From Circe had departed, who concealed me Nor fondness for my son, nor reverence For my old father, nor the due affection I had to be experienced of the world, But I put forth on the high open sea With one sole ship, and that small company By which I never had deserted been. Both of the shores I saw as far as Spain, Far as Morocco, and the isle of Sardes, 95 100 And the others which that sea bathes round about. 105 I and my company were old and slow When at that narrow passage we arrived That man no farther onward should adventure. Which is remaining of your senses still, Be ye unwilling to deny the knowledge, Following the sun, of the unpeopled world. Consider the seed from which ye sprang; ye Ye were not made to live like unto brutes, But for pursuit of virtue and of knowledge.' So eager did I render my companions, With this brief exhortation, for the voyage, We of the oars made wings for our mad flight, Already all the stars of the other pole The night beheld, and ours so very low Had been the splendor underneath the moon, When there appeared to us a mountain, dim From distance, and it seemed to me so high Joyful were we, and soon it turned to weeping; For out of the new land a whirlwind rose, And smote upon the fore part of the ship. 115 120 125 130 135 Three times it made it whirl with all the waters, At the fourth time it made the stern uplift, And the prow downward go, as pleased Another, Until the sea above us closed again." 140 CANTO XXVII. ALREADY was the flame erect and quiet, To speak no more, and now departed from us With the permission of the gentle Poet; When yet another, which behind it came, Caused us to turn our eyes upon its top By a confused sound that issued from it. As the Sicilian bull (that bellowed first With the lament of him, and that was right, Who with his file had modulated it) Bellowed so with the voice of the afflicted, That, notwithstanding it was made of brass, At first from out the fire, to its own language But afterwards, when they had gathered way Up through the point, giving it that vibration We heard it said: "O thou, at whom I aim My voice, and who but now wast speaking Lombard, Saying, 'Now go thy way, no more I Because I come perchance a little late, urge thee,' To stay and speak with me let it not irk thee; If thou but lately into this blind world Hast fallen down from that sweet Latian land, Wherefrom I bring the whole of my transgression, Say, have the Romagnuoli peace or war, For I was from the mountains there between I still was downward bent and listening, When my Conductor touched me on the side, And I, who had beforehand my reply In readiness, forthwith began to speak: "O soul, that down below there art concealed, Romagna thine is not and never has been Without war in the bosom of its tyrants; But open war I none have left there now. Ravenna stands as it long years has stood; The Eagle of Polenta there is brooding, 21 25 30 35 40 |