第十二篇我們預備下降之處是崎嶇險惡的山岩，那裏占踞的怪獸又使人不敢註視。
山石由於地震，或由於重壓；從山頂起，亂石殘岩奔突而下，或留於卡山，或直達平地，好比從特蘭托下瀉的山崩，直趨阿迪傑河濱，因此壁立的山崖成為略可上下的山路；
在山路之口，剋裏特島上污穢的怪獸橫躺在那裏，他是一條假母牛生的；他像一個心中懷着忿怒的人一樣，見了我們，他就咬自己的肉。我聰明的引路人喊道：“你以為雅典的公民在地上處死你的人到了麽？你錯了，滾開些！現在來者並非受了你姊姊的教訓，他不過走來看看你們所受的刑罰罷了。”好比受了打擊而拉斷繩索的公牛，一時不知道往那兒跑，衹在那裏亂跳；我看見米諾濤爾聽了這幾句話以後也是這樣。勇敢的詩人嚮我叫道：“快些走過去罷！當他正在狂怒的時候，這是下降的好機會了。”於是我們從那裏急忙走下，因為我特別笨重，我腳下所踏的石頭都不時滑動。
我一邊走一邊想着；維吉爾對我說：“或者你是想着這個怪獸管理的山坡罷？我要告訴你，我從前到過這裏，那時山岩還沒有坍下去。但是，假使我記得清楚，在他到地獄最上一圈裏來提取光榮的靈魂以前不久，所有這裏的山𠔌都震動着，似乎可以使人相信宇宙覺着愛的時候，我們又要墮入混沌這句話；因此，當時這裏和別處的古崖舊岩都倒下去了。現在請你看看山腳下的血溝吧，在那裏面正煮着用暴力傷人的幽靈呢。”
唉，盲目的貪欲！唉，愚蠢的忿怒！在短促的人生，他煽動着我們，到後來卻永遠地使我們受着酷刑！
當時我依着我引路人的指示，看見一條弧形的寬闊的，占滿了全平面。在山腳和血溝之間，有許多馬身人相的怪物，在那裏結隊跑着，他們都帶着弓箭，和他們在地面上打獵的光景一樣。他們看見我們走下山坡，都站定了，隨後有三個從隊伍裏走出來，瞄準着他們的箭頭，其中有一個遠遠地叫道：“你們從山坡走下來的，站住，說說你們犯了何罪？否則，我要放箭了。”我的老師說：“我們要和你們的頭子奇隆說話，不必回答你；真可憐，你總是這樣躁急的性子。”於是他觸着我說：“這一個是索斯，他曾因美人得伊阿尼拉而死，他自己又為自己報了仇；在中間的一個，他看着自己的胸膛，他就是大奇隆，他曾養育阿基琉斯；其他一個為福羅斯，他是那樣的怒着。在溝的四周，他們共有幾千，都拿着弓箭；如果溝裏有一個犯人，不依照應有的尺寸沒入河面，他們就要射他。”我們走近這些跑得極快的怪獸；奇隆拿他的箭尾，撥開他的鬍須，嚮左右分披；於是露出他的大嘴，對他的同伴說：“你們看見後面那一個，他的腳踩着了東西，那東西就要移動麽？死人的腳沒有這樣的力量。”我善良的引路人已經站在奇隆的胸前，那裏是兩種自然結合之處，他回答道：“不錯，他是活人，我擔任引導他經歷幽𠔌的職務；他為需要所迫，不得不如此，並不是來玩的。她離開她的贊美歌，來給我新使命；他既不是強盜，我也不是賊魂。因為她的力量，我才能夠走到這種昏暗之地。現在要請你助成此行，藉你同伴的背脊，使他渡過這條血溝，因為他不是能夠在空中來去的精靈，”於是奇隆轉嚮右邊，對索斯說：“你去引導他們罷；假使逢着別的幽靈，你叫他們站開。不要來阻攔。”
我們跟着這個引導人，走在紫水的邊上，在水裏面受煮的喊叫得真可憐。我看見其中有幾個沒到眉毛；那個馬身人面的怪物悅：“這些都是殺人劫財的暴君，現在都在這裏忍氣吞聲：這裏是亞歷山大；這裏是殘暴的狄奧尼西奧斯，他使西西裏有多年的悲哀；還有那個黑色頭髮的是阿佐利諾；黃色頭髮的是奧庇佐，他實在是被他的不幸子殺死的。”於是我轉嚮詩人望了一眼，他對我說：“現在他是第一個引路人，我是第二個。”
再走下去一段路，那怪物停在一群幽靈之前。他們的頭都露在血水上面，那血水似乎還冒着煙氣呢。他指着一個孤立在一處的幽靈說：“這一個，當着上帝的面，刺了一個心。這一個心如今還在泰晤十河上受人傢的敬禮呢。”於是我看見許多有頭露在外面的，有胸膛露在外面的，其中為我認識的也不少。血水的深度漸見減低，直到僅沒腳面，我們就從那裏渡過了血溝。那時馬身人面的怪物說：“你看這個沸水，嚮這一邊逐漸變，嚮那一邊逐漸變深，直到暴君受刑之處，那裏是最深的了。這一邊神的正義施刑給阿提拉，他在世上是一條鞭子；此外有皮魯慚有賽剋斯圖斯，還有科爾奈托和帕佐，他們都因在大路上和旅客們廝殺而被罰，在這沸着的溝中終古流淚。”
我們到了彼岸，那怪物仍從血水淺處回去了。
We came, was rough as Alp, and on its verge
Such object lay, as every eye would shun.
