VI. Dante's Inquiry on Prayers for the Dead. Sordello. Italy.

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      Whene'er is broken up the game of Zara,

       He who has lost remains behind despondent,

       The throws repeating, and in sadness learns;

      The people with the other all depart;

       One goes in front, and one behind doth pluck him,

       And at his side one brings himself to mind;

      He pauses not, and this and that one hears;

       They crowd no more to whom his hand he stretches,

       And from the throng he thus defends himself.

      Even such was I in that dense multitude,

       Turning to them this way and that my face,

       And, promising, I freed myself therefrom.

      There was the Aretine, who from the arms

       Untamed of Ghin di Tacco had his death,

       And he who fleeing from pursuit was drowned.

      There was imploring with his hands outstretched

       Frederick Novello, and that one of Pisa

       Who made the good Marzucco seem so strong.

      I saw Count Orso; and the soul divided

       By hatred and by envy from its body,

       As it declared, and not for crime committed,

      Pierre de la Brosse I say; and here provide

       While still on earth the Lady of Brabant,

       So that for this she be of no worse flock!

      As soon as I was free from all those shades

       Who only prayed that some one else may pray,

       So as to hasten their becoming holy,

      Began I: "It appears that thou deniest,

       O light of mine, expressly in some text,

       That orison can bend decree of Heaven;

      And ne'ertheless these people pray for this.

       Might then their expectation bootless be?

       Or is to me thy saying not quite clear?"

      And he to me: "My writing is explicit,

       And not fallacious is the hope of these,

       If with sane intellect 'tis well regarded;

      For top of judgment doth not vail itself,

       Because the fire of love fulfils at once

       What he must satisfy who here installs him.

      And there, where I affirmed that proposition,

       Defect was not amended by a prayer,

       Because the prayer from God was separate.

      Verily, in so deep a questioning

       Do not decide, unless she tell it thee,

       Who light 'twixt truth and intellect shall be.

      I know not if thou understand; I speak

       Of Beatrice; her shalt thou see above,

       Smiling and happy, on this mountain's top."

      And I: "Good Leader, let us make more haste,

       For I no longer tire me as before;

       And see, e'en now the hill a shadow casts."

      "We will go forward with this day" he answered,

       "As far as now is possible for us;

       But otherwise the fact is than thou thinkest.

      Ere thou art up there, thou shalt see return

       Him, who now hides himself behind the hill,

       So that thou dost not interrupt his rays.

      But yonder there behold! a soul that stationed

       All, all alone is looking hitherward;

       It will point out to us the quickest way."

      We came up unto it; O Lombard soul,

       How lofty and disdainful thou didst bear thee,

       And grand and slow in moving of thine eyes!

      Nothing whatever did it say to us,

       But let us go our way, eying us only

       After the manner of a couchant lion;

      Still near to it Virgilius drew, entreating

       That it would point us out the best ascent;

       And it replied not unto his demand,

      But of our native land and of our life

       It questioned us; and the sweet Guide began:

       "Mantua,"—and the shade, all in itself recluse,

      Rose tow'rds him from the place where first it was,

       Saying: "O Mantuan, I am Sordello

       Of thine own land!" and one embraced the other.

      Ah! servile Italy, grief's hostelry!

       A ship without a pilot in great tempest!

       No Lady thou of Provinces, but brothel!

      That noble soul was so impatient, only

       At the sweet sound of his own native land,

       To make its citizen glad welcome there;

      And now within thee are not without war

       Thy living ones, and one doth gnaw the other

       Of those whom one wall and one fosse shut in!

      Search, wretched one, all round about the shores

       Thy seaboard, and then look within thy bosom,

       If any part of thee enjoyeth peace!

      What boots it, that for thee Justinian

       The bridle mend, if empty be the saddle?

       Withouten this the shame would be the less.

      Ah! people, thou that oughtest to be devout,

       And to let Caesar sit upon the saddle,

       If well thou hearest what God teacheth thee,

      Behold how fell this wild beast has become,

       Being no longer by the spur corrected,

       Since thou hast laid thy hand upon the bridle.

      O German Albert! who abandonest

       Her that has grown recalcitrant and savage,