'Twasnowthehourthatturnethbackdesire
Inthosewhosailthesea, andmeltstheheart,
Thedaythey'vesaidtotheirsweetfriendsfarewell,
Andthenewpilgrimpenetrateswithlove,
Ifhedothhearfromfarawayabell
Thatseemethtodeplorethedyingday,
WhenIbegantomakeofnoavail
Myhearing, andtowatchoneofthesouls
Uprisen, thatbeggedattentionwithitshand.
Itjoinedandliftedupwardbothitspalms,
Fixingitseyesupontheorient,
AsifitsaidtoGod, "NaughtelseIcarefor."
"Telucisante" sodevoutlyissued
Forthfromitsmouth, andwithsuchdulcetnotes,
Itmademeissueforthfrommyownmind.
Andthentheothers, sweetlyanddevoutly,
DanteandVirgil 'sfirstnightinPurgatory
Accompanieditthroughallthehymnentire,
Havingtheireyesonthesupernalwheels.
Here, Reader, fixthineeyeswellonthetruth,
Fornowindeedsosubtileistheveil,
Surelytopenetratewithiniseasy.
Isawthatarmyofthegentle-born
Thereafterwardinsilenceupwardgaze,
Asifinexpectation, paleandhumble;
Andfromonhighcomeforthanddowndescend,
IsawtwoAngelswithtwoflamingswords,
Truncatedanddeprivedoftheirpoints.
Greenasthelittleleafletsjustnowborn
Theirgarmentswere, which, bytheirverdantpinions
Beatenandblownabroad, theytrailedbehind.
Onejustaboveuscametotakehisstation,
Andonedescendedtotheoppositebank,
Sothatthepeoplewerecontainedbetweenthem.
ClearlyinthemdiscernedItheblondhead;
Butintheirfaceswastheeyebewildered,
Asfacultyconfoundedbyexcess.
"FromMary'sbosombothofthemhavecome,"
Sordellosaid, "asguardiansofthevalley
Againsttheserpent, thatwillcomeanon."
