第二十三篇沉静地，孤独地，没有人护送，我们走在堤岸上，一个走在前，一个跟在后，好像两个小兄弟长途跋涉一样。看了刚才的争斗，使我想到伊索的寓言，就是关于青蛙和老鼠那一篇；如果我们从事情的开头至末尾仔细地比较一下，那末他们相同之处就很明显了。这一个思想，又联想起另外一个，使我觉得比以前更加的恐怖。我心里这样想：“他们这场祸是因为我们而产生的、他们一定恼羞成怒了；他们本有的恶意，再加上他们现在的愤怒，他们一定要追赶我们，会像狗咬兔子一样残忍。”我想到这里，每根汗毛都竖了起来，立即转过头去一望，我说：“老师，我们赶快躲起来，我害怕马拉勃朗卡呢。他们已经在我们后面追赶了，我似乎听见他们的声音了！”他对我说：“我好似一面镜子，照看你的外像，还不如照看你的内像来得快。你的想法正和我的想法一致，我已经想好了一个办法。假如我们能够从这堤岸下降到右边的沟里去，那末你所看到的追赶就可以避免了……”
他的话还没有说完，我已经看见那魔鬼们张翼追来；距离很近了，他们的目标是捉住我们。我的引路人突然抱着我，好似一位母亲为爆炸的声音惊醒，睁眼看见烈火就燃烧在她的旁边，她也来不及穿好一件衣服，就抱着她的孩于飞跑，关心孩子的生命胜过她自己的；这时我的引路人就是这样，他抱着我，从坚硬的堤岸上，背贴着岩石，一直滑降到第六条沟里。那冲转磨坊水车的急流，也没有我的老师这时滑降得这样快。他把我抱在他怀里，像是他的儿子，而不像他的伴侣。他的脚尖正触到了沟底，那些魔鬼已经来到我们的头上，但是他们下不来，我们不必害怕了；因为无上威权者的布置就是如此，魔鬼们管理第五条沟，其他是不准过问的。
在这里，我们看见一群穿着彩色衣的人，他们脚步十分迟顿的向前走着，一路哭着，看他们的样子已是疲乏不堪了。他们披着一口钟、帽子盖到眼晴，和克吕尼的僧服差不多。他们的衣帽，外面涂着金，光彩耀眼；但是内质是用铅制的，十分笨重，假如与腓特烈所做的进行比较，那末他的就像是草做的一样了。这样笨重的衣帽，永久地负在身上，是多么劳苦呀！
我们走向左边，和他们同方向行进，观察着他们的痛苦；但是沉重的负担压迫着这些灵魂，他们走得很慢，我们一个一个地超过了他们，一会儿又相遇了，马上又落在我们后面了。那时我对我的引路人说：“看看是否我们可以知道其中几个人的名字和行为；我们一边走着，一边注视着。”其中有一个懂托斯卡那语的，在我们后面叫道：“请你们停步，你们在昏暗的天气中怎么跑得这样快；你们想知道的，我可以告诉你们。”因此我的引路人掉转头来对我说：“一会吧，以后再陪伴着他们慢慢地走。”我站定了，看见两个人，脸上显出急于要赶上我们的神气，但是他们身上笨重的衣帽和狭窄的道路使他们无法赶快。他们赶上了；他们眼睛斜视着我们，一言不发，于是他们两个谈心了：“从他嘴唇的动作来看，这一个似乎还是活人；假如他们是死了，他们怎么会有不负着重物的特权呢？”
这时他们对我说：”托斯卡那人呀！你光临可怜的伪君子队伍里。可能不至于不屑告诉我们你是谁吧。”我回答他们道：“在那美丽的阿尔诺河边上，在那大城之中，我生长在其中；我的肉身从没有离开过我。但是，你们是谁呢？你们这样痛苦，眼泪流淌在面孔上。这样光亮的刑具是为了什么？”其中一个回答我道：”我们闪金光的斗篷用铅制成，铅是这么厚，重到要压断秤杆。我们两个是欢喜教友，是波伦亚人；我叫做卡塔拉诺，他叫做罗戴林格；我们两个给你的城里请去维护和平的人，向例有一个沉稳的人就够了；我们做的事在加尔丁格附近现在还看得见呢。”
我开始说：”教友们呀！你们的罪恶……”但是我不往下说了，因为我看见一个罪人躺在地上，成一十字架形，用三根本桩钉着。当他看见我的时候，他扭转他的身体，从他胡须里的口中叹了一口气；于是那教友对我说：“你所看见的罪人他曾经劝告法利赛人为民众而牺牲了一个人。他赤裸着身体横在路上，这你是看见的；我们从他的身上踏过，使他知道我们每个人的重量；他的岳父也在这条沟里领受同样的刑罚，还有其他会议人，这个会议是犹太人遭难的源头。”
当时我看见维吉尔对于那成十字形躺着的罪人表示十分惊奇；后来他对那教友说：“我请你告诉我一件事情，如果可能的话，是否有什么方法，不去请求那黑色的魔鬼，就可以越过这条沟呢？”他马上回答道：“就在前面不远，出乎意料之外，有一块石头，它从那高高的石壁起，经过每条残酷的沟，不过到这条沟上的却是断了。假如你们能爬上那倒在沟底的断石，你们就可以越过这条沟，爬上那面的堤岸了。”我的引路人站住了，低头想了一下，于是说：“那里拿铁耙子的恶人，给了我们一条错路！”那教友又说：“我在波伦亚曾经听见人说起魔鬼的罪恶，其中之一就是撒谎，他们是说谎的老祖宗。”
于是我的引路人大步向前走了，他似乎面上露出了恼怒；我也离开那些负重的灵魂，跟着他可爱的脚迹走去了。
One first, the other following his steps,
As minor friars journeying on their road.
The present fray had turn'd my thoughts to muse
Upon old Aesop's fable, where he told
What fate unto the mouse and frog befell.
