Purgatorio: Canto I
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To run o'er better
waters
hoists its sail
The little vessel of my
genius now,
That leaves behind itself
a sea so cruel;
And of that
second kingdom will I sing
Wherein the human spirit doth purge itself,
And to ascend to heaven becometh worthy.
But let
dead Poesy here rise again,
O holy Muses, since that I am yours,
And here Calliope somewhat ascend,
My song accompanying with that sound,
Of which the miserable
magpies felt
The blow so great, that they despaired of
pardon.
Sweet colour of the
oriental sapphire,
That was upgathered in the
cloudless aspect
Of the pure air, as far as the first circle,
Unto mine eyes did recommence delight
Soon as I issued forth from the
dead air,
Which had with sadness filled mine eyes and breast.
The beauteous planet, that to love incites,
Was making all the orient to laugh,
Veiling the
Fishes that were in her escort.
To the right hand I turned, and fixed my mind
Upon the other pole, and saw four stars
Ne'er seen before save by the primal people.
Rejoicing in their
flamelets seemed the heaven.
O thou septentrional and widowed site,
Because thou art deprived of seeing these!
When from regarding them I had withdrawn,
Turning a little to the other
pole,
There where the Wain had disappeared already,
I saw beside me an old man alone,
Worthy of so much
reverence in his look,
That more owes not to
father any
son.
A
long beard and with
white hair intermingled
He wore, in semblance like unto the
tresses,
Of which a double list fell on his
breast.
The rays of the four
consecrated stars
Did so adorn his
countenance with light,
That him I saw as were the
sun before him.
"Who are you? ye who, counter the
blind river,
Have fled away from the
eternal prison?"
Moving those venerable plumes, he said:
"Who guided you? or who has been your lamp
In issuing forth out of the night
profound,
That ever
black makes the
infernal valley?
The laws of the
abyss, are they thus broken?
Or is there changed in
heaven some
council new,
That being damned ye come unto my
crags?"
Then did my Leader lay his grasp upon me,
And with his words, and with his hands and signs,
Reverent he made in me my knees and brow;
Then answered him: "I came not of myself;
A Lady from Heaven descended, at whose prayers
I aided this one with my company.
But since it is thy will more be unfolded
Of our condition, how it truly is,
Mine cannot be that this should be denied thee.
This one has never his last evening seen,
But by his folly was so near to it
That very little time was there to turn.
As I have said, I unto him was sent
To rescue him, and other way was none
Than this to which I have myself betaken.
I've shown him all the people of
perdition,
And now those spirits I intend to show
Who purge themselves beneath thy
guardianship.
How I have brought him would be long to tell thee.
Virtue
descendeth from on high that aids me
To lead him to behold thee and to hear thee.
Now may it please thee to
vouchsafe his coming;
He seeketh Liberty, which is so dear,
As knoweth he who life for her refuses.
Thou know'st it; since, for her, to thee not bitter
Was death in
Utica, where thou didst leave
The vesture, that will shine so, the great day.
By us the eternal edicts are not broken;
Since this one lives, and
Minos binds not me;
But of that circle I, where are the
chaste
Eyes of thy
Marcia, who in looks still prays thee,
O holy breast, to hold her as thine own;
For her love, then, incline thyself to us.
Permit us through thy sevenfold realm to go;
I will take back this grace from thee to her,
If to be mentioned there below thou deignest."
"
Marcia so pleasing was unto mine eyes
While I was on the other side," then said he,
"That every grace she wished of me I granted;
Now that she dwells
beyond the
evil river,
She can no longer move me, by that law
Which, when I issued forth from there, was made.
But if a
Lady of Heaven do move and rule thee,
As thou dost say, no
flattery is needful;
Let it suffice thee that for her thou ask me.
Go, then, and see thou gird this one about
With a smooth rush, and that thou wash his face,
So that thou cleanse away all stain therefrom,
For 'twere not fitting that the eye o'ercast
By any mist should go before the first
Angel, who is of those of Paradise.
This
little island round about its base
Below there, yonder, where the billow beats it,
Doth rushes bear upon its washy ooze;
No other plant that putteth forth the leaf,
Or that doth
indurate, can there have life,
Because it yieldeth not unto the shocks.
Thereafter be not this way your return;
The sun, which now is rising, will direct you
To take the mount by easier ascent."
With this he vanished; and I raised me up
Without a word, and wholly drew myself
Unto my
Guide, and turned mine eyes to him.
And he began: "Son, follow thou my steps;
Let us turn back, for on this side declines
The plain unto its lower boundaries."
The
dawn was vanquishing the matin hour
Which fled before it, so that from afar
I recognised the trembling of the sea.
Along the
solitary plain we went
As one who unto the lost road returns,
And till he finds it seems to go in vain.
As soon as we were come to where the dew
Fights with the sun, and, being in a part
Where shadow falls, little
evaporates,
Both of his hands upon the grass outspread
In gentle manner did my Master place;
Whence I, who of his action was aware,
Extended unto him my
tearful cheeks;
There did he make in me uncovered wholly
That hue which
Hell had covered up in me.
Then came we down upon the desert shore
Which never yet saw navigate its waters
Any that afterward had known return.
There he begirt me as the other pleased;
O
marvellous! for even as he culled
The humble plant, such it sprang up again
Suddenly there
where he uprooted it.
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