第四篇一个很大的雷声，震动我沉睡的头脑，我好比突然被人叫醒一般。我睡眼蒙胧，向四周一看，想知道我是在什么地方。真的，我已经濒临着苦恼的深渊，这里面有无穷无尽的悲声哀音，汇聚在一起，犹如雷呜。这一个深渊是如此昏暗，如此幽秘，而且云雾笼罩，我定神向下面看去，竟一物不辨。
诗人面色灰白，开始对我说：“现在我们可以走下幽暗的世界去了：我在前面，你跟在后面。”我注意到他的脸色，我说：“我能来到此地，全是受了你的鼓励，现在你也害怕了，叫我怎么跟着你？”他答道：“我可怜下面痛苦之辈，因此表现在我脸上，你却以为我是害怕。我们走罢！路程很长，不容我们再拖延一刻。”说罢他走下去了，他叫我也走下去，于是我们到了围绕深渊的第一圈里。
在这里，没有抱怨声，只有叹息声，就是他摇撼了惨淡的空气，他是从一班男人，女人，孩子发出来的，这些灵魂虽然郁郁不乐，但也没有什么痛苦。
善良的老师对我说：“你想知道这些灵魂么？我愿意提前告诉你：他们并没有罪过，他们中间虽也有立过功劳的，但这还不够。因为他门没有受过洗礼，这一桩是达到你的信仰之门。他们因为生在那稣基督之前，尊敬上帝没有合乎正道；我自己也是其中之一。因为这一个缺点，并没有别种错处，我们就派在这里。我们唯一的痛苦是生活于愿望之中而又没有希望。”
我听了他的话，非常难过，因为我知道有许多特殊的人物，竞派在这个“候判所”，他们的升或沉还未能决定呢。我对于这种超于一切的信仰，怀着一点疑惑问道：“请你告诉我，我的老师！是否也有一种灵魂，依仗他自己的或别人的功劳，可以从这里升到天国去的么？”他明白我问话的意思了，他答道：“当我来此地不久的时候，有一个无上威权者光临，他戴着一切胜利的荣冠。他从这里救出：我们的始祖和他的儿子亚伯，挪亚，立法并且服法的摩西，族长亚们拉罕，国王大卫，以色列和他的孩子及拉结，为着她，他曾费了许多气力；还有其余许多，都升到天国享福了。此外就没有别的灵魂得救者，这也是我要告诉你的。”
我们边走边说，又经过一个树林，这树林里住满着各种幽灵。从我昏睡之地到这里还没有多么远，我看到火光照亮一个区域。我离着火光还有一段路程，虽然不太远，但是还难以辨别什么一种可敬的灵魂住在那里。我说：“你是尊敬各种科学和艺术的，请问你这些灵魂有什么光荣之处，可以和别的不幸者离开呢？”他回答道：“他们的高贵姓名，在地上简直无人不知，因此天上也给他们特别的恩惠。”
当时我听见一种声音：“尊敬的大诗人！他们出去的影子回来了。”在这个声音以后，又恢复了原来的寂静，一会，我看见四个大影子走上前来，看他们的面容，既不悲哀，也不欢乐。我善良的老师对我说：“请你注意走在其余三个的前面的那位拿着宝剑的，他就是诗国之王荷马；他后面的一个是讽刺诗人贺拉斯，第三个是奥维德，末了一个是卢卡努斯，他们客气得很，方才喊我大诗人，其实他们才应该受此称呼呢。”于是我看见诗国里高贵的一派，这一派的诗如飞鹰，凌驾一切。他们聚谈了一会，就转身向我表示敬意，我的老师站在旁边微笑。他门最尊敬我的一点就是把我也算在他们里面，因此我在这些哲人之中是第六个。我们走向火光。我们一路谈论，这些话不便写出来，只好保持沉默。
我们走到一个高贵的城堡前面，有七层高墙、周围有一条一眼见底的河流；我们如履平地一般走过去了，我陪着这些哲人走进七重门，到了一块青草地上。在那里有许多人，都是眼光平正，富有权威的神气；他们说话少得声调柔和。我们又走到一块高起的地方，因此我可以把他们看得清清楚楚。在我前面，绿油油的草地上，有许多英雄和伟人的灵魂都显现出来了。我能亲临盛会，心里感到非常光荣。我看见厄列克特拉和许多英雄，其中我认识赫克托尔和埃阿斯，还有穿军装的凯撒和他一双锐利的鹰眼。在另一边，我看见卡密拉和彭特希莱亚，又看见国王拉提努斯和他的女儿拉维尼亚坐在一起。我看见驱逐塔尔昆纽斯的布鲁罔斯，卢柯蕾齐兀优丽亚，玛尔齐亚和科尔奈丽亚；我看见萨拉丁孤独地站在另一处。我再抬头看得远些则看见一个大师坐在哲学家的队里：大家看着他，尊敬他；这里我看见苏格拉底和柏拉图，他二人最靠近大师；德模克里特、他说宇宙是偶然的结果；狄奥格尼斯，阿那克萨哥拉和泰利斯，恩沛多克勒斯，赫拉克利图，和芝诺；我又看见一个善于观察物性的，他就是狄奥斯科利德；我又看见奥尔甫斯，黎努斯，图留斯，和伦理家塞内加；几何家欧几里德和托勒密；希波革拉底、阿维森纳和嘉伦；大注释家阿威罗厄斯，我不能把这些人一一写出来，只能说一句”纸小事多”了。
于是我们的六人团分为两组；我和我的引路人走出这块清静之地，重到纷扰之场；离开有光之处，再入幽暗之境。
Of heavy thunder, that I shook myself,
As one by main force rous'd. Risen upright,
My rested eyes I mov'd around, and search'd
