第 15 节
作者:辛苦      更新:2021-02-20 05:04      字数:9322
  Years were complete; that here the way was broken。
  I send in that direction some of mine
  To see if any one doth air himself;
  Go ye with them; for they will not be vicious。
  Step forward; Alichino and Calcabrina;〃
  Began he to cry out; 〃and thou; Cagnazzo;
  And Barbariccia; do thou guide the ten。
  Come forward; Libicocco and Draghignazzo;
  And tusked Ciriatto and Graffiacane;
  And Farfarello and mad Rubicante;
  Search ye all round about the boiling pitch;
  Let these be safe as far as the next crag;
  That all unbroken passes o'er the dens。〃
  〃O me! what is it; Master; that I see?
  Pray let us go;〃 I said; 〃without an escort;
  If thou knowest how; since for myself I ask none。
  If thou art as observant as thy wont is;
  Dost thou not see that they do gnash their teeth;
  And with their brows are threatening woe to us?〃
  And he to me: 〃I will not have thee fear;
  Let them gnash on; according to their fancy;
  Because they do it for those boiling wretches。〃
  Along the left…hand dike they wheeled about;
  But first had each one thrust his tongue between
  His teeth towards their leader for a signal;
  And he had made a trumpet of his rump。
  Inferno: Canto XXII
  I have erewhile seen horsemen moving camp;
  Begin the storming; and their muster make;
  And sometimes starting off for their escape;
  Vaunt…couriers have I seen upon your land;
  O Aretines; and foragers go forth;
  Tournaments stricken; and the joustings run;
  Sometimes with trumpets and sometimes with bells;
  With kettle…drums; and signals of the castles;
  And with our own; and with outlandish things;
  But never yet with bagpipe so uncouth
  Did I see horsemen move; nor infantry;
  Nor ship by any sign of land or star。
  We went upon our way with the ten demons;
  Ah; savage company! but in the church
  With saints; and in the tavern with the gluttons!
  Ever upon the pitch was my intent;
  To see the whole condition of that Bolgia;
  And of the people who therein were burned。
  Even as the dolphins; when they make a sign
  To mariners by arching of the back;
  That they should counsel take to save their vessel;
  Thus sometimes; to alleviate his pain;
  One of the sinners would display his back;
  And in less time conceal it than it lightens。
  As on the brink of water in a ditch
  The frogs stand only with their muzzles out;
  So that they hide their feet and other bulk;
  So upon every side the sinners stood;
  But ever as Barbariccia near them came;
  Thus underneath the boiling they withdrew。
  I saw; and still my heart doth shudder at it;
  One waiting thus; even as it comes to pass
  One frog remains; and down another dives;
  And Graffiacan; who most confronted him;
  Grappled him by his tresses smeared with pitch;
  And drew him up; so that he seemed an otter。
  I knew; before; the names of all of them;
  So had I noted them when they were chosen;
  And when they called each other; listened how。
  〃O Rubicante; see that thou do lay
  Thy claws upon him; so that thou mayst flay him;〃
  Cried all together the accursed ones。
  And I: 〃My Master; see to it; if thou canst;
  That thou mayst know who is the luckless wight;
  Thus come into his adversaries' hands。〃
  Near to the side of him my Leader drew;
  Asked of him whence he was; and he replied:
  〃I in the kingdom of Navarre was born;
  My mother placed me servant to a lord;
  For she had borne me to a ribald knave;
  Destroyer of himself and of his things。
  Then I domestic was of good King Thibault;
  I set me there to practise barratry;
  For which I pay the reckoning in this heat。〃
  And Ciriatto; from whose mouth projected;
  On either side; a tusk; as in a boar;
  Caused him to feel how one of them could rip。
  Among malicious cats the mouse had come;
  But Barbariccia clasped him in his arms;
  And said: 〃Stand ye aside; while I enfork him。〃
  And to my Master he turned round his head;
  〃Ask him again;〃 he said; 〃if more thou wish
  To know from him; before some one destroy him。〃
  The Guide: 〃Now tell then of the other culprits;
  Knowest thou any one who is a Latian;
  Under the pitch?〃  And he: 〃I separated
  Lately from one who was a neighbour to it;
  Would that I still were covered up with him;
  For I should fear not either claw nor hook!〃
  And Libicocco: 〃We have borne too much;〃
  And with his grapnel seized him by the arm;
  So that; by rending; he tore off a tendon。
  Eke Draghignazzo wished to pounce upon him
  Down at the legs; whence their Decurion
  Turned round and round about with evil look。
