Читать книгу The Divine Comedy: Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso (3 Classic Unabridged Translations in one eBook: Cary's + Longfellow's + Norton's Translation + Original Illustrations by Gustave Doré) - Dante Alighieri - Страница 61

Praying forgiveness of th' Almighty Sire,

Amidst that cruel conflict, on his foes,

With looks, that With compassion to their aim.

Soon as my spirit, from her airy flight

Returning, sought again the things, whose truth

Depends not on her shaping, I observ'd

How she had rov'd to no unreal scenes

Meanwhile the leader, who might see I mov'd,

As one, who struggles to shake off his sleep,

Exclaim'd: "What ails thee, that thou canst not hold

Thy footing firm, but more than half a league

Hast travel'd with clos'd eyes and tott'ring gait,

Like to a man by wine or sleep o'ercharg'd?"

"Beloved father! so thou deign," said I,

"To listen, I will tell thee what appear'd

Before me, when so fail'd my sinking steps."

He thus: "Not if thy Countenance were mask'd

With hundred vizards, could a thought of thine

How small soe'er, elude me. What thou saw'st

Was shown, that freely thou mightst ope thy heart

To the waters of peace, that flow diffus'd

From their eternal fountain. I not ask'd,

What ails thee? for such cause as he doth, who

Looks only with that eye which sees no more,

When spiritless the body lies; but ask'd,

To give fresh vigour to thy foot. Such goads

The slow and loit'ring need; that they be found

Not wanting, when their hour of watch returns."

So on we journey'd through the evening sky

Gazing intent, far onward, as our eyes

With level view could stretch against the bright

Vespertine ray: and lo! by slow degrees

Gath'ring, a fog made tow'rds us, dark as night.

There was no room for 'scaping; and that mist

Bereft us, both of sight and the pure air.