Canto XI song|eleven Canto XI Canto XI

In su l’estremita` d’un’alta ripa che facevan gran pietre rotte in cerchio venimmo sopra piu` crudele stipa; in|on|the extremity|of a high|bank|that|they made|large|stones|broken|in|circle|we came|upon|more|cruel|thicket On the edge of a high bank where large broken stones formed a circle, we came upon a more cruel thicket; e quivi, per l’orribile soperchio del puzzo che 'l profondo abisso gitta, ci raccostammo, in dietro, ad un coperchio and|there|for|the horrible|covering|of the|stink|that|the|deep|abyss|it throws|us|we approached|in|back|to|a|lid and there, because of the horrible excess of the stench that the deep abyss emits, we drew back, towards a cover d’un grand’avello, ov’io vidi una scritta che dicea: "Anastasio papa guardo, lo qual trasse Fotin de la via dritta". of a|large tomb|where I|I saw|a|inscription|that|it said|Anastasius|pope|I guard|the|which|he drew|Photinus|from|the|way|straight of a great tomb, where I saw an inscription that said: "Pope Anastasius I guard, who led Photinus from the straight path." «Lo nostro scender conviene esser tardo, si` che s’ausi un poco in prima il senso al tristo fiato; e poi no i fia riguardo». the|our|descent|it is fitting|to be|slow|so|that|one uses|a|little|in|first|the|sense|to the|sad|breath|and|then|not|I|it will be|regard "Our descent should be slow, so that the sense can get used a little at first to the dreadful breath; and then there will be no regard." Cosi` 'l maestro; e io «Alcun compenso», dissi lui, «trova che 'l tempo non passi perduto». thus|the|master|and|I|some|compensation|I said|to him|find|that|the|time|not|it passes|wasted Thus spoke the master; and I said to him, "Find some compensation, so that time does not pass wasted." Ed elli: «Vedi ch’a cio` penso». and|he|see|that to|this|I think And he: "See that I think about this." «Figliuol mio, dentro da cotesti sassi», comincio` poi a dir, «son tre cerchietti di grado in grado, come què che lassi. son|my|inside|from|these|stones|I began|then|to|to say|there are|three|circles|of|degree|in|degree|as|that|which|they leave "My son, within these rocks," he then began to say, "there are three little circles of degree in degree, like those that you leave."

Tutti son pien di spirti maladetti; ma perchè poi ti basti pur la vista, intendi come e perchè son costretti. all|they are|full|of|spirits|cursed|but|why|then|you|you suffice|just|the|sight|you understand|how|and|why|they are|forced Everyone is full of cursed spirits; but since mere sight suffices for you, understand how and why they are compelled.

D’ogne malizia, ch’odio in cielo acquista, ingiuria e` 'l fine, ed ogne fin cotale o con forza o con frode altrui contrista. of every|malice|that hatred|in|heaven|it acquires|injury|and|the|end|and|every|end|such|or|with|force|or|with|fraud|others|it grieves Of every malice, the hatred that is acquired in heaven is an insult, and every such end either grieves others by force or by fraud. Ma perchè frode e` de l’uom proprio male, piu` spiace a Dio; e pero` stan di sotto li frodolenti, e piu` dolor li assale. but|because|fraud|and|of|the man|own|evil|more|it displeases|to|God|and|therefore|they stand|of|below|the|fraudulent|and|more|pain|them|it assails But because fraud is man's own evil, it displeases God more; and therefore the fraudulent are below, and greater pain assails them. Di violenti il primo cerchio e` tutto; ma perchè si fa forza a tre persone, in tre gironi e` distinto e costrutto. of|violent|the|first|circle|it is|all|but|because|they|it is done|force|to|three|people|in|three|circles|it is|distinct|and|constructed The first circle of the violent is entirely so; but because force is applied to three persons, it is distinguished and constructed in three rings.

A Dio, a sè, al prossimo si pone far forza, dico in loro e in lor cose, come udirai con aperta ragione. to|God|to|himself|to the|neighbor|themselves|he/she places|to make|force|I say|in|them|and|in|their|things|as|you will hear|with|open|reason To God, to oneself, and to others, one must exert force, I say in them and in their matters, as you will hear with open reason.

Morte per forza e ferute dogliose nel prossimo si danno, e nel suo avere ruine, incendi e tollette dannose; death|by|force|and|wounds|painful|in the|neighbor|themselves|they give|and|in the|his|having|ruins|fires|and|harmful|harmful Death by force and painful wounds are inflicted on others, and in their possessions, there are ruins, fires, and harmful thefts;

onde omicide e ciascun che mal fiere, guastatori e predon, tutti tormenta lo giron primo per diverse schiere. where|homicide|and|each|who|bad|he/she injures|destroyers|and|robbers|all|he/she torments|the|circle|first|by|different|groups wherefore murderers and anyone who harms others, destroyers and robbers, all torment the first circle through different ranks.

