Old Quarter, Florence

In that time of the young year where the sun
   reinforces its locks of hair under sign
   of Aquarius, and the nights already come
between his chest and jug, when the hard frost on
   the ground recopies its snow-white sister's
   image, though the point of its quill lasts not long,
the peasant villager, whose fodder is
   lacking, gets up and looks and sees the country-
   side whitening all; and so does he slap his
thigh, goes back inside -- complaining here, grumbling
   there -- like the sod that knows not what be done,
   then returns to view, and locks in a jewelry
box his hope, seeing the world has changed face in
   well under an hour: and he takes his shepherd's
   crook, ends up chasing the sheep off to grazing.
Thus my master gave me a real shock, when I saw him dis-
   figure his look like so, just as soon
   as if applying a bandage to the hurt; now as
we arrived upon the battered bridge, my lord
   turned back toward me with that suave manner which
   I first witnessed at the base of a mountainous climb.
After some internal debate, upon first
   surveying the ruins directly, Vergil raised his
   outstretched arms, and did grab me with a look.
And like the man who goes to work and thinks it over, as
   always looking to have an eye out for the next
   step, just like so -- elevating me to
the pinnacle of a massive crag -- did he spot
   another foothold, saying, "Grab on top of this step next;
   but first see if such hold as that is stable for you."[30
The way was no good for heavily lined clothes, since
   we could scarcely -- he, weight-free and myself compelled --
   climb up, o'er the dirty-looking rocks. And if
it weren't for the fact that this jurisdiction of hell
   was lower on this side than the other, I know not
   about Vergil, but I sure would have been defeated.
But since Malebolge did incline overall, facing
   the gateway to the deepest well-dug pit,
   the locale of each gully bore out to one side
on the rise, with th' other side descending; our-
   selves, we finally surmounted the ridge, where the
   very last stony rock does execute its climb.
My lungs were so out of breath when I got up, that I
   was able to go no farther, until he
   helped me along the top of the embankment.
"So, now it is fitting for you to get moving
   in such a way," said the master poet, "since lying
   on soft down, or under a comforter, is not
where fame comes from; without such quality
   does man waste his life, in leaving such a trace
   of himself on the earth, as smoke rising, or bubbling
over waters. And so get up; get over being
   out of breath, by means of the spirit which o'ercomes
   every struggle, if one loses not courage
along with corporeal frame. A longer ladder is fit
   for us to climb; it suffices not, to be removed
   from their kind. If you comprehend my meaning, take
action as your own value." Then he picked me up,
   proving me better supplied with breath than I myself
   perceived, & said I: "Come on, since I'm both strong and[60
eager." We made our way over the rock, which was
   covered with stones, narrow and treacherous, much
   steeper than the terrain before. We walked
while conversing, so as not to appear feeble;
   thereupon a voice escaped from out of the next trench,
   in forming badly chosen words. I know not
what it stated, even as I was at the top of the ridge,
   over the circle which already runs along there:
   yet he who spoke appeared to gesture toward
moving. My gaze was facing downward, but my mortal
   eyes could not penetrate the depth of th' abyss;
   so I said, "Master, make sure you get to the next circle
so we can descend from the ridge: for, just like
   when I listen and do not comprehend, so
   am I looking down and failing to view."
"I have no other reply for you," said he, "but to
   make it so: as the rightful imperative
   ought be followed by keeping th' effort silent."
We descended from the bridge at the head
   where it adjoins to th' eighth bank, when the next
   pouch made visible to me: and there I saw
a ghastly mass of snakes, in such diverse
   profusion that the recollection still
   does chill my very blood. Let Libya brag
about its sands no more, though it produces
   eels, serpents and adders, with other such
   beasts -- its land has yet to display so pandemic
a plague, nor one as malignant, throughout
   all of Africa at any point in time,
   so far as the sands over the Red Sea itself.[90
Among this cruel and most depressing horde
   were peoples running about, naked and in terror,
   without so much as a crevice or plant to hide:
their hands were bound behind the back with snakes,
   which thrust the tail and head through their crotch, and
   would form a knot about the sinners' front.
And behold!, a serpent darted at a shade
   about the bank we were on, impaling it right where
   the neck and shoulders meet. Neither P nor Q can
be jotted so fast as that sinner did kindle
   and burn, turning to cinders as it collapsed into
   ashes; and then, as soon as he was shattered
over the ground, the dust did itself reassemble
   on its own, as that very same man came back,
   in a heartbeat. So it is, the great men
of knowledge admit that the Phoenix expires, and
   is then reborn, whenever the five hundredth
   year draws near; throughout its lifespan it grazes
not on grain and fodder, but rather incense's
   teardrops and cardamomum, & its dying shroud
   is made of spikenard and myrrh. And it is just as
that man in his fall, who understands not how,
   due to the power of demons who force him
   to the ground, or like some blockage which ties man
up, whenever he should try to arise, as he wonders
   internally, all wayward, about the sizable
   anguish which he has suffered, and groans in
th' examining: that's how the sinner rose thereafter.
   Oh almighty power of God, how severe it is, for
   so many sins to come pouring down in vengeance![120
My guide then asked him who he used to be;
   to this, replied he: "I was poured down like rain from
   Tuscany, a short while ago, into this savage
prison. My animalistic life, not so human,
   was pleasing to me, to such extent I was like a
  mule; I am Vanni Fucci, a beast, & my worthwhile den
was in Pistoia." And I told Vergil: "Tell
   him not to slip away, and ask what sin thrust him down
   here, for I see that he is a man of blood and wildness."
And the sinner, who perceived this with no pretense,
   shot his spirit and look in my direction; he was
   colored with a coat of pathetic shame,
and said: "It grieves me the more that you have
   understood the feeling of misery right where you
   viewed my pain, than when I was taken out of
my other life. I'm incapable of denying
   your request; up above, I was such a
   finely outfitted agent that I robbed the
sacristy of its decorous furnishings, and indeed
   did falsely saddle another with the blame.
   But since you dislike such a scene, if you e'er intend
to make it out from dark places, open your
   ears to my message, and listen. Pistoia is
   sooner shorn of its Black Guelphs; then Florence does
change its people and customs. Mars draws in fumes
   from Val di Magra, as they're twisted by the murky
   clouds; Campo Piceno, to be buffeted by violent
and unrelenting storms; hence the dark cloud will
   shatter it of a sudden, so that every
   last White Guelph will be injured for it.
And I've said this so that it may grieve you too!"