Uploaded on Nov 23, 2011
Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis, conductor
Painting: "Isle of the Dead", Arnold Böcklin
The Nature of The Beast - Variations on a theme by Dante Alighieri
by Mike Nova
Divina Commedia
The Tragicomedy Most Prophetic
Трагикомедия Зело Пророческая
Inferno - The Hell - Ад
*
Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita
mi ritrovai per una selva oscura,
ché la diritta via era smarrita. 3
-
When I had crossed the midline of my life
the forest dark and dense embraced me tight,
I lost my ways which used to be direct.
-
Когда прошёл Я жизнь до середины
нашёл себя в лесу густом и тёмном,
свой путь Я потерял; прямым он был.
*
Io non so ben ridir com’i’ v’intrai,
tant’era pien di sonno a quel punto
che la verace via abbandonai. 12
-
Did not I see well the way I walked,
I was in trance at that most wretched point
at which I lost my ways.
-
И как Я заблудился, не заметил,
во сне Я был в тот самый тёмный час
когда Я потерял свой путь.
*
Poi ch’èi posato un poco il corpo lasso,
ripresi via per la piaggia diserta,
sì che ’l piè fermo sempre era ’l più basso. 30
-
To pause awhile, to rest my tired frame,
to climb again, up barren desert hill,
and yet to find my firm foot sliding down
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Покой на миг, дай плоти отдохнуть,
чтобы опять на голый холм взобраться,
и вниз скользнуть, ногой одной лишь твёрдой.
*
Ed ecco, quasi al cominciar de l'erta,
una lonza leggera e presta molto,
che di pel macolato era coverta; 33
-
And look, at hill's foot, as the path my ends,
a Leopard, lean and with the spots all covered,
awaits me; many, many darkened spots;
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А там, смотри; в подножиях холма,
поджался Леопард, тощо'й и быстрый,
и ждёт меня; в своих весь в пятнах чёрных;
*
l’ora del tempo e la dolce stagione;
ma non sì che paura non mi desse
la vista che m'apparve d'un leone. 45
-
The Beast, his skin in spots:
abandon all your hopes,
just angst alone when you behold The Lion.
-
Зловещий Зверь, в своей пятнистой коже;
надежды нет и ярость лишь одна
когда ты Льва увидишь.
*
Questi parea che contra me venisse
con la test’alta e con rabbiosa fame,
sì che parea che l’aere ne tremesse. 48
-
He stood across directly and against me
his head high up, guts torn with raving hunger,
his vicious scream deaf pounding the air.
-
Напротив был он, прямо и готовно
и пасть развернута, терзает тело голод,
и рык его рвёт воздух к небесам.
*
Ed una lupa, che di tutte brame
sembiava carca ne la sua magrezza,
e molte genti fé già viver grame, 51
-
And then the She-Wolf, just the skin and bones
with cravings filled, in front of me transpired,
the misery and pain she brought to many.
-
Потом Волчица, кожа лишь да кости
передо мной внезапно появилась,
несчастья многие и многим принесла.
*
questa mi porse tanto di gravezza
con la paura ch’uscia di sua vista,
ch’io perdei la speranza de l’altezza 54
-
she burdened me
with terror of her sight,
and all the hopes of climbing back had perished
-
мой вольный дух она отяготила
одним лишь видом-ужасом своим,
и больше нет надежд на холм взобраться
*
E qual è quei che volontieri acquista,
e giugne ’l tempo che perder lo face,
che ’n tutti suoi pensier piange e s’attrista; 57
-
And so is he, who his will acquires
and time he gains; both doomed to loss,
for in his thoughts - just fear and despair
-
И вот он, тот, кто только что нашёл
и волю сладкую и связь времён, их должен потерять -
ведь в сердце - страх, а в мыслях - пустота.
*
tal mi fece la bestia sanza pace,
che, venendomi ’ncontro, a poco a poco
mi ripigneva là dove ’l sol tace. 60
-
and this was I, and ever restless Beast
did push me back, a step by little step
to place of darkness: sun dared not to speak.