With fixed ken to know what place it was,
Wherein I stood. For certain on the brink
I found me of the lamentable vale,
The dread abyss, that joins a thund'rous sound
Of plaints innumerable. Dark and deep,
And thick with clouds o'erspread, mine eye in vain
Explor'd its bottom, nor could aught discern.
"Now let us to the blind world there beneath
Descend;" the bard began all pale of look:
"I go the first, and thou shalt follow next."
Then I his alter'd hue perceiving, thus:
"How may I speed, if thou yieldest to dread,
Who still art wont to comfort me in doubt?"
He then: "The anguish of that race below
With pity stains my cheek, which thou for fear
Mistakest. Let us on. Our length of way
Urges to haste." Onward, this said, he mov'd;
And ent'ring led me with him on the bounds
Of the first circle, that surrounds th' abyss.
Here, as mine ear could note, no plaint was heard
Except of sighs, that made th' eternal air
Tremble, not caus'd by tortures, but from grief
Felt by those multitudes, many and vast,
Of men, women, and infants. Then to me
The gentle guide: "Inquir'st thou not what spirits
Are these, which thou beholdest? Ere thou pass
Farther, I would thou know, that these of sin
Were blameless; and if aught they merited,
It profits not, since baptism was not theirs,
The portal to thy faith. If they before
The Gospel liv'd, they serv'd not God aright;
And among such am I. For these defects,
And for no other evil, we are lost;
"Only so far afflicted, that we live
Desiring without hope." So grief assail'd
My heart at hearing this, for well I knew
Suspended in that Limbo many a soul
Of mighty worth. "O tell me, sire rever'd!
Tell me, my master!" I began through wish
Of full assurance in that holy faith,
Which vanquishes all error; "say, did e'er
Any, or through his own or other's merit,
Come forth from thence, whom afterward was blest?"
Piercing the secret purport of my speech,
He answer'd: "I was new to that estate,
When I beheld a puissant one arrive
Amongst us, with victorious trophy crown'd.
