| INFERNO CANTO 17 |
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INFERNO CANTO 17 |
| "Ecco la fiera con la coda aguzza,
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17.1 |
C |
"Behold the beast who bears the pointed tail, |
| che passa i monti e rompe i muri e l'armi! |
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who crosses mountains, shatters weapons, walls! |
| Ecco colei
che tutto 'l mondo appuzza!"
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Behold the one whose stench fills all the world!" |
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| Sì cominciò lo mio duca a parlarmi; |
17.4 |
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So did my guide begin to speak to me, |
| e accennolle che venisse a proda, |
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and then he signaled him to come ashore |
| vicino al fin d'i passeggiati marmi. |
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close to the end of those stone passageways. |
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| E quella sozza imagine di froda
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17.7 |
CI |
And he came on, that filthy effigy |
| sen venne, e arrivò la testa e 'l busto, |
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of fraud, and landed with his head and torso |
| ma 'n su la riva non trasse la coda. |
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but did not draw his tail onto the bank. |
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| La faccia sua era faccia d'uom giusto,
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17.10 |
C |
The face he wore was that of a just man, |
| tanto benigna avea di fuor la pelle, |
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so gracious was his features' outer semblance; |
| e d'un serpente tutto l'altro fusto; |
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and all his trunk, the body of a serpent; |
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| due branche avea pilose insin l'ascelle; |
17.13 |
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he had two paws, with hair up to the armpits; |
| lo dosso e 'l petto e ambedue le coste |
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his back and chest as well as both his flanks |
| dipinti avea di nodi e di rotelle. |
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had been adorned with twining knots and circlets. |
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| Con più color, sommesse e sovraposte |
17.16 |
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No Turks or Tartars ever fashioned fabrics |
| non fer mai drappi Tartari né Turchi, |
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more colorful in background and relief, |
| né fuor tai tele per Aragne
imposte.
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PE |
nor had Arachne ever loomed such webs. |
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| Come talvolta stanno a riva i burchi, |
17.19 |
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As boats will sometimes lie along the shore, |
| che parte sono in acqua e parte in terra, |
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with part of them on land and part in water, |
| e come là tra li Tedeschi lurchi |
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and just as there, among the guzzling Germans, |
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| lo bivero s'assetta a far sua guerra, |
17.22 |
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the beaver sets himself when he means war, |
| così la fiera pessima si stava
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C |
so did that squalid beast lie on the margin |
| su l'orlo ch'è di pietra e 'l sabbion serra. |
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of stone that serves as border for the sand. |
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| Nel vano tutta sua coda guizzava, |
17.25 |
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And all his tail was quivering in the void |
| torcendo in sù la venenosa forca |
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while twisting upward its envenomed fork, |
| ch'a guisa di scorpion la punta armava. |
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which had a tip just like a scorpion's |
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| Lo duca disse: "Or convien che si torca |
17.28 |
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My guide said: "Now we'd better bend our path |
| la nostra via un poco insino a quella |
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a little, till we reach as far as that |
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bestia malvagia che colà si corca."
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C |
malicious beast which crouches over there." |
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| Però scendemmo a la destra mammella, |
17.31 |
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Thus we descended on the right hand side |
| e diece passi femmo in su lo stremo, |
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and moved ten paces on the stony brink |
| per ben cessar la rena e la fiammella. |
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in order to avoid the sand and fire. |
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| E quando noi a lei venuti semo, |
17.34 |
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When we had reached the sprawling beast, I saw- |
| poco più oltre veggio in su la rena |
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a little farther on, upon the sand- |
| gente seder propinqua al loco scemo. |
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some sinners sitting near the fissured rock. |
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| Quivi 'l maestro "Acciò che tutta piena |
17.37 |
I |
And here my master said to me: "So that |
| esperïenza d'esto giron porti," |
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you may experience this ring in full, |
| mi disse, "va, e vedi la lor mena. |
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go now, and see the state in which they are. |
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| Li tuoi ragionamenti sian là corti; |
17.40 |
I |
But keep your conversation with them brief; |
| mentre che torni, parlerò con questa, |
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till you return, I'll parley with this beast, |
| che ne conceda i suoi omeri forti." |
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to see if he can lend us his strong shoulders." |
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| Così ancor su per la strema testa |
17.43 |
I |
So I went on alone and even farther |
| di quel settimo cerchio tutto solo |
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along the seventh circle's outer margin, |
| andai, dove sedea la gente mesta. |
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to where the melancholy people sat. |
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| Per li occhi fora scoppiava lor duolo; |
17.46 |
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Despondency was bursting from their eyes; |
| di qua, di là soccorrien con le mani |
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this side, then that, their hands kept fending off, |
| quando a' vapori, e quando al caldo suolo: |
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at times the flames, at times the burning soil: |
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| non altrimenti fan di state i cani |
17.49 |
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not otherwise do dogs in summer-now |
| or col ceffo or col piè, quando son morsi |
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with muzzle, now with paw when they are bitten |
| o da pulci o da mosche o da tafani. |
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by fleas or gnats or by the sharp gadfly. |
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| Poi che nel viso a certi li occhi porsi, |
17.52 |
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When I had set my eyes upon the faces |
| ne' quali 'l doloroso foco casca, |
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of some on whom that painful fire falls, |
| non ne conobbi alcun; ma io m'accorsi |
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I recognized no one; but I did notice |
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| che dal collo a ciascun pendea una tasca |
17.55 |
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that from the neck of each a purse was hung |
| ch'avea certo colore e certo segno, |
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that had a special color and an emblem, |
| e quindi par che 'l loro occhio si pasca. |
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and their eyes seemed to feast upon these pouches. |
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| E com' io riguardando tra lor vegno, |
17.58 |
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Looking about-when I had come among them- |
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in una borsa gialla vidi
azzurro
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PE |
I saw a yellow purse with azure on it |
|
che d'un leone avea
faccia e contegno.
