| PURGATORIO CANTO 31 |
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PURGATORIO CANTO 31 |
| "O tu che se' di là dal fiume sacro,"
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31.1 |
IPL |
O you upon the holy stream’s far shore,” |
| volgendo suo parlare a me per punta, |
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so she, turning her speech’s point against me— |
| che pur per taglio m'era paruto acro, |
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even its edge had seemed too sharp—began |
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| ricominciò, seguendo sanza cunta, |
31.4 |
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again, without allowing interruption, |
| "dì, dì se questo è vero; a tanta accusa |
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“tell, tell if this is true; for your confession |
| tua confession conviene esser congiunta." |
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must be entwined with such self-accusation.” |
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| Era la mia virtù tanto confusa, |
31.7 |
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My power of speech was so confounded that |
| che la voce si mosse, e pria si spense |
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my voice would move and yet was spent before |
| che da li organi suoi fosse dischiusa. |
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its organs had released it. She forbore |
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| Poco sofferse; poi disse: "Che pense? |
31.10 |
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a moment, then she said: “What are you thinking? |
| Rispondi a me; ché le memorie triste |
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Reply to me, the water has not yet |
| in te non sono ancor da l'acqua offense."
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PL |
obliterated your sad memories.” |
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| Confusione e paura insieme miste |
31.13 |
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Confusion mixed with fear compelled a Yes |
| mi pinsero un tal "sì" fuor de la bocca, |
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out of my mouth, and yet that Yes was such— |
| al quale intender fuor mestier le viste. |
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one needed eyes to make out what it was. |
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| Come balestro frange, quando scocca |
31.16 |
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Just as a crossbow that is drawn too taut |
| da troppa tesa, la sua corda e l'arco, |
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snaps both its cord and bow when it is shot, |
| e con men foga l'asta il segno tocca, |
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and arrow meets its mark with feeble force, |
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| sì scoppia' io sottesso grave carco, |
31.19 |
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so, caught beneath that heavy weight, I burst; |
| fuori sgorgando lagrime e sospiri, |
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and I let tears and sighs pour forth; my voice |
| e la voce allentò per lo suo varco. |
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had lost its life along its passage out. |
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| Ond' ella a me: "Per entro i mie' disiri, |
31.22 |
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At this she said: “In the desire for me |
| che ti menavano ad amar lo bene |
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D |
that was directing you to love the Good |
| di là dal qual non è a che s'aspiri,
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beyond which there’s no thing to draw our longing, |
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| quai fossi attraversati o quai catene |
31.25 |
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what chains were strung, what ditches dug across |
| trovasti, per che del passare innanzi |
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your path that, once you’d come upon them, caused |
| dovessiti così spogliar la spene? |
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your loss of any hope of moving forward?” |
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| E quali agevolezze o quali avanzi |
31.28 |
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What benefits and what allurements were |
| ne la fronte de li altri si mostraro, |
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so evident upon the brow of others |
| per che dovessi lor passeggiare anzi?" |
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that you had need to promenade before them?” |
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| Dopo la tratta d'un sospiro amaro, |
31.31 |
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After I had withheld a bitter sigh, |
| a pena ebbi la voce che rispuose, |
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I scarcely had the voice for my reply, |
| e le labbra a fatica la formaro. |
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but, laboring, my lips gave my words form. |
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| Piangendo dissi: "Le presenti cose |
31.34 |
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Weeping, I answered: “Mere appearances |
| col falso lor piacer volser miei passi, |
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turned me aside with their false loveliness, |
| tosto che 'l vostro viso si nascose." |
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as soon as I had lost your countenance.” |
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| Ed ella: "Se tacessi o se negassi |
31.37 |
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And she: “Had you been silent or denied |
| ciò che confessi, non fora men nota |
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what you confess, your guilt would not be less |
| la colpa tua: da tal giudice sassi! |
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in evidence: it’s known by such a Judge! |
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| Ma quando scoppia de la propria gota |
31.40 |
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But when the charge of sinfulness has burst |
| l'accusa del peccato, in nostra corte |
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from one’s own cheek, then in our court the whetstone |
| rivolge sé contra 'l taglio la rota. |
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turns and blunts our blade’s own cutting edge. |
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| Tuttavia, perché mo vergogna porte |
31.43 |
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Nevertheless, that you may feel more shame |
| del tuo errore, e perché altra volta, |
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for your mistake, and that—in time to come— |
| udendo le serene, sie più forte, |
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hearing the Sirens, you may be more strong, |
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| pon giù il seme del piangere e ascolta: |
31.46 |
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have done with all the tears you sowed, and listen: |
| sì udirai come in contraria parte |
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so shall you hear how, unto other ends, |
| mover dovieti mia carne sepolta. |
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my buried flesh should have directed you. |
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| Mai non t'appresentò natura o arte |
31.49 |
