indeed
To what the look of my desire implored.
88 When I, as wished, was able to proceed,
I drew ahead and stood above one there,
Whose words before had made me give him heed.
91 “O soul in whom tears ripen the repair
Without which no one is to God returned,
Suspend awhile for me your greater care.
94 Say who you were and why your back’s upturned,
And if you’d have me seek your good below,
Where I, who ventured forth alive, sojourned.”
97 “Why Heaven has upturned our backs you’ll know;
To start with, scias quod,” he said to me,
“Successor Petri ego fui, though.[307]
100 Mid Sestri and Chiávari you see[308]
Fair streams descend whose name has come to crest
The noble title of my family.
103 I felt how that great mantle’s burden pressed
—When kept from mire—in but a month or so;
Hence, other loads seem feathers now at best.
106 How my conversion was, alas, so slow!
But I, made Roman shepherd, learned how rife
Our human life is with deceitful show.
109 I saw the heart has there no rest from strife,
Nor could one in that life yet higher climb,
So love in me was kindled for this life.
112 A wretched soul was I until that time,
Apart from God, and filled with avarice;
Now, as you see, I’m punished for my crime.
115 What greed can do is not declared amiss
In the purgation of the souls turned round;
The mount has no more bitter pain than this.
118 Just as our eyes, which earthly things once bound,
Were never lifted up to things above,
So justice here has sunk them to the ground.
121 And just as avarice had quenched our love
For any good, such that our works were shed,
So also justice holds us fast, whereof
124 We’re captives, bound in hand and foot,” he said;
“As long as it’s our just Lord’s pleasure, we
Shall here remain immobile and outspread.”
127 I wished to speak, already on my knee,
But as I started, he could well detect
My reverence by just my voice, so he
130 Spoke out: “What cause has bent you down?” “Respect
Before your dignity,” I answered then,
“Made conscience sting me since I stood erect.”
133 “Make straight your legs, my brother, rise again!
And do not err: I serve one Power too,”
So he replied, “with you and other men.
136 If you had ever understood and knew
What Holy Writ said Neque nubent for,[309]
You might see why I answer as I do.
139 Now go your way, I’d have you stay no more;
Your halt disturbs the tears by which I aim
To ripen what you spoke about before.
142 I have a niece; Alagia is her name,[310]
And she is good—should but our house forebear
To lead her by example into shame—
145 And she alone remains to me down there.”