Excerpt
CANTO XI
"O thou Almighty Father, who dost makeThe heavens thy dwelling, not in bounds confin'd,But that with love intenser there thou view'stThy primal effluence, hallow'd be thy name:Join each created being to extolThy might, for worthy humblest thanks and praiseIs thy blest Spirit. May thy kingdom's peaceCome unto us; for we, unless it come,With all our striving thither tend in vain.As of their will the angels unto theeTender meet sacrifice, circling thy throneWith loud hosannas, so of theirs be doneBy saintly men on earth. Grant us this dayOur daily manna, without which he roamsThrough this rough desert retrograde, who mostToils to advance his steps. As we to eachPardon the evil done us, pardon thouBenign, and of our merit take no count.'Gainst the old adversary prove thou notOur virtue easily subdu'd; but freeFrom his incitements and defeat his wiles.This last petition, dearest Lord! is madeNot for ourselves, since that were needless now,But for their sakes who after us remain."Thus for themselves and us good speed imploring,Those spirits went beneath a weight like thatWe sometimes feel in dreams, all, sore beset,But with unequal anguish, wearied all,Round the first circuit, purging as they go,The world's gross darkness off: In our behalfIf there vows still be offer'd, what can hereFor them be vow'd and done by such, whose willsHave root of goodness in them? Well beseemsThat we should help them wash away the stainsThey carried hence, that so made pure and light,They may spring upward to the starry spheres."Ah! so may mercy-temper'd justice ridYour burdens speedily, that ye have powerTo stretch your wing, which e'en to your desireShall lift you, as ye show us on which handToward the ladder leads the shortest way.And if there be more passages than one,Instruct us of that easiest to ascend;For this man who comes with me, and bears yetThe charge of fleshly raiment Adam left him,Despite his better will but slowly mounts."From whom the answer came unto these words,Which my guide spake, appear'd not; but 'twas said."Along the bank to rightward come with us,And ye shall find a pass that mocks not toilOf living man to climb: and were it notThat I am hinder'd by the rock, wherewithThis arrogant neck is tam'd, whence needs I stoopMy visage to the ground, him, who yet lives,Whose name thou speak'st not him I fain would view.To mark if e'er I knew him? and to craveHis pity for the fardel that I bear.I was of Latiun, of a Tuscan hornA mighty one: Aldobranlesco's nameMy sire's, I know not if ye e'er have heard.My old blood and forefathers' gallant deedsMade me so haughty, that I clean forgotThe common mother, and to such excess,Wax'd in my scorn of all men, that I fell,Fell therefore; by what fate Sienna's sons,Each child in Campagnatico, can tell.I am Omberto; not me only prideHath injur'd, but my kindred all involv'dIn mischief with her. Here my lot ordainsUnder this weight to groan, till I appeaseGod's angry justice, since I did it notAmongst the living, here amongst the dead."List'ning I bent my visage down: and one(Not he who spake) twisted beneath the weightThat urg'd him, saw me, knew me straight, and call'd,Holding his eyes With difficulty fix'dIntent upon me, stooping as I wentCompanion of their way....