He forth the shade of our first parent drew,
Abel his child, and Noah righteous man,
Of Moses lawgiver for faith approv'd,
Of patriarch Abraham, and David king,
Israel with his sire and with his sons,
Nor without Rachel whom so hard he won,
And others many more, whom he to bliss
Exalted. Before these, be thou assur'd,
No spirit of human kind was ever sav'd."
We, while he spake, ceas'd not our onward road,
Still passing through the wood; for so I name
Those spirits thick beset. We were not far
On this side from the summit, when I kenn'd
A flame, that o'er the darken'd hemisphere
Prevailing shin'd. Yet we a little space
Were distant, not so far but I in part
Discover'd, that a tribe in honour high
That place possess'd. "O thou, who every art
And science valu'st! who are these, that boast
Such honour, separate from all the rest?"
He answer'd: "The renown of their great names
That echoes through your world above, acquires
Favour in heaven, which holds them thus advanc'd."
Meantime a voice I heard: "Honour the bard
Sublime! his shade returns that left us late!"
No sooner ceas'd the sound, than I beheld
Four mighty spirits toward us bend their steps,
Of semblance neither sorrowful nor glad.
When thus my master kind began: "Mark him,
Who in his right hand bears that falchion keen,
The other three preceding, as their lord.
This is that Homer, of all bards supreme:
Flaccus the next in satire's vein excelling;
The third is Naso; Lucan is the last.
Because they all that appellation own,
With which the voice singly accosted me,
Honouring they greet me thus, and well they judge."
So I beheld united the bright school
Of him the monarch of sublimest song,
That o'er the others like an eagle soars.
When they together short discourse had held,
They turn'd to me, with salutation kind
Beck'ning me; at the which my master smil'd:
Nor was this all; but greater honour still
They gave me, for they made me of their tribe;
And I was sixth amid so learn'd a band.
Far as the luminous beacon on we pass'd
Speaking of matters, then befitting well
To speak, now fitter left untold. At foot
Of a magnificent castle we arriv'd,
Seven times with lofty walls begirt, and round
Defended by a pleasant stream. O'er this
As o'er dry land we pass'd. Next through seven gates
I with those sages enter'd, and we came
Into a mead with lively verdure fresh.
There dwelt a race, who slow their eyes around
Majestically mov'd, and in their port
Bore eminent authority; they spake
Seldom, but all their words were tuneful sweet.
We to one side retir'd, into a place
Open and bright and lofty, whence each one
Stood manifest to view. Incontinent
There on the green enamel of the plain
Were shown me the great spirits, by whose sight
I am exalted in my own esteem.
Electra there I saw accompanied
By many, among whom Hector I knew,
Anchises' pious son, and with hawk's eye
Caesar all arm'd, and by Camilla there
Penthesilea. On the other side
Old King Latinus, seated by his child
Lavinia, and that Brutus I beheld,
Who Tarquin chas'd, Lucretia, Cato's wife
Marcia, with Julia and Cornelia there;
And sole apart retir'd, the Soldan fierce.
Then when a little more I rais'd my brow,
I spied the master of the sapient throng,
Seated amid the philosophic train.
Him all admire, all pay him rev'rence due.
There Socrates and Plato both I mark'd,
Nearest to him in rank; Democritus,
Who sets the world at chance, Diogenes,
With Heraclitus, and Empedocles,
And Anaxagoras, and Thales sage,
Zeno, and Dioscorides well read
In nature's secret lore. Orpheus I mark'd
And Linus, Tully and moral Seneca,
Euclid and Ptolemy, Hippocrates,
Galenus, Avicen, and him who made
That commentary vast, Averroes.
Of all to speak at full were vain attempt;
For my wide theme so urges, that ofttimes
My words fall short of what bechanc'd. In two
The six associates part. Another way
My sage guide leads me, from that air serene,
Into a climate ever vex'd with storms:
And to a part I come where no light shines.