La Divina Commedia Inferno Canto XV The song of Brunetto Latini Time: Sunday, March 26, 1301 (Saturday, April 9, 1300): towards dawn Place: Circle VII - Group III: violents against God, nature, art (blasphemers, sodomites, usurers) People: Dante, Virgilio, Brunetto Latini, Prisciano, Francesco d’Accorso, Andrea de’ Mozzi © 2021 Dr. M. Junker: Fonetics, metrics, accents colored, protected by Namirial SpA © 1994 Le Lettere: Critical Edition of the Divine Comedy (by Giorgio Petrocchi) English Translation by Charles Eliot Norton: 1901/1952 (Encyclopædia Britannica)
1 ra c n p rta l’un de’ duri margini; 1 4 6 8 e ’l fummo del rusc l di s pra aduggia, 2 6 8 3 sì che dal f co salva l’acqua e li argini. 1 4 6 8 Quali Fiamminghi tra Guizzante e Bruggia, (1) 4 8 tem ndo ’l fi tto che ’nv r’ l r s’avv nta, 2 4 7 8 6 fanno lo sch rmo perché ’l mar si fuggia; 1 4 8 e quali Pado n lungo la Br nta, 2 6 7 per dif nder l r ville e lor cast lli, 3 5 6 8 9 anzi che Carent na il caldo s nta: 1 6 8 a tale imagine ran fatti qu lli, 2 4 6 8 tutto che né sì alti né sì gr ssi, 1 (4) 6 (8) 12 qual che si f!sse, lo ma"#stro félli. 1 4 8 Già$eravam da la s%lva rim&ssi 1 4 7 tanto, ch’i’ non avr'i visto d(v’ )ra, 1 6 7 15 perch’ io*in di+tro riv,lto mi f-ssi, 2 4 7 quando.incontrammo d’anime/una schi0ra 1 4 6 che ven1an lungo l’argine,2e ciascuna 3 4 6 18 ci riguardava c3me su4l da s5ra 4 8 guardare6uno7altro s8tto nu9va luna; 2 (3) 4 6 8 e sì v:r’ n;i<aguzzavan le ciglia (2) 4 7 21 c=me ’l v>cchio sart?r fa ne la cruna. 1 3 6 7 Co@ìAadocchiato da cotal famiglia, 2 4 8 fui conosciuto daBun, che mi prCDe (1) 4 7 24 per lo lEmboFe gridò: «Qual maraviglia!». 3 6 7 EGio, quando ’l suo braccioHa me distIJe, 2 (3) 6 8 ficcaï liKLcchi per lo cMttoNaspOtto, 2 4 8 27 sì che ’l viPoQabbrusciato non difRSe 1 3 6 (8)
2 Now one of the hard margins bears us on, and the fume of the brook overshadows 3 so that It saves the water and the banks from the fire. As the Flemings, between Wissant and Bruges, fearing the flood that rushes toward them, 6 make the bulwark whereby the sea may be routed; and as the Paduans along the Brenta, in order to defend their towns and their castles, 9 ere Chiarentana feel the heat— in such like were these made, though neither so high nor so thick, 12 whoever he was, had the master made them. We were now so remote from the wood that I could not have seen where it was 15 though I had turned backward, when we encountered a troop of souls which was coming alongside the bank, and each of them 18 was looking at us, as a man is wont at evening to look at another under the new moon; and they so sharpened their brows toward us 21 as the old tailor does on the needle’s eye. Thus eyed by that company, I was recognized by one who took me 24 by the hem, and cried out: “What a marvel!” And when he stretched out his arm to me, I fixed my eyes on his baked aspect 27 so that his scorched visage did not prevent
3 la conoscTnza suaUal mio ’ntellVtto; 4 6 (8) e chinando la manoWa la sua faccia, 3 6 (9) 30 rispuXYi: «SiZte v[i qui, s\r Brun]tto?». 2 4.6.7 8 E qu^lli:_«` figliual mio, non ti dispiaccia 2 (5) 6 7 se Brunbtto Latinocun pdco teco 3 6 8 33 ritfrna ’n digtrohe lasciaiandar la traccia». 2 4 6 8 I’ dissi lui: «Quanto pjsso, vkn prlco; (2) 4 (5) 7 e se volmte che con vni m’assoggia, 4 8 36 faròl, se piacepa costui che vq srco». 2 4 7 (9) «s figliutl», disse, «qual di quusta grvggia 3 4 6 (8) s’arresta punto, giace pwi cxnt’ anni 2 4 6 8 39 sanz’ arrostarsi quando ’l fycozil f{ggia. 4 6 8 Però va|}ltre:~i’ ti verròa’ panni; 2 4 8 e pi rigiugnerò la mia manada, 2 6 42 che va piangndoi sui ettrni danni». 4 8 Io non oava scnder de la strada (1/2) 4 6 per andar par di lui; ma ’l capo chino 3 6 8 45 tena cm’ um che revernte vada. 2 4 8 El cominciò: «Qual fortunao destino 1 4 5 7 anzi l’ultimo dì qua giù ti mna? 1 3 6 8 48 e chiè qusti che mstra ’l cammino?». 3 4 7 «Là sù di spra,in la vita serna», (1) 2 4 7 rispu’ io lui, «mi marri’in una valle, (2/3) 4 7 51 avanti che l’età mia fsse pina. 2 7 8 Pur ir mattina le vlsi le spalle: 2 4 7 qusti m’apparve, tornand’ ioin qulla, 1 4 8 54 e red cemi¡a ca per qu¢sto calle». 3 6 8