For language hath not sounds more like in sense,
Than are these chances, if the origin
And end of each be heedfully compar'd.
And as one thought bursts from another forth,
So afterward from that another sprang,
Which added doubly to my former fear.
For thus I reason'd: "These through us have been
So foil'd, with loss and mock'ry so complete,
As needs must sting them sore. If anger then
Be to their evil will conjoin'd, more fell
They shall pursue us, than the savage hound
Snatches the leveret, panting 'twixt his jaws."
Already I perceiv'd my hair stand all
On end with terror, and look'd eager back.
"Teacher," I thus began, "if speedily
Thyself and me thou hide not, much I dread
Those evil talons. Even now behind
They urge us: quick imagination works
So forcibly, that I already feel them."
He answer'd: "Were I form'd of leaded glass,
I should not sooner draw unto myself
Thy outward image, than I now imprint
That from within. This moment came thy thoughts
Presented before mine, with similar act
And count'nance similar, so that from both
I one design have fram'd. If the right coast
Incline so much, that we may thence descend
Into the other chasm, we shall escape
Secure from this imagined pursuit."
He had not spoke his purpose to the end,
When I from far beheld them with spread wings
Approach to take us. Suddenly my guide
Caught me, ev'n as a mother that from sleep
Is by the noise arous'd, and near her sees
The climbing fires, who snatches up her babe
And flies ne'er pausing, careful more of him
Than of herself, that but a single vest
Clings round her limbs. Down from the jutting beach
Supine he cast him, to that pendent rock,
Which closes on one part the other chasm.
Never ran water with such hurrying pace
Adown the tube to turn a landmill's wheel,
When nearest it approaches to the spokes,
As then along that edge my master ran,
Carrying me in his bosom, as a child,
Not a companion. Scarcely had his feet
Reach'd to the lowest of the bed beneath,
When over us the steep they reach'd; but fear
In him was none; for that high Providence,
Which plac'd them ministers of the fifth foss,
Power of departing thence took from them all.