  When they again somewhat were pacified;
  Of him; who still was looking at his wound;
  Demanded my Conductor without stay:
  〃Who was that one; from whom a luckless parting
  Thou sayest thou hast made; to come ashore?〃
  And he replied: 〃It was the Friar Gomita;
  He of Gallura; vessel of all fraud;
  Who had the enemies of his Lord in hand;
  And dealt so with them each exults thereat;
  Money he took; and let them smoothly off;
  As he says; and in other offices
  A barrator was he; not mean but sovereign。
  Foregathers with him one Don Michael Zanche
  Of Logodoro; and of Sardinia
  To gossip never do their tongues feel tired。
  O me! see that one; how he grinds his teeth;
  Still farther would I speak; but am afraid
  Lest he to scratch my itch be making ready。〃
  And the grand Provost; turned to Farfarello;
  Who rolled his eyes about as if to strike;
  Said: 〃Stand aside there; thou malicious bird。〃
  〃If you desire either to see or hear;〃
  The terror…stricken recommenced thereon;
  〃Tuscans or Lombards; I will make them come。
  But let the Malebranche cease a little;
  So that these may not their revenges fear;
  And I; down sitting in this very place;
  For one that I am will make seven come;
  When I shall whistle; as our custom is
  To do whenever one of us comes out。〃
  Cagnazzo at these words his muzzle lifted;
  Shaking his head; and said: 〃Just hear the trick
  Which he has thought of; down to throw himself!〃
  Whence he; who snares in great abundance had;
  Responded: 〃I by far too cunning am;
  When I procure for mine a greater sadness。〃
  Alichin held not in; but running counter
  Unto the rest; said to him: 〃If thou dive;
  I will not follow thee upon the gallop;
  But I will beat my wings above the pitch;
  The height be left; and be the bank a shield
  To see if thou alone dost countervail us。〃
  O thou who readest; thou shalt hear new sport!
  Each to the other side his eyes averted;
  He first; who most reluctant was to do it。
  The Navarrese selected well his time;
  Planted his feet on land; and in a moment
  Leaped; and released himself from their design。
  Whereat each one was suddenly stung with shame;
  But he most who was cause of the defeat;
  Therefore he moved; and cried: 〃Thou art o'ertakern。〃
  But little it availed; for wings could not
  Outstrip the fear; the other one went under;
  And; flying; upward he his breast directed;
  Not otherwise the duck upon a sudden
  Dives under; when the falcon is approaching;
  And upward he returneth cross and weary。
  Infuriate at the mockery; Calcabrina
  Flying behind him followed close; desirous
  The other should escape; to have a quarrel。
  And when the barrator had disappeared;
  He turned his talons upon his companion;
  And grappled with him right above the moat。
  But sooth the other was a doughty sparhawk
  To clapperclaw him well; and both of them
  Fell in the middle of the boiling pond。
  A sudden intercessor was the heat;
  But ne'ertheless of rising there was naught;
  To such degree they had their wings belimed。
  Lamenting with the others; Barbariccia
  Made four of them fly to the other side
  With all their gaffs; and very speedily
  This side and that they to their posts descended;
  They stretched their hooks towards the pitch…ensnared;
  Who were already baked within the crust;
  And in this manner busied did we leave them。
  Inferno: Canto XXIII
  Silent; alone; and without company
  We went; the one in front; the other after;
  As go the Minor Friars along their way。
  Upon the fable of Aesop was directed
  My thought; by reason of the present quarrel;
  Where he has spoken of the frog and mouse;
  For 'mo' and 'issa' are not more alike
  Than this one is to that; if well we couple
  End and beginning with a steadfast mind。
  And even as one thought from another springs;
  So afterward from that was born another;
  Which the first fear within me double made。
  Thus did I ponder: 〃These on our account
  Are laughed to scorn; with injury and scoff
  So great; that much I think it must annoy them。
  If anger be engrafted on ill…will;
  They will come after us more merciless
  Than dog upon the leveret which he seizes;〃
  I felt my hair stand all on end already
  With terror; and stood backwardly intent;
  When said I: 〃Master; if thou hidest not
  Thyself and me forthwith; of Malebranche
  I am in dread; we have them now behind us;
  I so imagine them; I already feel them。〃
  And he: 〃If I were made of leaded glass;
  Thine outward image I should not attract
  Sooner to me