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и это Я был, потому что Зверь
меня назад толкал, ступеньку за ступенькой
пока Я не пришёл туда, где солнце немо.
*
Mentre ch’i’ rovinava in basso loco,
dinanzi a li occhi mi si fu offerto
chi per lungo silenzio parea fioco. 63
-
And while descended I to low depths,
before my very eyes he suddenly appeared
the one who seemed to be erased by silence
-
И лишь когда Я в самый в низ спустился
передо мною появился Он, тот самый, кто
молчанием своим казался стёрт навеки
*
Nacqui sub Iulio, ancor che fosse tardi,
e vissi a Roma sotto ’l buono Augusto
nel tempo de li dèi falsi e bugiardi. 72
-
"In Julius'es times was born I, although late,
in Rome I lived, in reign of good Augustus
in times of gods which were false and lying.
-
Родился Я под Юлием, и поздно;
и в Риме жил, Августом был приласкан
то были времена богов-подделок лживых.
*
Ma tu perché ritorni a tanta noia?
perché non sali il dilettoso monte
ch’è principio e cagion di tutta gioia?". 78
-
Why do you torture your own self and soul your own?
why climb we not up the Delightful Hill
the source and cause of joy, of all the joy?"
-
Ты почему пытаешь дух свой снова?
и почему б наверх нам не подняться
на Холм Заветный радостей всех главных?"
*
"Or se’ tu quel Virgilio e quella fonte
che spandi di parlar sì largo fiume?",
rispuos’io lui con vergognosa fronte. 81
-
"Aren't Virgil you, who is that font
of speech expanding like a river?",
I asked him, with my head in awe bowed
-
"Не ты ль Вергилий, о, не ты ль
фонтан речей, рекой текущих вольно?"
спросил Я тихо, головой склонившись
*
"O de li altri poeti onore e lume,
vagliami ’l lungo studio e ’l grande amore
che m’ ha fatto cercar lo tuo volume. 84
-
"You are the poets' honor and the light,
I studied you, to you I gave my love
For I explored your book without end.
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"Поэтов всех ты честь и разум светлый
Тебе я посвятил учёбу долгую и любовь большую
Я в томе их твоём нашёл.
*
Vedi la bestia per cu’ io mi volsi;
aiutami da lei, famoso saggio,
ch’ella mi fa tremar le vene e i polsi". 90
-
Look at the Beast that turned me back;
Help me to fight Him, famous sage,
For blood my froze to ice and hands my tremble".
-
Ты видишь Зверя на пути моём;
Как мне сражаться с ним, мудрец великий,
Кровь холодеет и трясутся жилы".
* * *
"A te convien tenere altro vïaggio", 91
...
"se vuo’ campar d’esto loco selvaggio; 93
ché questa bestia, per la qual tu gride,
non lascia altrui passar per la sua via,
ma tanto lo ’mpedisce che l’uccide; 96
e ha natura sì malvagia e ria,
che mai non empie la bramosa voglia,
e dopo ’l pasto ha più fame che pria. 99
Molti son li animali a cui s’ammoglia,
e più saranno ancora, infin che ’l veltro
verrà, che la farà morir con doglia. 102
Questi non ciberà terra né peltro,
ma sapïenza, amore e virtute,
e sua nazion sarà tra feltro e feltro. 105
Ond’io per lo tuo me’ penso e discerno
che tu mi segui, e io sarò tua guida,
e trarrotti di qui per loco etterno; 114
ove udirai le disperate strida,
vedrai li antichi spiriti dolenti,
ch’a la seconda morte ciascun grida; 117
e vederai color che son contenti
nel foco, perché speran di venire
quando che sia a le beate genti. 120
...
ché quello imperador che là sù regna,
perch’i’ fu’ ribellante a la sua legge,
non vuol che ’n sua città per me si vegna. 126
In tutte parti impera e quivi regge;
quivi è la sua città e l’alto seggio:
oh felice colui cu’ ivi elegge!". 129
-
-
"You 'll choose another path
And leave this savage place
The beast does guard this pass
And blocks it shut with death
His nature squalid is, malicious, greedy;
He never sated gets,
Just hungrier.