There in the depth we saw a painted tribe,
Who pac'd with tardy steps around, and wept,
Faint in appearance and o'ercome with toil.
Caps had they on, with hoods, that fell low down
Before their eyes, in fashion like to those
Worn by the monks in Cologne. Their outside
Was overlaid with gold, dazzling to view,
But leaden all within, and of such weight,
That Frederick's compar'd to these were straw.
Oh, everlasting wearisome attire!
We yet once more with them together turn'd
To leftward, on their dismal moan intent.
But by the weight oppress'd, so slowly came
The fainting people, that our company
Was chang'd at every movement of the step.
Whence I my guide address'd: "See that thou find
Some spirit, whose name may by his deeds be known,
And to that end look round thee as thou go'st."
Then one, who understood the Tuscan voice,
Cried after us aloud: "Hold in your feet,
Ye who so swiftly speed through the dusk air.
Perchance from me thou shalt obtain thy wish."
Whereat my leader, turning, me bespake:
"Pause, and then onward at their pace proceed."
I staid, and saw two Spirits in whose look
Impatient eagerness of mind was mark'd
To overtake me; but the load they bare
And narrow path retarded their approach.
Soon as arriv'd, they with an eye askance
Perus'd me, but spake not: then turning each
To other thus conferring said: "This one
Seems, by the action of his throat, alive.
And, be they dead, what privilege allows
They walk unmantled by the cumbrous stole?"
Then thus to me: "Tuscan, who visitest
The college of the mourning hypocrites,
Disdain not to instruct us who thou art."
"By Arno's pleasant stream," I thus replied,
"In the great city I was bred and grew,
And wear the body I have ever worn.
but who are ye, from whom such mighty grief,
As now I witness, courseth down your cheeks?
What torment breaks forth in this bitter woe?"
"Our bonnets gleaming bright with orange hue,"
One of them answer'd, "are so leaden gross,
That with their weight they make the balances
To crack beneath them. Joyous friars we were,
Bologna's natives, Catalano I,
He Loderingo nam'd, and by thy land
Together taken, as men used to take
A single and indifferent arbiter,
To reconcile their strifes. How there we sped,
Gardingo's vicinage can best declare."
"O friars!" I began, "your miseries—"
But there brake off, for one had caught my eye,
Fix'd to a cross with three stakes on the ground:
He, when he saw me, writh'd himself, throughout
Distorted, ruffling with deep sighs his beard.
And Catalano, who thereof was 'ware,
Thus spake: "That pierced spirit, whom intent
Thou view'st, was he who gave the Pharisees
Counsel, that it were fitting for one man
To suffer for the people. He doth lie
Transverse; nor any passes, but him first
Behoves make feeling trial how each weighs.
In straits like this along the foss are plac'd
The father of his consort, and the rest
Partakers in that council, seed of ill
And sorrow to the Jews." I noted then,
How Virgil gaz'd with wonder upon him,
Thus abjectly extended on the cross
In banishment eternal. To the friar
He next his words address'd: "We pray ye tell,
If so be lawful, whether on our right
Lies any opening in the rock, whereby
We both may issue hence, without constraint
On the dark angels, that compell'd they come
To lead us from this depth." He thus replied:
"Nearer than thou dost hope, there is a rock
From the next circle moving, which o'ersteps
Each vale of horror, save that here his cope
Is shatter'd. By the ruin ye may mount:
For on the side it slants, and most the height
Rises below." With head bent down awhile
My leader stood, then spake: "He warn'd us ill,
Who yonder hangs the sinners on his hook."
To whom the friar: "At Bologna erst
I many vices of the devil heard,
Among the rest was said, 'He is a liar,
And the father of lies!'" When he had spoke,
My leader with large strides proceeded on,
Somewhat disturb'd with anger in his look.
I therefore left the spirits heavy laden,
And following, his beloved footsteps mark'd.