第一篇在人生的中途，我迷失在一个黑暗的森林之中。要说明那个森林的荒凉、肃静和广漠，是多么的困难呀！一想到他我心里就是一阵害怕，就象死亡来临。在叙述我遇着救护人之前，先把触目惊心的情景描述一番。
我怎样会走进这个森林之中，我自己也不清楚，只觉得我在昏昏欲睡的刹那，我就失掉了正路。后来我走到森林的一边，害怕的念头还缠绑着我的心，忽然到了一个小山的脚下，那小山的顶上披着耀眼的阳光，这是普照旅途的明灯。一夜的惊吓，真是可怜。这时我才略微下心来。从海里爬上岸来的，一般要回头看看身后的惊涛骇浪，所以我在惊魂初定之后，我也就回顾来路。才晓得来路险艰辛恶。不是生人所到的。
我休息了一会儿，就立起来赶我的路程，一步一步爬上荒凉的山坡。没有爬得多高前面忽然跳出一只敏捷的、五色斑斓的豹，拦住我的去路，我几次想回头逃避他。那时天大亮了，太阳从东方升起，四野都清晰起来；这样清爽的早晨，这样温和的时候，使我有克服那眩眼可怕的野兽之希望。但是，一波未平，一波又起、一只狮子又出现了，他似乎向着我猛冲过来，他是饥饿极了，高抬着头，呼呼的地出气，真吓煞人。同时还有一只干瘦的母狼，她似乎是饥不择食的，而且已经有许多人受了她的伤害。她的一双眼睛死钉着我，吓得我全身发抖，于是我只好放弃爬到山顶的打算。
我好象是一位渴望着金钱的人，忽然受到一个失败的打击，而沉陷于痛楚悲哀的境地。我受到那只母狼的逼迫、她一步一步地逼近我，使我不得不退往那黑暗的森林。在我后退的时候，我看见一个人。他似乎是静默了很久，象不会说话一样。在此荒山旷野，居然来了救星，我脱口叫道：“请你快来救我，不管你是什么，一个影子也好，一个真人也好。”
他回答道：“我从前是人，现在不是人了。我的父母是伦巴第人，他们的国家是曼图亚。我生于尤利乌斯王朝，但是迟了一点，后来住在罗马，受奥古斯都王的保护，那时还是异教流行。我是一个诗人，我歌吟安奇塞斯的儿子，他是真正的英雄，他从特济亚城逃出来，因为那个雄伟的城已被希腊人烧毁了。但是你为什么如此惊惶失措，为什么不爬过这座明媚的山，这是人们幸福的源泉？”
我被说得面红耳赤，向他回答道：”那末你就是维吉尔么？从你的嘴里，吟出多么美丽而和谐的诗句呀！你是众诗人的灯塔，一切的光荣都归于你！我爱好你的诗篇，并学习和研究过你的著作！你是我的老师，是我心中的偶像，我从你学得很多好诗句，因此使我有了一些名声。……请你看那些野兽，我后退的原因就是为着他们。著名的哲人，请你帮助我来反抗他们，他们使我四肢的血肉都颤动起来了！”
他看见我流泪，他答道：“你应当另寻一条出路，要离开这块荒野的地方，因为那只母狼决不让一个人经过那里，除非把她杀悼。她的本性非常残酷，肚子从来没有饱足的时候，愈加吃得多，反而愈加饥饿。和她勾结的野兽还多呢，而且是一天比一天多，只有等到那著名的猎狗出世，才能够把他们一一杀尽。他不爱金钱，不贪土地，他以仁爱，智慧，勇敢做食品，他的国土是在菲尔特罗和菲尔特罗之间。他将拯救可怜的意大利，为着她，圣女卡密拉，罔尔努斯，欧吕阿鲁斯和尼苏斯这些人都战伤而死了。他将把母狼扫尽，把他们再赶进地狱，因为当初他们就是被魔鬼从那里放出来的。因此我想到：要是你到那里去看看，对你是有益处的；我可以做你的向导，引导你脱离这块可怕的地方；引导你经历永劫之邦，那里你可以听到绝望的呼声，看见苦难的古幽灵，每一个都在尝试着第二次的死；你还可以看见那些满足于火焰之中的幽灵，因为他们还有和那些幸福者住在一起的希望呢。末了，假使你愿意上升，还有一个比我更高贵的灵魂来引导你，那时我就和你分别了。因为我没有信仰他，所以我不能走进上帝所住的地方。上帝统治宇宙，权力无所不在，但是他在天上有一定的座位；能够接近他的人是多么快乐呀！”
于是我这样说：“诗人呀！请你为上帝的缘故，引导我逃出这个黑暗的森林和其他更坏的地方罢；伴着我到你方才所说的境界，一看沉溺在悲哀的深渊里的幽灵；最后引导我到圣彼得的门。”
于是我跟着维吉尔往前走。
I found me in a gloomy wood, astray
Gone from the path direct: and e'en to tell
It were no easy task, how savage wild
That forest, how robust and rough its growth,
Which to remember only, my dismay
Renews, in bitterness not far from death.
Yet to discourse of what there good befell,
All else will I relate discover'd there.
