The Divine Comedy by Dante: The Vision of Hell, Or The Inferno: Canto V

From the first circle I descended thus     Down to the second, which, a lesser space     Embracing, so much more of grief contains     Provoking bitter moans.    There, Minos stands     Grinning with ghastly feature: he, of all     Who enter, strict examining the crimes,     Gives sentence, and dismisses them beneath,     According as he foldeth him around:     For when before him comes th' ill fated soul,     It all confesses; and that judge severe     Of sins, considering what place in hell     Suits the transgression, with his tail so oft     Himself encircles, as degrees beneath     He dooms it to descend.    Before him stand     Always a num'rous throng; and in his turn     Each one to judgment passing, speaks, and hears     His fate, thence downward to his dwelling hurl'd.     "O thou! who to this residence of woe     Approachest?"    when he saw me coming, cried     Minos, relinquishing his dread employ,     "Look how thou enter here; beware in whom     Thou place thy trust; let not the entrance broad     Deceive thee to thy harm."    To him my guide:     "Wherefore exclaimest?    Hinder not his way     By destiny appointed; so 'tis will'd     Where will and power are one.    Ask thou no more."     Now 'gin the rueful wailings to be heard.     Now am I come where many a plaining voice     Smites on mine ear.    Into a place I came     Where light was silent all.    Bellowing there groan'd     A noise as of a sea in tempest torn     By warring winds.    The stormy blast of hell     With restless fury drives the spirits on     Whirl'd round and dash'd amain with sore annoy.     When they arrive before the ruinous sweep,     There shrieks are heard, there lamentations, moans,     And blasphemies 'gainst the good Power in heaven.     I understood that to this torment sad     The carnal sinners are condemn'd, in whom     Reason by lust is sway'd.    As in large troops     And multitudinous, when winter reigns,     The starlings on their wings are borne abroad;     So bears the tyrannous gust those evil souls.     On this side and on that, above, below,     It drives them: hope of rest to solace them     Is none, nor e'en of milder pang.    As cranes,     Chanting their dol'rous notes, traverse the sky,     Stretch'd out in long array: so I beheld     Spirits, who came loud wailing, hurried on     By their dire doom.    Then I: "Instructor! who     Are these, by the black air so scourg'd?"--"The first     'Mong those, of whom thou question'st," he replied,     "O'er many tongues was empress.    She in vice     Of luxury was so shameless, that she made     Liking be lawful by promulg'd decree,     To clear the blame she had herself incurr'd.     This is Semiramis, of whom 'tis writ,     That she succeeded Ninus her espous'd;     And held the land, which now the Soldan rules.     The next in amorous fury slew herself,     And to Sicheus' ashes broke her faith:     Then follows Cleopatra, lustful queen."     There mark'd I Helen, for whose sake so long     The time was fraught with evil; there the great     Achilles, who with love fought to the end.     Paris I saw, and Tristan; and beside     A thousand more he show'd me, and by name     Pointed them out, whom love bereav'd of life.     When I had heard my sage instructor name     Those dames and knights of antique days, o'erpower'd     By pity, well-nigh in amaze my mind     Was lost; and I began: "Bard! willingly     I would address those two together coming,     Which seem so light before the wind."    He thus:     "Note thou, when nearer they to us approach."     "Then by that love which carries them along,     Entreat; and they will come."    Soon as the wind     Sway'd them toward us, I thus fram'd my speech:     "O wearied spirits! come, and hold discourse     With us, if by none else restrain'd."    As doves     By fond desire invited, on wide wings     And firm, to their sweet nest returning home,     Cleave the air, wafted by their will along;     Thus issu'd from that troop, where Dido ranks,     They through the ill air speeding; with such force     My cry prevail'd by strong affection urg'd.     "O gracious creature and benign! who go'st     Visiting, through this element obscure,     Us, who the world with bloody stain imbru'd;     If for a friend the King of all we own'd,     Our pray'r to him should for thy peace arise,     Since thou hast pity on our evil plight.     ()f whatsoe'er to hear or to discourse     It pleases thee, that will we hear, of that     Freely with thee discourse, while e'er the wind,     As now, is mute.    The land, that gave me birth,     Is situate on the coast, where Po descends     To rest in ocean with his sequent streams.     "Love, that in gentle heart is quickly learnt,     Entangled him by that fair form, from me     Ta'en in such cruel sort, as grieves me still:     Love, that denial takes from none belov'd,     Caught me with pleasing him so passing well,     That, as thou see'st, he yet deserts me not.     "Love brought us to one death: Caina waits     The soul, who spilt our life."    Such were their words;     At hearing which downward I bent my looks,     And held them there so long, that the bard cried:     "What art thou pond'ring?"    I in answer thus:     "Alas! by what sweet thoughts, what fond desire     Must they at length to that ill pass have reach'd!"     Then turning, I to them my speech address'd.     And thus began: "Francesca! your sad fate     Even to tears my grief and pity moves.     But tell me; in the time of your sweet sighs,     By what, and how love granted, that ye knew     Your yet uncertain wishes?"    She replied:     "No greater grief than to remember days     Of joy, when mis'ry is at hand!    That kens     Thy learn'd instructor.    Yet so eagerly     If thou art bent to know the primal root,     From whence our love gat being, I will do,     As one, who weeps and tells his tale.    One day     For our delight we read of Lancelot,     How him love thrall'd.    Alone we were, and no     Suspicion near us.    Ofttimes by that reading     Our eyes were drawn together, and the hue     Fled from our alter'd cheek.    But at one point     Alone we fell.    When of that smile we read,     The wished smile, rapturously kiss'd     By one so deep in love, then he, who ne'er     From me shall separate, at once my lips     All trembling kiss'd.    The book and writer both     Were love's purveyors.    In its leaves that day     We read no more."    While thus one spirit spake,     The other wail'd so sorely, that heartstruck     I through compassion fainting, seem'd not far     From death, and like a corpse fell to the ground.