The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• The Peace of God
• Preface
• Purgatorio I
• Purgatorio Ii
• Purgatorio Iii
• Purgatorio Iv
• Purgatorio V
• Purgatorio Vi
• Purgatorio Vii
• Purgatorio Viii
• Purgatorio Ix
• Purgatorio X
• Purgatorio Xi
• Purgatorio Xii
• Purgatorio Xiii
• Purgatorio Xiv
• Purgatorio Xv
• Purgatorio Xvi
• Purgatorio Xvii
• Purgatorio Xviii
• Purgatorio Xix
• Purgatorio Xx
• Purgatorio Xxi
• Purgatorio Xxii
• Purgatorio Xxiii
• Purgatorio Xxiv
• Purgatorio Xxv
• Purgatorio Xxvi
• Purgatorio Xxvii
• Purgatorio Xxviii
• Purgatory Xxix
• Purgatorio Xxx
• Purgatorio Xxxi
• Purgatorio Xxxii
• Purgatorio Xxxiii

PURGATORIO II

• And now already had the sun arrived
• at that horizon, whose meridian circle
• rests with its zenith o’er Jerusalem;
• and Night, which circles opposite thereto,
• was issuing from the Ganges with the Scales,
• which, when she gains, are falling from her hands;
• so that the white and pure vermilion cheeks
• of beautiful Aurora, where I was,
• were turning orange through excessive age.

• Along the seaside we were lingering still,
• like folk who, taking thought about their road,
• go on in heart, but with their body stay;
• when lo, as, at the approach of morning, Mars,
• because of heavy vapors, groweth red
• down in the West above the ocean’s floor;
• even so I saw — may I again behold it! —
• a light which o’er the sea so swiftly moved,
• that no flight is as rapid as its motion;
• from which when I a moment had withdrawn
• mine eyes, to ask a question of my Leader,
• again I saw it grown more bright and large.

• And on each side of it there then appeared
• I knew not what white thing, and underneath
• little by little came another forth.

• Meanwhile my Teacher uttered not a word
• until the first white objects looked like wings;
• then, having recognized the Pilot well,
• he cried: “See, see now that thou bend thy knees!
• This is God’s Angel; fold thy hands! Henceforth
• shalt thou behold such officers as this.
• See how he so scorns human instruments,
• as to wish neither oar, nor other sail
• than his own wings, between such distant shores!
• See how he holds them straight up toward the sky,
• stroking the air with those eternal plumes,
• which do not moult as mortal feathers do!”

• And then, as more and more the Bird divine
• drew near to us, the brighter he appeared;
• therefore mine eyes endured him not near by,
• but down I cast them; with a little boat
• he came ashore, so agile and so light,
• the water swallowed up no part of it.
• Such on its stern the heavenly Pilot stood,
• that he would bless one, were he but described;
• more than a hundred spirits sat within.

• “When Israel out of Egypt came,” they all
• in unison were singing there together,
• with what is written after in that psalm.

• Then, having signed them with the holy Cross,
• whereat all cast themselves upon the shore,
• he went away as swiftly as he came.

• The crowd which stayed seemed strangers to the place,
• and gazed around them there, as doth a man,
• who with unwonted things acquaints himself.

• The sun, which from the middle of the sky
• had hunted Capricorn with arrows bright,
• was shooting forth the day on every side,
• when those new people raised their brows toward us,
• and said: “If ye know how, point out to us
• the road that one should take to reach the Mount.”

• And Virgil answered: “Ye, perchance, believe
• that we have had experience of this place;
• but we are pilgrim-strangers like yourselves.
• We came just now, a little while before you,
• but by another way, so rough and hard,
• that going up will now seem play to us.”

• The souls who, by my breathing, had become
• aware that I was still a living being,
• in their astonishment turned death-like pale;
• and as around a messenger who bears
• the olive, people surge to hear the news,
• and, as to crowding, none of them seem shy;
• so one and all those fortune-favored souls
• fixed on my face their gaze, as if forgetting
• to go and make their spirits beautiful.

• Then one among them I beheld advance,
• in such a loving manner, to embrace me,
• that it persuaded me to do the like.
• O, save in your appearance, empty shades!
• Three times behind it did I clasp my hands,
• and to my breast therewith as oft returned.

• With wonder, I believe, I painted me;
• smiling because of this, the shade drew back,
• while, following after, I pressed further on.
• With gentle words he told me to desist;
• then who it was I knew, and begged of him
• to stop a little while and speak with me.

• “As thee I loved, when in my mortal body,”
• he answered me, “even so, when freed, I love thee;
• therefore I stop; but wherefore goest thou?”

• “Casella mine,” said I, “I take this journey,
• that where I am I may return again;
• but why from thee hath so much time been taken?”

• And he to me: “No outrage hath been done me,
• if he, who takes both when and whom he likes,
• hath more than once refused me passage here;
• for to a Righteous Will is his conformed;
• yet peacefully, these three months, hath he taken
• whoever wished to enter into his boat.
• Hence I, who now was toward the sea-shore bent,
• where Tiber’s water mingles with the salt,
• was with benignity received by him

• at yonder river’s mouth, toward which his wings
• ev’n now are turned; for those who go not down
• toward Acheron, always assemble there.”

• And I: “If some new law take not from thee
• the memory or the practice of the song
• of love, which used to quiet all my longings,
• be pleased a little to console therewith
• my spirit, which, because of coming here
• when in its body, is so sore distressed!”

• “The love that talketh with me in my mind,”
• he thereupon began to sing so sweetly,
• that still within me is its sweetness heard.

• My Teacher, I, and those that with him were,
• seemed as contented, as if none of us
• had any other thing upon his mind.
• Absorbed in listening to his notes, we all
• were motionless; when lo, the grave Old Man,
• who cried: “Ye laggard spirits, what is this?
• What means this negligence and standing still?
• Run to the Mount, and strip ye off the slough,
• which lets not God be visible to you.”

• Ev’n as, when picking grains of wheat or tares,
• doves, met together at their feeding, calm,
• and not displaying their accustomed pride,
• if anything appear that frightens them,
• all of a sudden leave their food alone,
• because assailed by greater cause for care;

• even so I saw that new-come family
• give up the song, and toward the hillside move,
• like one who goes, but whither knoweth not;
• nor was in less haste our departure made.