How first I enter'd it I scarce can say,
Such sleepy dullness in that instant weigh'd
My senses down, when the true path I left,
But when a mountain's foot I reach'd, where clos'd
The valley, that had pierc'd my heart with dread,
I look'd aloft, and saw his shoulders broad
Already vested with that planet's beam,
Who leads all wanderers safe through every way.
Then was a little respite to the fear,
That in my heart's recesses deep had lain,
All of that night, so pitifully pass'd:
And as a man, with difficult short breath,
Forespent with toiling, 'scap'd from sea to shore,
Turns to the perilous wide waste, and stands
At gaze; e'en so my spirit, that yet fail'd
Struggling with terror, turn'd to view the straits,
That none hath pass'd and liv'd. My weary frame
After short pause recomforted, again
I journey'd on over that lonely steep,
The hinder foot still firmer. Scarce the ascent
Began, when, lo! a panther, nimble, light,
And cover'd with a speckled skin, appear'd,
Nor, when it saw me, vanish'd, rather strove
To check my onward going; that ofttimes
With purpose to retrace my steps I turn'd.
The hour was morning's prime, and on his way
Aloft the sun ascended with those stars,
That with him rose, when Love divine first mov'd
Those its fair works: so that with joyous hope
All things conspir'd to fill me, the gay skin
Of that swift animal, the matin dawn
And the sweet season. Soon that joy was chas'd,
And by new dread succeeded, when in view
A lion came, 'gainst me, as it appear'd,
With his head held aloft and hunger-mad,
That e'en the air was fear-struck. A she-wolf
Was at his heels, who in her leanness seem'd
Full of all wants, and many a land hath made
Disconsolate ere now. She with such fear
O'erwhelmed me, at the sight of her appall'd,
That of the height all hope I lost. As one,
Who with his gain elated, sees the time
When all unwares is gone, he inwardly
Mourns with heart-griping anguish; such was I,
Haunted by that fell beast, never at peace,
Who coming o'er against me, by degrees
Impell'd me where the sun in silence rests.
While to the lower space with backward step
I fell, my ken discern'd the form one of one,
Whose voice seem'd faint through long disuse of speech.
When him in that great desert I espied,
"Have mercy on me!" cried I out aloud,
"Spirit! or living man! what e'er thou be!"
He answer'd: "Now not man, man once I was,
And born of Lombard parents, Mantuana both
By country, when the power of Julius yet
Was scarcely firm. At Rome my life was past
Beneath the mild Augustus, in the time
Of fabled deities and false. A bard
Was I, and made Anchises' upright son
The subject of my song, who came from Troy,
When the flames prey'd on Ilium's haughty towers.
But thou, say wherefore to such perils past
Return'st thou? wherefore not this pleasant mount
Ascendest, cause and source of all delight?"
"And art thou then that Virgil, that well-spring,
From which such copious floods of eloquence
Have issued?" I with front abash'd replied.
"Glory and light of all the tuneful train!
May it avail me that I long with zeal
Have sought thy volume, and with love immense
Have conn'd it o'er. My master thou and guide!
Thou he from whom alone I have deriv'd
That style, which for its beauty into fame
Exalts me. See the beast, from whom I fled.
O save me from her, thou illustrious sage!
"For every vein and pulse throughout my frame
She hath made tremble." He, soon as he saw
That I was weeping, answer'd, "Thou must needs
Another way pursue, if thou wouldst 'scape
From out that savage wilderness. This beast,
At whom thou criest, her way will suffer none
To pass, and no less hindrance makes than death:
So bad and so accursed in her kind,
That never sated is her ravenous will,
Still after food more craving than before.
To many an animal in wedlock vile
She fastens, and shall yet to many more,
Until that greyhound come, who shall destroy
Her with sharp pain. He will not life support
By earth nor its base metals, but by love,
Wisdom, and virtue, and his land shall be
The land 'twixt either Feltro. In his might
Shall safety to Italia's plains arise,
For whose fair realm, Camilla, virgin pure,
Nisus, Euryalus, and Turnus fell.
He with incessant chase through every town
Shall worry, until he to hell at length
Restore her, thence by envy first let loose.
I for thy profit pond'ring now devise,
That thou mayst follow me, and I thy guide
Will lead thee hence through an eternal space,
Where thou shalt hear despairing shrieks, and see
Spirits of old tormented, who invoke
A second death; and those next view, who dwell
Content in fire, for that they hope to come,
Whene'er the time may be, among the blest,
Into whose regions if thou then desire
T' ascend, a spirit worthier then I
Must lead thee, in whose charge, when I depart,
Thou shalt be left: for that Almighty King,
Who reigns above, a rebel to his law,
Adjudges me, and therefore hath decreed,
That to his city none through me should come.
He in all parts hath sway; there rules, there holds
His citadel and throne. O happy those,
Whom there he chooses!" I to him in few:
"Bard! by that God, whom thou didst not adore,
I do beseech thee (that this ill and worse
I may escape) to lead me, where thou saidst,
That I Saint Peter's gate may view, and those
Who as thou tell'st, are in such dismal plight."
Onward he mov'd, I close his steps pursu'd.