Inferno: Canto Xii
INFERNO: CANTO XII
The place where we were to descend the bank
Was rocky, and more than that,
It was a scene appalling to behold.
Like the ruins of Trent, caused by a landslide,
Started by either an earthquake,
Or by gradual erosion that suddenly failed,
Where, from the mountain's top,
Down to the shattered rocks below,
A jagged path was formed;
Such was the path that we would have to follow,
And on the border of the broken chasm
A Minotaur blocked our way,
He, who was half man and half cow;
When he saw us, he bit himself,
As one who is consumed by rage.
My Sage shouted to him: "Perhaps
You think that the Duke of Athens has returned,
Who killed you in the world above?
Be gone, beast, for this one does not come
From the false clues of your sister, but he comes
In order to behold your punishments."
As a bull breaks loose at the moment
When he has received the fatal blow,
Who can no longer walk, but staggers here and there,
So the Minotaur behaved as well;
And my guide cried out: "Run to the passage;
While he is still in pain, now is the time to descend."
Down we went over that path
Of jagged stones, which often times moved
Beneath my feet, from the unwanted burden.
Carefully I went; and he said: "You are thinking
Perhaps that this ruin was caused
By that brute which just now I stopped.
I will have you know, the other time
I descended to the lower Hell,
This precipice had not yet fallen down.
But truly, if I am correct, a little
After He came, who took from the city of
Dis, in the lowest circle of Hell, the Grace of God,
The sides of this deep and loathsome valley
Trembled so much, that I thought the Universe was
Overjoyed with happiness, but there are those who think
The world changed into chaos;
And at that moment this ancient rock
Was splintered, both here and elsewhere.
But fix your eyes below; for we draw near
The river of blood, within which boils
Whoever did injury to others by violence."
O blind desire, O insane wrath,
That spurs us onward in our short life,
Then so badly boils us in our eternal life!
I saw a huge boiling moat bent like a bow,
Which encompassed the entire plain,
Just as my Guide had said.
And between this and the embankment's foot,
Centaurs were running in line, armed with arrows,
As in the world they used to follow their prey.
Watching us descend, each one stood still,
And from the squadron three detached themselves,
Armed with bows and arrows;
And from afar one cried: "You, who are coming down the hill,
What torture are you seeking?
Stop and tell us; or I will draw my bow."
My Master said: "We will answer only to
To Chiron, when we reach him,
And I see that you are hasty, as always."
Then he touched me, and said: "This one is Nessus,
Who died for the lovely Dejanira,
And for himself, took his own vengeance.
And the other one there, who's head is bowed,
Is the great Chiron, who brought up Achilles;
That third one is Pholus, who is also wrathful.
Thousands and thousands go around the moat
Shooting with arrows whatever soul emerges
Out of the blood, more than his crime allots."
As we approached near to those monsters;
Chiron took an arrow, and with the notch
Parted his beard in the center.
After he had uncovered his great mouth,
He said to his companions: "Are you aware
That the one in back moves whatever he touches?
Those are not the feet of a dead man."
And my good Guide, who now was at his side,
Where the head and body are joined, replied:
"Indeed he lives, and thus I alone
Can show him the dark valley;
Necessity, and not delight, drives us on.
Someone withdrew from heaven,
Who committed me to this task;
And he is no thief, nor am I a thieving spirit.
But it is by virtue that I am moving
Along this savage passage.
Give us one of your soldiers, to come with us,
And show us where to pass over the river,
And who may carry this one on his back;
For he is not a spirit that can walk on air."
To his right Chiron wheeled about,
And said to Nessus: "You, turn and guide them,
And warn the others, if they meet you."
We, with our faithful escort, moved on
Along the brink of the boiling red river,
Where those who were boiling uttered loud laments.
I saw some people buried up to their eyebrows,
And the great Centaur said: "These are Tyrants,
Who dealt in bloodshed and in pillaging.
Here they lament their pitiless deeds; here
Is Alexander, and fierce Dionysius
Who brought Sicily many sorrowful years.
That head there which has the black hair
Is Azzolin; and the other who is blond,
Is Obizzo of Esti, who, in truth,
Was slain by his own stepson."
Then I turned to the Poet; and he said,
"He will go first, with you, and I will follow."
A little farther on the Centaur stopped
Above a person, who sank as far down as his throat,
But seemed to be rising from the boiling stream.
The centaur pointed to him,
Saying: "He is one, who, in God's house, murdered
The heart that is still honored upon the Thames."
Then I saw people, who lifted their heads
From out of the river, all the way up to their chests;
And I recognized many of these.
Thus more and more the river grew shallower
Of blood, so that only the feet were covered;
And there is where we passed across the moat.
"As you have seen on this side,
The boiling stream diminishes,"
The Centaur said, "I will tell you
That on the other side, it declines more and more
Until it reunites itself at its bed,
Where the tyrants groan.
Justice punishes them, for upon that side, is
Attila, who was a scourge on earth,
And Pyrrhus, and Sextus; and forever pulls
The tears which the boiling brings
Of Rinier da Corneto and Rinier Pazzo,
Who made war upon the highways that they robbed."
Then he turned back, and passed again across the river.