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Nature or art had never showed you any |
| piacer, quanto le belle membra in ch'io |
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PE |
beauty that matched the lovely limbs in which |
| rinchiusa fui, e che so' 'n terra sparte;
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I was enclosed—limbs scattered now in dust; |
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| e se 'l sommo piacer sì ti fallio |
31.52 |
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and if the highest beauty failed you through |
| per la mia morte, qual cosa mortale |
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my death, what mortal thing could then induce |
| dovea poi trarre te nel suo disio? |
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you to desire it? For when the first |
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| Ben ti dovevi, per lo primo strale |
31.55 |
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arrow of things deceptive struck you, then |
| de le cose fallaci, levar suso |
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you surely should have lifted up your wings |
| di retro a me che non era più tale. |
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to follow me, no longer such a thing. |
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| Non ti dovea gravar le penne in giuso, |
31.58 |
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No green young girl or other novelty— |
| ad aspettar più colpo, o pargoletta |
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such brief delight—should have weighed down your wings, |
| o altra novità con sì breve uso. |
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awaiting further shafts. The fledgling bird |
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| Novo augelletto due o tre aspetta; |
31.61 |
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must meet two or three blows before he learns, |
| ma dinanzi da li occhi d'i pennuti |
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but any full-fledged bird is proof against |
| rete si spiega indarno o si saetta." |
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the net that has been spread or arrow, aimed.” |
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| Quali fanciulli, vergognando, muti |
31.64 |
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As children, when ashamed, will stand, their eyes |
| con li occhi a terra stannosi, ascoltando |
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upon the ground—they listen, silently, |
| e sé riconoscendo e ripentuti, |
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acknowledging their fault repentantly— |
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| tal mi stav' io; ed ella disse: "Quando |
31.67 |
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so did I stand; and she enjoined me: “Since |
| per udir se' dolente, alza la barba, |
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hearing alone makes you grieve so, lift up |
| e prenderai più doglia riguardando." |
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your beard, and sight will bring you greater tears.” |
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| Con men di resistenza si dibarba |
31.70 |
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There’s less resistance in the sturdy oak |
| robusto cerro, o vero al nostral vento |
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to its uprooting by a wind from lands |
| o vero a quel de la terra di Iarba,
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PEPL |
of ours or lands of Iarbas than I showed |
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| ch'io non levai al suo comando il mento; |
31.73 |
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in lifting up my chin at her command; |
| e quando per la barba il viso chiese, |
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I knew quite well—when she said “beard” but meant |
| conobbi il velen de l'argomento. |
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my face—the poison in her argument. |
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| E come la mia faccia si distese, |
31.76 |
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When I had raised my face upright, my eyes |
| posarsi quelle prime creature |
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were able to perceive that the first creatures |
| da loro aspersïon l'occhio comprese; |
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had paused and were no longer scattering flowers; |
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| e le mie luci, ancor poco sicure, |
31.79 |
I |
and still uncertain of itself, my vision |
| vider Beatrice volta in su la fiera |
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CPE |
saw Beatrice turned toward the animal |
| ch'è sola una persona in due nature.
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that is, with its two natures, but one person. |
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| Sotto 'l suo velo e oltre la rivera |
31.82 |
PE |
Beneath her veil, beyond the stream, she seemed |
| vincer pariemi più sé stessa antica, |
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so to surpass her former self in beauty |
| vincer che l'altre qui, quand' ella c'era.
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as, here on earth, she had surpassed all others. |
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| Di penter sì mi punse ivi l'ortica, |
31.85 |
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The nettle of remorse so stung me then, |
| che di tutte altre cose qual mi torse |
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that those—among all other—things that once |
| più nel suo amor, più mi si fé nemica. |
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most lured my love, became most hateful to me. |
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| Tanta riconoscenza il cor mi morse, |
31.88 |
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Such self-indictment seized my heart that I |
| ch'io caddi vinto; e quale allora femmi, |
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collapsed, my senses slack; what I became |
| salsi colei che la cagion mi porse. |
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is known to her who was the cause of it. |
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| Poi, quando il cor virtù di fuor rendemmi, |
31.91 |
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Then, when my heart restored my outer sense, |
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la donna ch'io avea trovata sola
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I saw the woman whom I’d found alone, |
| sopra me vidi, e dicea: "Tiemmi, tiemmi!" |
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standing above me, saying: “Hold, hold me!” |
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| Tratto m'avea nel fiume infin la gola,
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31.94 |
IPL |
She’d plunged me, up to my throat, in the river, |
| e tirandosi me dietro sen giva |
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and, drawing me behind her, she now crossed, |
| sovresso l'acqua lieve come scola. |
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light as a gondola, along the surface. |
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| Quando fui presso a la beata riva, |
31.97 |
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When I was near the blessed shore, I heard |
| "Asperges me" sì dolcemente udissi,
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“Asperges me” so sweetly sung that I |
