Classic Poem

CANTO XXXI.

Argument.

The Giants — Antaeus conveys the two Poets down the abyss which separates the Eighth from the Ninth Circle.

N OW the same tongue which erst did give me pain,
Whence on my cheek the hue of shame I wore,
Brought sweetest balm unto my hurt again.
Thus have I heard that, in the days of yore,
With wounds at first, with balsam then was fraught
The lance Achilles and his father bore.
We turn'd from the dark vale in saddest thought,
Up by the bank encircling all this bourne,
And as we cross'd its ridge, still spake we nought.
Here it was less than night, and less than morn,
And but a little way our glance could go,
When now I heard the blast of a loud horn,
Compared with which the thunder's voice were low;
And 'gainst its course the self-same path I held,
Intent to seek from whence the sound might flow.
After the doleful rout on the sad field,
When Charlemagne erst lost the high emprise,
Less dread the blast Orlando's horn had peal'd.
A little further on I turn'd mine eyes,
And many lofty towers, meseem'd, I saw:
" Master, what city now before us lies? "
I ask'd; and he made answer: " They do show
So dimly through the mists wherein they dwell,
For the great distance; thus thy mind doth go
In devious path. Thou shalt discern full well,
Approaching, how when thou afar dost stand,
Sense is deceived: more swiftly then impel
Thy steps. " And tenderly he took my hand,
And said: " That thou mayst feel no strange alarms,
Know, ere we nearer to the brink descend,
These are no towers thou seest, but giant forms;
And in the deep abyss they dwell for aye,
And guard the circling wall like men-at-arms.
As, when the mists before the wind do fly,
By slow degrees unto the eyes appear
The things which hidden in the clouds did lie;
Thus, piercing through this grossest atmosphere,
And more and more approaching to the strand,
My error fled, and in its place was fear.
Because, as rising from her circling band,
Montireggioni crowns herself with towers,
Even so the rampart girdling all this land
Was turreted with those dread giant Powers,
In half their height; those fearful Ones, whom aye
Jove threatens, when the thunder-tempest lowers
Of some, the face I plainly could descry,
The chest and shoulders, and the greater part
Of the huge body; and the arms, which lie
Down by their sides. When Nature did depart
From making those strange beings, she did well
To take from Mars such servants of his art
And though great whales and elephants she still
Doth form, yet he who gazes subtlely
May see herein her wisdom and her skill;
For, where the powers of mind and reason be
Join'd to an evil will, and to a strong
Brute force, from thence there is no place to flee.
Each face appear'd to me as wide and long
As, nigh St. Peter's, doth the Roman pine:
Like measure did unto the rest belong.
So that the bank which, with its circling line
Reach'd to their middle, let so much appear
Above, that did three Frieslanders combine
In height, yet scarce might they attain their hair;
For thirty times the measure of a palm
Was seen, from where the mantle's clasp ye wear.
And now, " Rafel mai amech zabi alm, "
That mouth ferocious 'gan to shriek aloud,
With lips unsuited to a sweeter psalm.
My Leader then: " Insensate soul and proud,
Keep to thy horn; thus vent thine angry mind,
When wrathful passions on thy brain do crowd.
Seek at thy throat, and thou the cord shalt find
Which holds it tied, O spirit most confused,
And see the thing which round thy chest doth wind. "
And then to me: " This being is accused
E'en by himself; 'tis Nimrod, for whose sake
No more one language in the world is used.
Let him alone; it is not well to speak
To vacancy: for thus to him each tongue,
As his to others, doth no meaning take. "
Then to the left our way was now more long;
And at an arrow's flight from thence we found
Another giant much more fierce and strong.
Who was the hero that his limbs had bound,
In sooth, I know not; but a chain he wore,
Five several times around his form enwound.
The huge right arm he aye behind him bore,
Tied with the chain that hung in heavy weight
Down from his neck, the left was fix'd before.
" This proud one would have risen to be more great
In haughtiness, than e'en the mighty Jove, "
My Leader said; " thus merits he such fate.
His name is Ephialtes; who did prove
His strength, when erst the giants caused such dread
Unto the Gods: since then, he may not move
His arms for evermore " And then I said:
" Now fain Briareus I would behold,
If thus it may be. " And he answerid:
" Thine eyes shall look upon Antaeus bold,
Anear to us; he speaks, nor is he bound;
And he shall bear us to Hell's deepest hold.
The other thou wouldst see, afar is found;
And he is chain'd like him upon whose woe
Thou look'st, but fiercer doth he gaze around. "
Less mighty is the dreadful earthquake's throe;
Which some strong tower doth shake with heaving breath,
Than Ephialtes' struggles, in the glow
Of rage. Then more than ever fear'd I death;
Such fear might well have had the power to slay,
Had I not seen the bands that stay'd his wrath.
And we towards Antaeus went our way,
Who to the throat five ells and more did stand
Forth from the deep. Then did my Master say:
" Thou who, of yore, within the fated land
That gave to Scipio such a glorious name
When Hannibal turn'd back with all his band,
Victor o'er thousand lions won thy fame
(And still they say, so great thine armid worth,
That hadst thou with thy brethren join'd, their aim
Were surely gain'd by the great Sons of Earth)
Scorn not to aid us in our downward way,
Where the cold waves of Cocytus have birth
And unto Typhon send us not, this day,
Nor unto Tityus, of like strength sublime;
But bend thee now, nor turn from us, I pray.
This man can give thee fame, as in thy prime:
He lives; and length of life may still be his,
If grace do call him not before his time. "
And then the giant from the deep abyss
Stretch'd out his arm, and Virgil seized, as when
He fought, in days of old, with Hercules.
Soon as my Master felt his grasp, again
He spake to me: " Come hither, that my hand
May clasp thee: " closely did he strain me then
Bound to his side. As, often, when ye stand
'Neath Carisenda's tower, and there hath stray'd
A cloud above it, and it seems to bend,
Thus show'd Antaeus unto me, who staid
Intent to see him stoop; and then I well
Had wish'd my path by other way were made.
But where with Judas Lucifer doth dwell
Us lightly in the deep did he repose;
Nor long remain'd bent down in that dark dell,
But, swiftly, like the mast of some great ship, he rose.