Puote omo avere in sè man violenta e nè suoi beni; e pero` nel secondo giron convien che sanza pro si penta he/she can|man|to have|in|himself|hand|violent|and|nor|his|goods|and|therefore|in the|second|circle|it is necessary|that|without|purpose|himself|he/she repents A man can have violent hands and not his own goods; and therefore, in the second circle, he must repent without benefit.

qualunque priva sè del vostro mondo, biscazza e fonde la sua facultade, e piange la` dov’esser dè giocondo. whatever|devoid|self|of the|your|world|it breaks|and|it melts|the|his/her|ability|and|he/she cries|there|where to be|of|joyful anyone deprived of your world, falters and melts their ability, and cries there where it should be joyful. Puossi far forza nella deitade, col cor negando e bestemmiando quella, e spregiando natura e sua bontade; it is possible|to make|force|in the|divinity|with|heart|denying|and|blaspheming|that|and|despising|nature|and|its|goodness One can force in divinity, denying and blaspheming it with the heart, and despising nature and its goodness;

e pero` lo minor giron suggella del segno suo e Soddoma e Caorsa e chi, spregiando Dio col cor, favella. and|therefore|the|lesser|circle|it seals|of the|sign|his|and|Sodom|and|Capernaum|and|whoever|despising|God|with|heart|he/she speaks and therefore the lesser day seals with its sign Sodom and Caorsa and whoever, despising God with the heart, speaks.

La frode, ond’ogne coscienza e` morsa, puo` l’omo usare in colui che 'n lui fida e in quel che fidanza non imborsa. the|fraud|of every|conscience|it is|bitten|it can|the man|to use|in|the one|that|in|him|he trusts|and|in|that|which|trust|not|it does not carry The fraud, of which every conscience is gripped, can be used by the man who trusts in him and in that which does not inspire trust. Questo modo di retro par ch’incida pur lo vinco d’amor che fa natura; onde nel cerchio secondo s’annida this|way|of|back|it seems|that it incises|even|the|bond|of love|that|it makes|nature|where|in the|circle|second|it nests This way of retro speaks of the love that nature creates; hence it nests in the second circle. ipocresia, lusinghe e chi affattura, falsita`, ladroneccio e simonia, ruffian, baratti e simile lordura. hypocrisy|flattery|and|those|who deals|falsehood|thievery|and|simony|pimp|bartering|and|similar|filth Hypocrisy, flattery, and those who deceive, falsehood, thievery, and simony, pimping, bartering, and similar filth.

Per l’altro modo quell’amor s’oblia che fa natura, e quel ch’e` poi aggiunto, di che la fede spezial si cria; for|the other|way|that love|it is forgotten|that|it makes|nature|and|that|which is|then|added|of|which|the|faith|special|itself|it is created By the other way, that love is forgotten which nature creates, and that which is then added, from which special faith is born; onde nel cerchio minore, ov’e` 'l punto de l’universo in su che Dite siede, qualunque trade in etterno e` consunto». where|in the|circle|smaller|where it is|the|point|of|the universe|in|on|that|Dis|it sits|any|path|in|eternal|and|consumed hence in the smaller circle, where the point of the universe is above which Dite sits, whoever trades in eternity is consumed. E io: «Maestro, assai chiara procede la tua ragione, e assai ben distingue questo baratro e 'l popol ch’è possiede. and|I|master|very|clear|it proceeds|the|your|reason|and|very|well|it distinguishes|this|abyss|and|the|people|that is|they possess And I: "Master, your reasoning proceeds very clearly, and it distinguishes very well this abyss and the people that possess it. Ma dimmi: quei de la palude pingue, che mena il vento, e che batte la pioggia, e che s’incontran con si` aspre lingue, but|tell me|those|of|the|swamp|fat|that|it leads|the|wind|and|that|it beats|the|rain|and|that|they meet|with|such|harsh|tongues But tell me: those from the swampy marsh, which the wind carries, and which the rain beats, and which encounter such harsh tongues, perchè non dentro da la citta` roggia sono ei puniti, se Dio li ha in ira? why|not|inside|from|the|city|red|they are|they|punished|if|God|them|he has|in|anger why are they not punished inside the reddish city, if God is angry with them?" e se non li ha, perchè sono a tal foggia?». and|if|not|them|he has|why|they are|to|such|manner And if He is not, why are they in such a condition?".