He mates with many
And with many more he will
In all the types of dubious transactions
Until arrives The Dog
Who'll make him die in pain
Not on the land or bones
Does Dog this feed,
But wisdom, love and virtue
Are his food.
And Dog will hunt The Beast
Through every place, through every city and through every mind
Until he thrusts Him back to Hell
From which He came and was propelled by envy.
Then follow me, and I shall guide you then
From earthly place to the eternal one
You'll see there pain, you'll hear there howls
It's second death that they will go through
The souls which welcome burning fire
For it will cleanse them and purify the spirit
devoid of flesh unneeded
By fire christened and by fire lived
By fire saved, by fire resurrected,
By fire died, in old religious merger:
That's their hope to join the blessed.
And then, when you ascend as high as them,
Another guide will guide you forth instead
For I'll depart.
Because The Highest Ruler from above
Did ban me from His City
For I did not obey His Law.
He rules it all but rule He does from there,
Eternal city and the capital of His
Oh, lucky those are whom He allowed in.
"Oh poet, said I,
by this God you never knew,
I pray you:
Save me from this evil and the evils worse
And lead me to the place that you just mentioned
So I behold The Gateway of Saint Peter
And see those whom you described as pained".
And then he walked, I followed his path,
Direct and straight, as in days of past
And searching for the truth, the trip we started.
-
*
Links and References
dante alighieri biografia - GS
Dante Alighieri - W
Divina Commedia - W
wretched and divine - GS
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Last Update: 8.26.13
Comments by the translator-author (Mike Nova):
This might appear as an entirely technical and medical comment, but it might be important for the understanding of the context. The Poet, Dante Alighieri, was probably deeply and clinically depressed by the "midline of his life" (early-mid 40-s?) and might had experienced vivid visual hallucinations ( e.g. "The Leopard" and "The She-Wolf"), possibly, and at least in part as a side effect of Digitalis, which might have been given to him for "heart ailment" which at those times (XII - XIII centuries) might not have been distinguished from the Depression itself as a specifically mental malady, without, necessarily a "heart ailment". One and the same phenomenon might be open to a variety of interpretations on the variety of levels of various observational modes, without excluding each other but completing the picture, as in this example, "the physical" and "the metaphysical, the poetic".
________________________________
Satan is trapped in the frozen central zone in the Ninth Circle of Hell, Canto 34
In the very centre of Hell, condemned for committing the ultimate sin (personal treachery against God), is
Satan. Satan is described as a giant, terrifying beast with three faces, one red, one black, and one a pale yellow:
he had three faces: one in front bloodred;
and then another two that, just above
the midpoint of each shoulder, joined the first;
and at the crown, all three were reattached;
the right looked somewhat yellow, somewhat white;
the left in its appearance was like those
who come from where the Nile, descending, flows.
[57]
Satan is waist deep in ice, weeping tears from his six eyes, and beating his six wings as if trying to escape, although the icy wind that emanates only further ensures his imprisonment (as well as that of the others in the ring). Each face has a mouth that chews on a prominent traitor.
Brutus and
Cassius are feet-first in the left and right mouths respectively, for their involvement in the assassination of
Julius Caesar – an act which, to Dante, represented the destruction of a unified
Italy and the killing of the man who was divinely appointed to govern the world.
[58] In the central, most vicious mouth is
Judas Iscariot, the namesake of Round 4 and the betrayer of
Jesus. Judas is receiving the most horrifying torture of the three traitors: his head gnawed by Satan's mouth, and his back being forever skinned by Satan's claws. What is seen here is an inverted trinity: Satan is impotent, ignorant, and full of hate, in contrast to the
all-powerful,
all-knowing, and loving nature of God.
[58]
The two poets escape Hell by climbing down Satan's ragged fur. They pass through the centre of the earth (with a consequent change in the direction of
gravity, causing Dante to at first think they are returning to Hell). The pair emerge in the other hemisphere (described in the
Purgatorio) just before dawn on
Easter Sunday, beneath a sky studded with stars (Canto XXXIV).
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