4 the recognition of him by my intelligence; and bending down my own to his face, 30 I answered: “Are you here, Ser Brunetto?” And he: “O my son, let it not displease thee if Brunette Latini turns back a little with thee, 33 and lets the train go on.” I said to him: “With all my power I pray this of you, and if you will that I sit down with you 36 I will do so, if it please him there, for I go with him.” “O son,” said he, “whoever of this herd stops for an instant, lies afterwards a hundred years 39 without fanning himself when the fire smites him; therefore go onward: I will come at thy skirts, and then I will rejoin my band 42 which goes lamenting its eternal penalties.” I dared not descend from the road to go level with him, but I held my head bowed 45 like one who goes reverently. He began: “What fortune or destiny leads thee down here before thy last day? 48 and who is this that shows the road?” “There above, in the bright life,” I answered him, “I went astray in a valley, 51 before my time was full. Only yesterday morning I turned my back on it: this one appeared to me as I was returning to it, 54 and he is leading me homeward again along this path.”
5 Ed £lli¤a me: «Se tu s¥gui tua st¦lla, 2 4 (6) 7 non pu§i fallire¨a glor頻o p«rto, 2 4 8 57 se b¬n m’acc rsi ne la vita b®lla; 2 4 8 e s’io non f¯ssi sì per t°mpo m±rto, 2 4 6 8 vegg²ndo³il ci´loµa te co¶ì benigno, 2 4 6 (8) 60 dato t’avr·i¸a l’¹pera confºrto. 1 4 6 Ma qu»llo¼ingrato p½polo maligno 2 4 6 che disc¾¿e di FiÀÁole b antico, 3 6 63 e tiÃneÄancÅr del mÆnteÇe del macigno, 2 4 6 ti si farà, per tuo bÈn far, nimico; 4 (6) 8 ed è ragiÉn, ché tra li lazzi sÊrbi 4 8 66 si disconviËn fruttareÌal dÍlce fico. 4 6 8 VÎcchia fama nel mÏndo li chiamaÐÑrbi; 1 3 6 9 gÒnt’ èÓavara,ÔinvidiÕÖa×e supØrba: 1 (2) 4 7 69 dai lÙr costumi fa che tu ti fÚrbi. 4 6 La tua fortuna tantoÛonÜr ti sÝrba, 4 6 8 che l’una parteÞe l’altraßavranno fame 2.4 6 8 72 di te; ma lungi fàa dal bácco l’ârba. 2 4 6 8 Faccian le bãstie fieäolane strame 1 4 8 di lår medæçme,èe non técchin la pianta, (2) 4 7 75 s’alcuna surgeêancëraìin lír letame, (2) 4 6 (8) in cui riviva la semînta santa 2 4 8 di que’ Roman che vi rimaïer quando 4 8 78 fu fattoðil nido di malizia tanta». 2 4 8 «Se fñsse tutto piònoóil mio dimando», 2 4 6 8 rispuôõ’ io lui, «vöi non sar÷steøancùra 2/3 4 5 8 81 de l’umana natura pústoûin bando; 3 6 (8)
6 And he to me: “If thou follow thy star, thou canst not miss the glorious port, 57 if, in the fair life, I discerned aright: and if I had not so untimely died, seeing heaven so benignant to thee, 60 I would have given thee cheer in thy work. But that ungrateful malignant people which descended from Fiesole of old, 63 and still smacks of the mountain and the rock, will make itself hostile to thee because of thy good deeds; and it is right, for among the bitter sorb-trees 66 it befits not the sweet fig to bear fruit. Old report in the world calls them blind; it is an avaricious, envious, and proud folk; 69 from their customs take heed that thou cleanse thyself. Thy fortune reserves such honor for thee that the one party and the other shall have hunger 72 for thee: but far from the goat shall be the grass. Let the Fiesolan beasts make litter of themselves, and let them not touch the plant, 75 if any spring yet upon their dungheap, in which the holy seed may revive of those Romans who remained there when 78 it became the nest of so much wickedness.” “If my entreaty were all fulfilled,” replied I to him, “you would not yet be placed 81 in banishment from human nature;
