Project Dante

Canto X

Now followed we a narrow path 1
Between these scenes of pain and wrath
'O Highest Virtue,' I decried
'Can those within the graves be spied?' 4
My master turned and told me then
'Their spirits burn in flame within
And only on the final day
When Armageddon come their way 8
Will flesh that once before was worn
In time to face the Savior's scorn
Within this crematory lies
The ghosts of those who thought when died 12
That soul would cease to be right there
So life best lived without a care
No those who lived by being free
Must burn in hell for eternity.' 16
Then heard I voice cried out in pain
That begged of me to know my name
And asked me from which city came
And why I journeyed through the flame 20
And how I toured this frightful ring
This shade who once before was king
So Virgil turned and led me t0
Where ghost of Nixon rose on through 24
With head held high, with look of scorn
He stared at me as though I worm
'Who were your fathers?' then he asked
As burned he in the fire basked 28
It made me glad for I to know
This sinner to the bad place go
So told him then of who I was
My name, my church, my favorite cause 32
I told the shade and held none back
As listened he from roasting crack
Then lectures me his manner grand
As future there his vision spanned 36
And told me tales of things to come
And battles made to distant drums
He told me then of wars in line
From Friday next to end of time 40
Right then I grasped the fate of soul
The past and future only know
But not the present could they see
Just echoes of the things that be 44
And when the final portal closed
These souls would burn while others rose
So crept I close then to the brink
And looked I into grave I sink 48
My gaze it falls on writhing mass
That cooked within the steaming gas.
One thousand pairs of bloodshot eyes
There locked on mine as watched I fry 52
Then catch my foot and fall head first
Into the burning grave with cursed
But virgil he then caught my bag
And hauled me back, on fumes I gag 56
So Virgil turns and cautions there
'The way is long and far from fair.'
So walk we on through circle sixth
As gathered then an evil stink. 60

A lot of stuff got left out of this canto for various reasons. There was no real reason to go into the other spirits in the burning graves of the sixth circle, so I left out Farinata's reference to the clergy entombed within and also to the second head that appeared and asked for its son.

The fate of the souls, in terms of their vision and ability to see is discussed in the canto, although it has to be said, that this is discussed earlier in the work as well.

I thought after all the cuts that this one would be too short but it didn't turn out so.

In Canto XI Virgil discusses the structure of hell and the philosophy of punishment that leads some to the first or third circles and the sins that are punished in the last three rings.

Thats next.

PS I'm up to my gills at work so I have only a limited amout of time to draw and write. I seem mostly to be working later at night on the Inferno (Project Dante) but hoepfully I'll be able to get a lot done in the next few weeks.