Inferno (canto V), 51-141 Italian-English translation by Martina Giambanco

ity ultimately rests in the kiss they exchanged as a symbol of their courage in overt- ly accepting and manifesting their love in the face of all ob- stacles.

ENGLISH Inferno (canto V), 51-141 translated by Martina Giambanco

[....] “Maestro, who are those people, whom the black air so castigates?”

“The first of those of whom tiding thou wouldst know”, said he then, “the empress was of many languages.

To the vice of lust was she so accustomed, that libido made licit in her law, to remove the blame to which she had been led.

She is Semiramìs, of whom we read That succeeded Ninus and was his spouse: She held the land which now the Sultan holds.

The other is she who killed herself amorous, and broke faith to the ashes of Sichcaeus; next is Cleopatràs the voluptuous.

Helen you see, for whom so much a time of guilt rolled by, and see the great Achilles, who fought with love until the end.

See Parìs, Tristan”; and more than a thousand shadows he showed me and named me with his finger, whom love from our life had separated.

After that I had my doctor heard naming the dames of eld and cavaliers, piety prevailed, and I was almost lost.

I began: “Poet, willingly speak would I to those two who go together, and appear indeed upon the wind to be light.”

Ed elli a me: “Vedrai quando saranno più presso a noi; e tu allor li priega per quello amor che i mena, ed ei verranno”. ITALIAN

Sì tosto come il vento a noi li piega, mossi la voce: “O anime affannate, venite a noi parlar, s’altri nol niega!”

Quali colombe dal disio chiamate con l’ali alzate e ferme al dolce nido vegnon per l’aere, dal voler portate;

cotali uscir de la schiera ov’è Dido, a noi venendo per l’aere maligno, sì forte fu l’affettüoso grido.

“O animal grazïoso e benigno che visitando vai per l’aere perso noi che tignemmo il mondo di sanguigno,

se fosse amico il re de l’universo, noi pregheremmo lui de la tua pace, poi c’ hai pietà del nostro mal perverso.

Di quel che udire e che parlar vi piace, noi udiremo e parleremo a voi, mentre che ’l vento, come fa, ci tace.

Siede la terra dove nata fui su la marina dove ’l Po discende per aver pace co’ seguaci sui.

Amor, ch’al cor gentil ratto s’apprende, prese costui de la bella persona che mi fu tolta; e ‘l modo ancor m’offende.

Amor, ch’a nullo amato amar perdona, mi prese del costui piacer sì forte, che, come vedi, ancor non m’abbandona.

Amor condusse noi ad una morte. Caina attende chi a vita ci spense”. Queste parole da lor ci fuor porte.

And he to me: “Thou’lt see when they will be more towards us; and then thou implore them by that love which leadeth them, and they will come.”

Indeed soon as the wind bends them to us, I uplift my voice: “O weary souls, come speak to us, if no one denies it!”

As doves by desire called, with the wings raised and steady to the sweet nest fly through the air, by their volition led,

such coming out from the band where Dido is, coming to us athwart the air malign, so strong was the affectionate cry.

“O pretty animal and benign Who visiting goest through the gloomy air us who have stained the world of blood-red,

if the king of the universe was a friend, we would pray him for thy peace, since thou hast pity of our woe perverse.

Of what it pleases thee to hear and speak, we will hear and speak to you, while the wind, as it now, hushes.

Sitteth the land where born was I, upon the sea-shore where the Po descends to have peace with all his retinue.

Amor, that on gentle heart doth swiftly seize, took this man for the beautiful person that was ta’en from me; and the mode still offends me.

Amor, which absolves from loving none that’s loved, seized me of this man’s pleasure so strong, that, as thou seest, yet doth not abandon me.

Amor has conducted us unto one death. Caina waiteth who quenched our life”. These words from them were offered to us. ENGLISH

Quand’io intesi quell’anime offense, china’ il viso, e tanto il tenni basso, fin che ’l poeta mi disse: “Che pense?”. ITALIAN

22 Quando rispuosi, cominciai: “Oh lasso, quanti dolci pensier, quanto disio menò costoro al doloroso passo!”.

Poi mi rivolsi a loro e parla’ io, e cominciai: “Francesca, i tuoi martìri a lagrimar mi fanno tristo e pio.

Ma dimmi: al tempo d’i dolci sospiri, a che e come concedette amore che conosceste i dubbiosi disiri?”.

E quella a me: “Nessun maggior dolore che ricordarsi del tempo felice ne la miseria; e ciò sa ‘l tuo dottore.

Ma s’a conoscer la prima radice del nostro amor tu hai cotanto affetto, dirò come colui che piange e dice.

Noi leggiavamo un giorno per diletto di Lancialotto come amor lo strinse; soli eravamo e sanza alcun sospetto.

Per più fïate li occhi ci sospinse quella lettura, e scolorocci il viso; ma solo un punto fu quel che ci vinse.

Quando leggemmo il disïato riso esser basciato da cotanto amante, questi, che mai da me non fia diviso,

la bocca mi basciò tutto tremante. Galeotto fu ’l libro e chi lo scrisse: quel giorno più non vi leggemmo avante”.

Mentre che l’uno spirto questo disse, l’altro piangëa; sì che di pietade io venni men così com’io morisse.

When I heard those offended souls, I bowed my face and so long held it down, until the poet said to me: “What thinkest?”

When I answered, I began: “Alas, how many sweet thoughts, how much desire conducted these unto the dolorous pass!”

Then I turned to them and I spoke, and I began: “Francesca, your martyrdoms sad and pious to weeping make me.

But tell me: at the time of the sweet sighs, by what and how Amor conceded that you knew your dubious desires?”

And she to me: “No greater sorrow than remembering the happy time in misery; and that thy teacher knows.

But if to know the first root Of our love thou hast so great affection, I will tell the way of he who weeps and speaks.

We were reading one day for our delight of Launcelot how love tied him; alone we were and without any suspect.

For many times our eyes together drew that reading, and drove the colour from our faces; but only one point was it that o’ercame us.

When we read of the longed-for smile Being kissed by such a lover, this one, who ne’er from me shall not be divided,

my mouth kissed all trembling. Galeotto was the book and who wrote it: that day no farther did we read therein.

While one spirit this said, the other was weeping; so that for pity I swooned as if I was dying.