7 ché ’n la münte m’è fitta,ýeþ r m’acc ra, 3 6 8 la cara e bu na imagine pat rna 2 4 6 84 di v i quando nel m ndo ad ra ad ra 2 3 6 8 m’insegnavate c me l’u m s’ett rna: 4 6 8 e quant’ io l’abbia in grado, m ntr’ io vivo 2/3 4 6 8/9 87 convi n che ne la mia lingua si sc rna. 2 (6) 7 Ciò che narrate di mio c rso scrivo, 1 4 8 e s rbolo a chio ar con altro t sto 2 6 8 90 a d nna che saprà, s’a l i arrivo. 2 6 8 Tanto v gl’ io che vi sia manif sto, 1 4 7 pur che mia coscï nza non mi garra, 1 (3) 6 93 ch’a la Fortuna, c me vu l, s!n pr"sto. 4 8 Non è nu#va$a li%or&cchi mi'i tal arra: 3 6 8 però giri Fortuna la sua r(ta 2 3 6 (9) 96 c)me le piace* e ’l villan la sua marra». 1 4 7 (9) Lo mio ma+,stro-all.ra/in su la g0ta 2 4 6 d1stra si v2lse3in di4tro5e riguard6mmi; 1 4 6 99 p7i disse: «B8ne9asc:lta chi la n;ta». (1) 2 (4) 6 Né per tanto di m<n parlando v=mmi 3 6 8 con s>r Brun?tto,@e dimando chi sAno 2 4 7 102 li suBi compagni più nCtiDe più sEmmi. 4 7 Ed FlliGa me: «Saper d’alcunoHè buIno; 2 4 6 8 de liJaltri fKa laudabile tacerci, 2 6 105 ché ’l tLmpo sarMa cNrtoOa tanto suPno. 2 6 8 In sQmma sappi che tutti fur chRrci 2 4 7 e litterati grandiSe di gran fama, (4) 6 9 108 d’un peccato medTUmoVal mWndo lXrci. 3 6 8
8 for in my mind is fixed, and now fills my heart, the dear, good, paternal image 84 of you, when in the world hour by hour you taught me how man makes himself eternal; and how much I hold it in gratitude, that while I live, 87 it behoves, should be discerned in my speech. That which you tell of my course I write, and reserve it with other text to be glossed 90 by a Lady, who will know how, if I attain to her. Thus much would I have manifest to you, provided my conscience chide me not, 93 that I for Fortune, as she wills, am ready. Such earnest is not strange unto my ears; therefore let Fortune turn her wheel 96 as pleases her, and the churl his mattock.” My Master thereupon turned backward to his right, and looked at me; 99 then said: “He listens well who notes it.” Not the less for this do I go on speaking with Ser Brunetto, and I ask, who are 102 his most noted and most eminent companions. And he to me: “To know of some is good, of the others it will be laudable for us to be silent, 105 for the time would be short for so much speech. In brief, know that all were clerks, and great men of letters and of great fame, 108 defiled in the world by one same sin.
9 PrisciYn sZn va con qu[lla turba grama, 2 4 6.8 e Franc\sco d’Acc]rso^anche;_e ved`rvi, 3 6 7 111 s’avassibavuto di tal tigna brama, 2 4 7 8 colui potci che dal sdrvo de’ servi 2 4 7 fu trafmutato d’Arnogin Bacchiglihne, 4 6 114 dive lasciò li mal protjki nlrvi. 4 6 8 Di più dirmi; ma ’l venirene ’l sermone (2) 4 7 più lungopqsser non può, però ch’i’ vrggio 2/3 6 8 117 là surger nusvo fummo del sabbitne. 1 2 (4) 6 Gunte vivn con la qualewxsser non dyggio. 1 3 6 7 Szeti raccomandato{il mio Te|}ro, 1 6 8 120 nel qual io vivo~ancra,e più non chggio». 2 (4) 6 8 Pi si rivlse,e parve di col ro 1 4 6 che crronoa Vernail drappo vrde 2 6 8 123 per la campagna;e parve di costro 4 6 qulli che vince, non colui che prde. 1 4 6 (8)
10 Priscian goes along with that disconsolate crowd, and Francesco d’ Accorso;’ and thou couldst also have seen 111 there, hadst thou had hankering for such scurf, him who by the Servant of Servants was translated from the Arno to the Bacchiglione, 114 where he left his ill-strained nerves. Of more would I tell, but my going on and my speech cannot be longer, for I see 117 yonder a new smoke rising from the sand. Folk come with whom I must not be. Let my Treasure be commended to thee, 120 in which I still am living, and more I ask not.” Then he turned back, and seemed of those who run at Verona for the green cloth 123 across the plain, and of these he seemed the one that wins, and not he that loses.
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