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that had the face and manner of a lion. |
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| Poi, procedendo di mio sguardo il curro, |
17.61 |
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Then, as I let my eyes move farther on, |
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vidine un'altra come
sangue rossa,
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PE |
I saw another purse that was bloodred, |
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mostrando un'oca bianca
più che burro.
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and it displayed a goose more white than butter. |
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E un che d'una scrofa
azzurra e grossa
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17.64 |
PE |
And one who had an azure, pregnant sow |
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segnato avea lo suo
sacchetto bianco,
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inscribed as emblem on his white pouch, said |
| mi disse: "Che fai tu in questa fossa? |
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to me: "What are you doing in this pit? |
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| Or te ne va; e perché se' vivo anco, |
17.67 |
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Now you be off; and since you're still alive, |
| sappi che 'l mio vicin Vitalïano
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PE |
remember that my neighbor Vitaliano |
| sederà qui dal mio sinistro fianco. |
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shall yet sit here, upon my left hand side. |
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| Con questi Fiorentin son padoano: |
17.70 |
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Among these Florentines, I'm Paduan; |
| spesse fïate mi 'ntronan li orecchi |
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I often hear them thunder in my ears, |
| gridando: 'Vegna 'l cavalier
sovrano,
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PE |
shouting, 'Now let the sovereign cavalier, |
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| che recherà la tasca con tre
becchi!'"
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17.73 |
PE |
the one who'll bring the purse with three goats, come!'" |
| Qui distorse la bocca e di fuor trasse |
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At this he slewed his mouth, and then he stuck |
| la lingua, come bue che 'l naso lecchi. |
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his tongue out, like an ox that licks its nose. |
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| E io, temendo no'l più star crucciasse |
17.76 |
I |
And I, afraid that any longer stay |
| lui che di poco star m'avea 'mmonito, |
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might anger him who'd warned me to be brief, |
| torna'mi in dietro da l'anime lasse. |
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made my way back from those exhausted souls. |
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| Trova' il duca mio ch'era salito |
17.79 |
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I found my guide, who had already climbed |
| già su la groppa del fiero
animale,
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C |
upon the back of that brute animal, |
| e disse a me: "Or sie forte e ardito. |
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and he told me: "Be strong and daring now, |
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| Omai si scende per sì fatte scale; |
17.82 |
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for our descent is by this kind of stairs: |
| monta dinanzi, ch'i' voglio esser mezzo, |
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you mount in front; I want to be between, |
| sì che la coda non possa far male." |
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so that the tail can't do you any harm." |
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| Qual è colui che sì presso ha 'l riprezzo |
17.85 |
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As one who feels the quartan fever near |
| de la quartana, c'ha già l'unghie smorte, |
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and shivers, with his nails already blue, |
| e triema tutto pur guardando 'l rezzo, |
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the sight of shade enough to make him shudder, |
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| tal divenn' io a le parole porte; |
17.88 |
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so I became when I had heard these words; |
| ma vergogna mi fé le sue minacce, |
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but then I felt the threat of shame, which makes |
| che innanzi a buon segnor fa servo forte. |
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a servant-in his kind lord's presence-brave. |
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| I' m'assettai in su quelle spallacce; |
17.91 |
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I settled down on those enormous shoulders; |
| sì volli dir, ma la voce non venne |
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I wished to say (and yet my voice did not |
| com' io credetti: "Fa che tu m'abbracce." |
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come as I thought): "See that you hold me tight." |
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| Ma esso, ch'altra volta mi sovvenne
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17.94 |
PE |
But he who-other times, in other dangers- |
| ad altro forse, tosto ch'i' montai |
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sustained me, just as soon as I had mounted, |
| con le braccia m'avvinse e mi sostenne; |
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clasped me within his arms and propped me up, |
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| e disse: " Gerïon, moviti omai:
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17.97 |
C |
and said: "Now, Geryon, move on; take care |