As is that ruin, which Adice's stream
On this side Trento struck, should'ring the wave,
Or loos'd by earthquake or for lack of prop;
For from the mountain's summit, whence it mov'd
To the low level, so the headlong rock
Is shiver'd, that some passage it might give
To him who from above would pass; e'en such
Into the chasm was that descent: and there
At point of the disparted ridge lay stretch'd
The infamy of Crete, detested brood
Of the feign'd heifer: and at sight of us
It gnaw'd itself, as one with rage distract.
To him my guide exclaim'd: "Perchance thou deem'st
The King of Athens here, who, in the world
Above, thy death contriv'd. Monster! avaunt!
He comes not tutor'd by thy sister's art,
But to behold your torments is he come."
Like to a bull, that with impetuous spring
Darts, at the moment when the fatal blow
Hath struck him, but unable to proceed
Plunges on either side; so saw I plunge
The Minotaur; whereat the sage exclaim'd:
"Run to the passage! while he storms, 't is well
That thou descend." Thus down our road we took
Through those dilapidated crags, that oft
Mov'd underneath my feet, to weight like theirs
Unus'd. I pond'ring went, and thus he spake:
"Perhaps thy thoughts are of this ruin'd steep,
Guarded by the brute violence, which I
Have vanquish'd now. Know then, that when I erst
Hither descended to the nether hell,
This rock was not yet fallen. But past doubt
(If well I mark) not long ere He arrived,
Who carried off from Dis the mighty spoil
Of the highest circle, then through all its bounds
Such trembling seiz'd the deep concave and foul,
I thought the universe was thrill'd with love,
Whereby, there are who deem, the world hath oft
Been into chaos turn'd: and in that point,
Here, and elsewhere, that old rock toppled down.
But fix thine eyes beneath: the river of blood
Approaches, in the which all those are steep'd,
Who have by violence injur'd." O blind lust!
O foolish wrath! who so dost goad us on
In the brief life, and in the eternal then
Thus miserably o'erwhelm us. I beheld
An ample foss, that in a bow was bent,
As circling all the plain; for so my guide
Had told. Between it and the rampart's base
On trail ran Centaurs, with keen arrows arm'd,
As to the chase they on the earth were wont.
At seeing us descend they each one stood;
And issuing from the troop, three sped with bows
And missile weapons chosen first; of whom
One cried from far: "Say to what pain ye come
Condemn'd, who down this steep have journied? Speak
From whence ye stand, or else the bow I draw."
To whom my guide: "Our answer shall be made
To Chiron, there, when nearer him we come.
Ill was thy mind, thus ever quick and rash."
Then me he touch'd, and spake: "Nessus is this,
Who for the fair Deianira died,
And wrought himself revenge for his own fate.
He in the midst, that on his breast looks down,
Is the great Chiron who Achilles nurs'd;
That other Pholus, prone to wrath." Around
The foss these go by thousands, aiming shafts
At whatsoever spirit dares emerge
From out the blood, more than his guilt allows.
We to those beasts, that rapid strode along,
Drew near, when Chiron took an arrow forth,
And with the notch push'd back his shaggy beard
To the cheek-bone, then his great mouth to view
Exposing, to his fellows thus exclaim'd:
"Are ye aware, that he who comes behind
Moves what he touches? The feet of the dead
Are not so wont." My trusty guide, who now
Stood near his breast, where the two natures join,
Thus made reply: "He is indeed alive,
And solitary so must needs by me
Be shown the gloomy vale, thereto induc'd
By strict necessity, not by delight.
She left her joyful harpings in the sky,
Who this new office to my care consign'd.
He is no robber, no dark spirit I.
But by that virtue, which empowers my step
To treat so wild a path, grant us, I pray,
One of thy band, whom we may trust secure,
Who to the ford may lead us, and convey
Across, him mounted on his back; for he
Is not a spirit that may walk the air."
Then on his right breast turning, Chiron thus
To Nessus spake: "Return, and be their guide.
And if ye chance to cross another troop,
Command them keep aloof." Onward we mov'd,
The faithful escort by our side, along
The border of the crimson-seething flood,
Whence from those steep'd within loud shrieks arose.
Some there I mark'd, as high as to their brow
Immers'd, of whom the mighty Centaur thus:
"These are the souls of tyrants, who were given
To blood and rapine. Here they wail aloud
Their merciless wrongs. Here Alexander dwells,
And Dionysius fell, who many a year
Of woe wrought for fair Sicily. That brow
Whereon the hair so jetty clust'ring hangs,
Is Azzolino; that with flaxen locks
Obizzo' of Este, in the world destroy'd
By his foul step-son." To the bard rever'd
I turned me round, and thus he spake; "Let him
Be to thee now first leader, me but next
To him in rank." Then farther on a space
The Centaur paus'd, near some, who at the throat
Were extant from the wave; and showing us
A spirit by itself apart retir'd,
Exclaim'd: "He in God's bosom smote the heart,
Which yet is honour'd on the bank of Thames."
A race I next espied, who held the head,
And even all the bust above the stream.
'Midst these I many a face remember'd well.
Thus shallow more and more the blood became,
So that at last it but imbru'd the feet;
And there our passage lay athwart the foss.
"As ever on this side the boiling wave
Thou seest diminishing," the Centaur said,
"So on the other, be thou well assur'd,
It lower still and lower sinks its bed,
Till in that part it reuniting join,
Where 't is the lot of tyranny to mourn.
There Heav'n's stern justice lays chastising hand
On Attila, who was the scourge of earth,
On Sextus, and on Pyrrhus, and extracts
Tears ever by the seething flood unlock'd
From the Rinieri, of Corneto this,
Pazzo the other nam'd, who fill'd the ways
With violence and war." This said, he turn'd,
And quitting us, alone repass'd the ford.