| che nol so rimembrar, non ch'io lo scriva. |
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cannot remember or, much less, transcribe it. |
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| La bella donna ne le braccia aprissi;
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31.100 |
IPE |
The lovely woman opened wide her arms; |
| abbracciommi la testa e mi sommerse |
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she clasped my head, and then she thrust me under |
| ove convenne ch'io l'acqua inghiottissi. |
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to that point where I had to swallow water. |
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| Indi mi tolse, e bagnato m'offerse |
31.103 |
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That done, she drew me out and led me, bathed, |
| dentro a la danza de le quattro belle;N
The four cardinal virtues
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into the dance of the four lovely women; |
| e ciascuna del braccio mi coperse. |
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and each one placed her arm above my head. |
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| "Noi siam qui ninfe e nel ciel siamo stelle;N
The four cardinal virtues
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31.106 |
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“Here we are nymphs; in heaven, stars; before |
| pria che Beatrice discendesse al mondo,
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she had descended to the world, we were |
| fummo ordinate a lei per sue ancelle. |
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assigned, as her handmaids, to Beatrice; |
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| Merrenti a li occhi suoi; ma nel giocondo |
31.109 |
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we’ll be your guides unto her eyes; but it |
| lume ch'è dentro aguzzeranno i tuoi |
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will be the three beyond, who see more deeply, |
| le tre di là, che miran più profondo." |
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who’ll help you penetrate her joyous light.” |
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| Così cantando cominciaro; e poi |
31.112 |
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So, singing, they began; then, leading me |
| al petto del grifon seco menarmi,
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together with them to the griffin’s breast, |
| ove Beatrice stava volta a noi.
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where Beatrice, turned toward us, stood, they said: |
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| Disser: "Fa che le viste non risparmi; |
31.115 |
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“See that you are not sparing of your gaze: |
| posto t'avem dinanzi a li smeraldi |
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before you we have set those emeralds |
| ond' Amor già ti trasse le sue armi." |
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from which Love once had aimed his shafts at you.” |
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| Mille disiri più che fiamma caldi |
31.118 |
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A thousand longings burning more than flames |
| strinsermi li occhi a li occhi rilucenti, |
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compelled my eyes to watch the radiant eyes |
| che pur sopra 'l grifone stavan saldi.
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that, motionless, were still fixed on the griffin. |
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| Come in lo specchio il sol, non altrimenti |
31.121 |
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Just like the sun within a mirror, so |
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la doppia fiera dentro vi raggiava,
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the double-natured creature gleamed within, |
| or con altri, or con altri reggimenti.
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now showing one, and now the other guise. |
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| Pensa, lettor, s'io mi maravigliava, |
31.124 |
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Consider, reader, if I did not wonder |
| quando vedea la cosa in sé star queta, |
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when I saw something that displayed no movement |
| e ne l'idolo suo si trasmutava. |
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though its reflected image kept on changing. |
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| Mentre che piena di stupore e lieta |
31.127 |
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And while, full of astonishment and gladness, |
| l'anima mia gustava di quel cibo |
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my soul tasted that food which, even as |
| che, saziando di sé, di sé asseta, |
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it quenches hunger, spurs the appetite, |
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| sé dimostrando di più alto tribo |
31.130 |
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the other three, whose stance showed them to be |
| ne li atti, l'altre tre si feroN
Theological virtues
avanti,
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the members of a higher troop, advanced— |
| danzando al loro angelico caribo. |
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and, to their chant, they danced angelically. |
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| "Volgi, Beatrice, volgi li occhi santi,"
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31.133 |
PE |
“Turn, Beatrice, o turn your holy eyes |
| era la sua canzone, "al tuo fedele |
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upon your faithful one,” their song beseeched, |
| che, per vederti, ha mossi passi tanti! |
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“who, that he might see you, has come so far. |
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| Per grazia fa noi grazia che disvele |
31.136 |
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Out of your grace, do us this grace; unveil |
| a lui la bocca tua, sì che discerna |
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your lips to him, so that he may discern |
| la seconda bellezza che tu cele." |
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the second beauty you have kept concealed.” |
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| O isplendor di viva luce etterna,
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31.139 |
PE |
O splendor of eternal living light, |
| chi palido si fece sotto l'ombra |
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who’s ever grown so pale beneath Parnassus’ |
| sì di Parnaso, o bevve in sua cisterna,
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shade or has drunk so deeply from its fountain, |
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| che non paresse aver la mente ingombra, |
31.142 |
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that he’d not seem to have his mind confounded, |
| tentando a render te qual tu paresti |
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trying to render you as you appeared |
| là dove armonizzando il ciel t'adombra, |
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where heaven’s harmony was your pale likeness— |
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| quando ne l'aere aperto ti solvesti? |
31.145 |
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your face, seen through the air, unveiled completely? |
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