Divine Comedy: Purgatory | Page 3

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THE VISION
OR,
HELL, PURGATORY, AND PARADISE

OF
DANTE ALIGHIERI
TRANSLATED BY
THE REV. H. F. CARY, A.M.
PURGATORY
CANTO I
O'er better waves to speed her rapid course
The light bark of my
genius lifts the sail,
Well pleas'd to leave so cruel sea behind;
And
of that second region will I sing,
In which the human spirit from
sinful blot
Is purg'd, and for ascent to Heaven prepares.
Here, O ye hallow'd Nine! for in your train
I follow, here the
deadened strain revive;
Nor let Calliope refuse to sound
A
somewhat higher song, of that loud tone,
Which when the wretched
birds of chattering note
Had heard, they of forgiveness lost all hope.
Sweet hue of eastern sapphire, that was spread
O'er the serene aspect
of the pure air,
High up as the first circle, to mine eyes
Unwonted
joy renew'd, soon as I 'scap'd
Forth from the atmosphere of deadly

gloom,
That had mine eyes and bosom fill'd with grief.
The radiant
planet, that to love invites,
Made all the orient laugh, and veil'd
beneath
The Pisces' light, that in his escort came.
To the right hand I turn'd, and fix'd my mind
On the' other pole
attentive, where I saw
Four stars ne'er seen before save by the ken

Of our first parents. Heaven of their rays
Seem'd joyous. O thou
northern site, bereft
Indeed, and widow'd, since of these depriv'd!
As from this view I had desisted, straight
Turning a little tow'rds the
other pole,
There from whence now the wain had disappear'd,
I saw
an old man standing by my side
Alone, so worthy of rev'rence in his
look,
That ne'er from son to father more was ow'd.
Low down his
beard and mix'd with hoary white
Descended, like his locks, which
parting fell
Upon his breast in double fold. The beams
Of those four
luminaries on his face
So brightly shone, and with such radiance clear

Deck'd it, that I beheld him as the sun.
"Say who are ye, that stemming the blind stream,
Forth from th'
eternal prison-house have fled?"
He spoke and moved those
venerable plumes.
"Who hath conducted, or with lantern sure

Lights you emerging from the depth of night,
That makes the infernal
valley ever black?
Are the firm statutes of the dread abyss
Broken,
or in high heaven new laws ordain'd,
That thus, condemn'd, ye to my
caves approach?"
My guide, then laying hold on me, by words
And intimations given
with hand and head,
Made my bent knees and eye submissive pay

Due reverence; then thus to him replied.
"Not of myself I come; a Dame from heaven
Descending, had
besought me in my charge
To bring. But since thy will implies, that
more
Our true condition I unfold at large,
Mine is not to deny thee
thy request.
This mortal ne'er hath seen the farthest gloom.
But

erring by his folly had approach'd
So near, that little space was left to
turn.
Then, as before I told, I was dispatch'd
To work his rescue,
and no way remain'd
Save this which I have ta'en. I have display'd

Before him all the regions of the bad;
And purpose now those spirits
to display,
That under thy command are purg'd from sin.
How I
have brought him would be long to say.
From high descends the
virtue, by whose aid
I to thy sight and hearing him have led.
Now
may our coming please thee. In the search
Of liberty he journeys: that
how dear
They know, who for her sake have life refus'd.
Thou
knowest, to whom death for her was sweet
In Utica, where thou didst
leave those weeds,
That in the last great day will shine so bright.

For us the' eternal edicts are unmov'd:
He breathes, and I am free of
Minos' power,
Abiding in that circle where the eyes
Of thy chaste
Marcia beam, who still in look
Prays thee, O hallow'd spirit! to own
her shine.
Then by her love we' implore thee, let us pass
Through
thy sev'n regions; for which best thanks
I for thy favour will to her
return,
If mention there below thou not disdain."
"Marcia so pleasing in my sight was found,"
He then to him rejoin'd,
"while I was there,
That all she ask'd me I was fain to grant.
Now
that beyond the' accursed stream she dwells,
She may no longer move
me, by that law,
Which was ordain'd me, when I issued thence.
Not
so, if Dame from heaven, as thou sayst,
Moves and directs thee; then
no flattery needs.
Enough for me that in