Inferno: Canto I At first in motion set those beauteous things;

(Excerpt from The Divine Comedy) So were to me occasion of good hope,

The variegated skin of that wild beast,

Midway upon the journey of our life The hour of time, and the delicious season;
I found myself within a forest dark, But not so much, that did not give me fear
For the straightforward pathway had been lost. A lion’s aspect which appeared to me.

Ah me! how hard a thing is to say He seemed as if against me he were coming

What was this forest savage, rough and stern, With head uplifted, and with ravenous hunger,
Which in the very thought renews the fear. So that it seemed the air was afraid of him;

So bitter is it, death is little more; And a she-wolf, that with all hungerings
But of the good to treat, which there I found, Seemed to be laden in her meagerness,
Speak will I of the other things I saw there. And many folk has caused to live forlorn!

I cannot well repeat how there I entered, She brought upon me so much heaviness,
So full was I of slumber at the moment With the affright that from her aspect came,
In which I had abandoned the true way. That I the hope relinquished of the height.

But after I had reached a mountain’s foot, And as he who willingly acquires,
At that point where the valley terminated, And the time comes that causes him to lose,
Which had with consternation pierced my heart, Who weeps in all his thoughts and is despondent,

Upward I looked, and I beheld its shoulders, E’en such made me that beast withouten peace,
Vested already with that planet’s rays Which coming on against me by degrees
Which leadeth others right by every road. Thrust me back thither where the sun is silent.

And even as he, who, with distressful breath, While I was rushing downward to the lowland,
Forth issued from the sea upon the shore, Before mine eyes did one present himself,
Turns to the water perilous and gazes; Who seemed from long-continued silent hoarse.

So did my soul, that still fleeing onward, When I beheld him in the desert vast,
Turn itself back to re-bold the pass “Have pity on me,” unto him I cried,
Which never yet a living person left. “Whiche’er thou art, or shade or real man!”

After my weary body I had rested, He answered me. “Not man; man once I was,
The way resumed I on the desert slope, And both my parents were of Lombardy,
So that the firm foot ever was the lower. And Mantuans by country both of them.
And lo! almost where the ascent began,
A panther light and swift exceedingly, ‘Sub Julio’ was I born, though it was late,
Which with a spotted skin was covered o’er! And lived at Rome under the good Augustus,
During the time of false and lying gods.
And never moved she from before my face,
Nay, rather did impede so much my way, A poet was I, and I sang that just
That many times I to return had turned. Son of Anchises, who came forth from Troy,
After that Ilion the superb was burned.
The time was the beginning of the morning,
And up the son was mounting with those stars But thou, why goest thou back to such annoyance?
That with him were, what time the Love Divine Why climb’st thou not the Mount Delectable,
Which is the source and cause of every joy?”
“Now, art thou that Virgilius and that fountain Where thou shalt hear the desperate lamentations,
Which spreads abroad so wide a river of speech?” Shalt see the ancient spirits disconsolate,
I made response to him with bashful forehead. Who cry out each one for the second death;

“O, of the other poets honour and light, And thou shalt see those who contented are
Avail me the long study and great love Within the fire, because they hope to come,
That have impelled me to explore thy volume! Whene’er it may be, to the blessed people;

Thou art my master, and my author thou, To whom, then, if thou wishes to ascend,
Thou art alone the one from whom I took A soul shall be for that than I more worthy;
The beautiful style that has done honour to me. With her at my departure I will leave thee;

Behold the beast, for which I have turned back; Because that Emperor, who reigns above,
Do thou protect me from her, famous Sage, In that I was rebellious to his law,
For she doth make my veins and pulses tremble.” Wills that through me none come into his city.

“Thee it behoves to take another road,” He governs everywhere, and there he reigns;
Responded he, when he beheld me weeping, There is his city and his loftly throne;
“If from this savage place thou wouldst escape; O happy he whom thereto he elects!”

Because this beast, at which thou criest out, And I to him: “Poet, I thee entreat,
Suffers not any one to pass her way, By that same God whom thou didst never know,
But so doth harass him, that she destroys him; So that I may escape this woe and worse,

And has a nature so malign and ruthless, Thou wouldst conduct me there where thou hast
That never doth she glut her greedy will, said,
The after food is hungrier than before. That I may see the portrait of Saint Peter,
And those thou makest so disconsolate.”
Many the animals with whom she weds,
And more they shall be still, until the Greyhound Then he moved on, and I behind him followed.
Comes, who shall make her perish in her pain.
Source: [Link]
He shall not feed on either earth or pelf, [Link]
But upon wisdom, and on love and virtue;
“Twixt Feltro and Feltro shall his nation be;

Of that low Italy shall he be the savior,

On whose account the maid Camilla died,
Euryalus, Turnus, Nisus, of their wounds;

Through every city shall he hunt her down,

Until he shall have driven her backto Hell,
There from whence envy first did let her loose.

Therefore I think and judge it for thy best

Thou follow men, and I will be thy guide,
And lead thee hence through the eternal place,