Ed elli a me «Perchè tanto delira», disse «lo 'ngegno tuo da quel che sole? and|he|to|me|why|so much|he raves|he said|the|genius|your|from|that|which|he is accustomed And he said to me, "Why do you rave so much?" He said, "Is your genius different from what it usually is? o ver la mente dove altrove mira? or|true|the|mind|where|elsewhere|it aims Or does your mind aim elsewhere?

Non ti rimembra di quelle parole con le quai la tua Etica pertratta le tre disposizion che 'l ciel non vole, not|you|it reminds|of|those|words|with|the|which|the|your|Ethics|it treats|the|three|dispositions|that|the|heaven|not|it wants Do you not remember those words with which your Ethics discusses the three dispositions that heaven does not want, incontenenza, malizia e la matta bestialitade? incontinence|malice|and|the|mad|bestiality incontinence, malice, and the mad bestiality? e come incontenenza men Dio offende e men biasimo accatta? and|how|incontinence|less|God|he offends|and|less|blame|he buys And how does incontinence offend God less and receive less blame?

Se tu riguardi ben questa sentenza, e rechiti a la mente chi son quelli che su` di fuor sostegnon penitenza, if|you|you look|well|this|sentence|and|you bring back|to|the|mind|who|they are|those|that|above|of|outside|they support|penance If you carefully consider this sentence, and bring to mind who those are that outwardly support penance,

tu vedrai ben perchè da questi felli sien dipartiti, e perchè men crucciata la divina vendetta li martelli». you|you will see|well|why|from|these|fellows|they are|departed|and|why|less|troubled|the|divine|vengeance|them|it hammers you will see well why these wretches have departed, and why divine vengeance strikes them less harshly."

«O sol che sani ogni vista turbata, tu mi contenti si` quando tu solvi, che, non men che saver, dubbiar m’aggrata. O|sun|that|you heal|every|sight|disturbed|you|to me|you satisfy|so|when|you|you solve|that|not|less|than|knowledge|to doubt|it pleases me "O sun that heals every troubled sight, you satisfy me so when you dissolve, that, no less than knowing, doubting pleases me." Ancora in dietro un poco ti rivolvi», diss’io, «la` dove di' ch’usura offende la divina bontade, e 'l groppo solvi». still|in|behind|a|little|you|turn|I said|there|where|you say|that usury|it offends|the|divine|goodness|and|the|knot|loosen "Turn back a little more," I said, "to where usury offends divine goodness, and loosen the knot." «Filosofia», mi disse, «a chi la 'ntende, nota, non pure in una sola parte, come natura lo suo corso prende philosophy|to me|he said|to|those who|the|they understand|it is known|not|only|in|a|single|part|as|nature|its|its|course|it takes "Philosophy," he said to me, "to those who understand it, is known, not just in one single part, how nature takes its course dal divino 'ntelletto e da sua arte; e se tu ben la tua Fisica note, tu troverai, non dopo molte carte, from the|divine|intellect|and|from|its|art|and|if|you|well|the|your|physics|you note|you|you will find|not|after|many|papers from the divine intellect and from its art; and if you well note your Physics, you will find, not after many pages, che l’arte vostra quella, quanto pote, segue, come 'l maestro fa 'l discente; si` che vostr’arte a Dio quasi e` nepote. that|the art|your|that|as much as|it can|it follows|as|the|master|he does|the|student|so|that|your art|to|God|almost|it is|grandson that your art follows that, as much as it can, just as the master does with the student; so your art is almost a grandchild of God." Da queste due, se tu ti rechi a mente lo Genesi` dal principio, convene prender sua vita e avanzar la gente; from|these|two|if|you|yourself|you recall|to|mind|the|Genesis|from the|beginning|it is fitting|to take|his|life|and|to advance|the|people From these two, if you recall the Genesis from the beginning, it is fitting to take its life and advance the people;

e perchè l’usuriere altra via tene, per sè natura e per la sua seguace dispregia, poi ch’in altro pon la spene. and|because|the usurer|other|way|he holds|for|himself|nature|and|for|the|his|follower|he despises|then|that in|other|they place|the|hope and because the usurer takes another path, he despises nature and his follower, since he places hope in something else. Ma seguimi oramai, che 'l gir mi piace; chè i Pesci guizzan su per l’orizzonta, e 'l Carro tutto sovra 'l Coro giace, but|follow me|now|that|the|turn|to me|it pleases|because|the|fish|they dart|up|through|the horizon|and|the|Chariot|all|above|the|Chorus|it lies But follow me now, for I like the turn; for the Fishes dart up through the horizon, and the Chariot lies all above the Chorus, e 'l balzo via la` oltra si dismonta». and|the|leap|way|the|beyond|himself|he dismounts and the leap goes down there beyond.