| le rote larghe, e lo scender sia poco; |
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to keep your circles wide, your landing slow; |
| pensa la nova soma che tu hai." |
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remember the new weight you're carrying." |
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| Come la navicella esce di loco |
17.100 |
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Just like a boat that, starting from its moorings, |
| in dietro in dietro, sì quindi si tolse; |
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moves backward, backward, so that beast took off; |
| e poi ch'al tutto si sentì a gioco, |
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and when he felt himself completely clear, |
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| là 'v' era 'l petto, la coda rivolse, |
17.103 |
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he turned his tail to where his chest had been |
| e quella tesa, come anguilla, mosse, |
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and, having stretched it, moved it like an eel, |
| e con le branche l'aere a sé raccolse. |
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and with his paws he gathered in the air. |
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| Maggior paura non credo che fosse |
17.106 |
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I do not think that there was greater fear |
| quando Fetonte abbandonò li freni,
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PE |
in Phaethon when he let his reins go free- |
| per che 'l ciel, come pare ancor, si cosse; |
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for which the sky, as one still sees, was scorched- |
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| né quando Icaro misero le reni
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17.109 |
PE |
nor in poor Icarus when he could feel |
| sentì spennar per la scaldata cera, |
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his sides unwinged because the wax was melting, |
| gridando il padre a lui "Mala via
tieni!"
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PE |
his father shouting to him, "That way's wrong!" |
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| che fu la mia, quando vidi ch'i' era |
17.112 |
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than was in me when, on all sides, I saw |
| ne l'aere d'ogne parte, e vidi spenta |
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that I was in the air, and everything |
| ogne veduta fuor che de la
fera.
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had faded from my sight-except the beast. |
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| Ella sen va notando lenta lenta; |
17.115 |
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Slowly, slowly, swimming, he moves on; |
| rota e discende, ma non me n'accorgo |
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he wheels and he descends, but I feel only |
| se non che al viso e di sotto mi venta. |
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the wind upon my face and the wind rising. |
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| Io sentia già da la man destra il gorgo |
17.118 |
I |
Already, on our right, I heard the torrent |
| far sotto noi un orribile scroscio, |
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resounding, there beneath us, horribly, |
| per che con li occhi 'n giù la testa sporgo. |
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so that I stretched my neck and looked below. |
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| Allor fu' io più timido a lo stoscio, |
17.121 |
I |
Then I was more afraid of falling off, |
| però ch'i' vidi fuochi e senti' pianti; |
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for I saw fires and I heard laments, |
| ond' io tremando tutto mi raccoscio. |
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at which I tremble, crouching, and hold fast. |
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| E vidi poi, ché nol vedea davanti, |
17.124 |
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And now I saw what I had missed before: |
| lo scendere e 'l girar per li gran mali |
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his wheeling and descent-because great torments |
| che s'appressavan da diversi canti. |
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were drawing closer to us on all sides. |
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| Come 'l falcon ch'è stato assai su l'ali, |
17.127 |
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Just as a falcon long upon the wing |
| che sanza veder logoro o uccello |
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who, seeing neither lure nor bird, compels |
| fa dire al falconiere "Omè, tu cali!" |
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the falconer to cry, "Ah me, you fall!"- |
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| discende lasso onde si move isnello, |
17.130 |
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descends, exhausted, in a hundred circles, |
| per cento rote, e da lunge si pone |
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where he had once been swift, and sets himself, |
| dal suo maestro, disdegnoso e fello; |
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embittered and enraged, far from his master; |
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| così ne puose al fondo Gerïone
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17.133 |
C |
such, at the bottom of the jagged rock, |
| al piè al piè de la stagliata rocca, |
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was Geryon, when he had set us down. |
| e, discarcate le nostre persone, |
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And once our weight was lifted from his back, |
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| si dileguò come da corda cocca. |
17.136 |
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he vanished like an arrow from a bow. |
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