第三十篇当尤诺女神怒恨着塞墨勒的时候，她不上一次成为祸忒拜的王族；阿塔玛斯病成了疯汉，他看见他的妻子抱着两个儿了走来他挡住叫道：“我们撤网吧，快把母狮子和小狮予捉住！”于是他张开他那无情的爪子，夺过一个名叫莱阿尔库斯的孩子，把他抛向在空中，再摔在一块石上；那时妈妈抱着另一个投海去了。又当那命运降级特洛亚人的骄傲，国王普利阿姆斯和土地同时消亡的时候，伤心的赫枯已成为可怜的俘虏，她见到波利塞娜被杀了，又在海滨的沙滩上发现了波利多鲁斯的尸首。于是她发疯了。和狗子一样地吠叫着，因为痛苦是如此的刺激着她的神精。但是忒拜的和待洛亚的疯狂者，都没有这里所见的残忍，因为他们既不咬禽兽，更不咬人体；这里我看见两个影子，苍白而裸体，他们跑着，遇见东西便咬，好像猪圈里放出来的饿猪一样。其中一个跑近卡彼乔，咬在他的脖颈上，因此把他弄倒在地，拖着去了。他的肚子在地上摩擦着。那时阿雷佐人吓得发抖，对我说：“这个恶鬼是简尼·斯基奇；他就这样的疯狂着，遇到他的就要受他的苦！”我对他说：“哦！在另他一个恶鬼还没有把他的牙齿插入你的身上，在他还没远去之前，请你把他的名字告诉我。”于是他又对我说：“这是卑鄙的密耳拉的灵魂，她抛弃了她正当的婚恋，做了她父亲的情人；她纵意奸淫的时候，她伪装为另一个女人。和前面那个一样，他假装做卜奥索，伪造了合法的遗嘱，得看那”家畜之后’。”
当那个疯狂的去了以后，我又掉转目光看着别的病人。我看见一个灵魂，如果把他肚子下面的两条腿截去，那末他的形状很像一个琵琶。这是一个生水膨胀病的，过量的水分使他的肢体失去比例，头和肚子大小不配套了；他的嘴唇合不拢、好像患痨瘵病的，口干得下唇垂向下巴，上唇朝着鼻子。他对我们说：“你们呀！没有刑罚到了这个黑暗的世界究竟是什么缘故，我就不知道，请注意亚当司务的不幸吧！在我活在世上的时候，我要什么就有什么；现在呢，唉！我盼望着有一滴清水呢。那条从卡森提诺地方绿葱葱的山谷里流出来的溪水，一直流入阿尔诺河里；溪水使两岸湿润而清凉，这种景色常常呈现在我眼前；这种幻象干枯了我的面孔，还甚于我的毛病呢。严厉的正义，他给我刑罚，他偶然又使我对于犯罪之地产生渴望。我在罗梅纳仿造那印着施洗者的伪币；因此我的肉体在世上被人焚燃了。但是我只要在这里能够看见可怜的圭多的灵魂，或是亚历山德罗的，或是他兄弟的，我情愿放弃那勃兰达泉。如果那转圈子的两个疯灵魂说的话是真的，那末其中的一个已经掉下沟了；可惜我这个瘫痪的不自由的身子不能行动！要是我用一个世纪的时间能够移动一寸，我早就上了路，虽然这条沟有十一里长、半里多宽，在这里在这些丑陋的灵魂中找他。我因为他们才堕落在这条沟里；他们叫我铸造弗罗林，每个搀杂着三钱的杂质。”
于是我又问他道：“躺在你右边的两个罪人是谁呢？他们身上冒着烟，好像冬天在热水里洗过的手。”他答道：“我堕落到这里的时候，他们已经到这里来了；从那个时候起，我始终没有看见过他们动弹过一次，我想他们是永远不会动弹的。一个是说谎欺诈的女人她诬告了约瑟。其他一个是发伪誓的西农，欺骗特洛亚人的希腊人。他们都生着寒热病，因此蒸发出一股浊气来。”其中一个听见他这些话，心里非常恼怒了，就往他肚子上打一拳，好像击鼓一般；亚当司务回击了一个巴掌，打得似乎也很重，对他说：“虽然我的下体笨重，不能行动，但是我的手臂还能适应我的需要呢。”那一个回答道：“你上火堆的时候就不能随便行动，你铸造钱币的时候就非常灵敏，”生臌胀病的说：“这桩事，你说的是实话，但是关于特洛亚的事情，你就不会说实话了。”西农说：“要是我说了假话，你也造了伪币；我到这里是因为一桩罪恶，而你的罪恶却比所有魔鬼的都要大些。”大肚子的说：“你还记得关于木马的伪誓么？你应得的刑罚，全宇宙无人不晓了！”希腊人说：”你的刑罚是口于得舌头裂开，污水使你的肚子膨胀到挡住你的眼睛！”那个时造伪币的说：“你张着的嘴是专门说坏话的。假如我是口渴肚胀。那末你也像火烧一般地发热，而且你的头痛难忍；请你舐那喀索斯的镜子，我想是用不着多说话的。”
我正注意听着他们对话，那时我的老师对我说：“你再多听一会儿，我便要和你争吵！”我一听见他恼怒的口气，我即转脸对着他，心里觉得十分惭愧，就是现在回想起来，仍然觉得惭愧呢。好像一个人梦见不快之事，不觉是梦，但是却希望他是梦，因此对于这个不快可以不再产生烦恼；我的心绪 也是如此希望刚才的事空梦一场，并非真有，自己因此可以得宽慰；可是我的想法并没有说出口，那时我的老师说：“小小的惭愧，可以清洗你较大的过失；所以你放下这个烦恼的担子吧。你应想到我是经常在你身边的，万一命运有一天把你再带到这样相互谩骂的人们前面，因为欢喜听这样的对话是一种低级趣味。”
For Semele against the Theban blood,
As more than once in dire mischance was rued,
Such fatal frenzy seiz'd on Athamas,
That he his spouse beholding with a babe
Laden on either arm, "Spread out," he cried,
"The meshes, that I take the lioness
And the young lions at the pass:" then forth
Stretch'd he his merciless talons, grasping one,
One helpless innocent, Learchus nam'd,
Whom swinging down he dash'd upon a rock,
And with her other burden self-destroy'd
The hapless mother plung'd: and when the pride
Of all-presuming Troy fell from its height,
By fortune overwhelm'd, and the old king
With his realm perish'd, then did Hecuba,
A wretch forlorn and captive, when she saw
Polyxena first slaughter'd, and her son,
Her Polydorus, on the wild sea-beach
Next met the mourner's view, then reft of sense
Did she run barking even as a dog;
Such mighty power had grief to wrench her soul.
Bet ne'er the Furies or of Thebes or Troy
With such fell cruelty were seen, their goads
Infixing in the limbs of man or beast,
As now two pale and naked ghost I saw
That gnarling wildly scamper'd, like the swine
Excluded from his stye. One reach'd Capocchio,
And in the neck-joint sticking deep his fangs,
Dragg'd him, that o'er the solid pavement rubb'd
His belly stretch'd out prone. The other shape,
He of Arezzo, there left trembling, spake;
"That sprite of air is Schicchi; in like mood
Of random mischief vent he still his spite."
To whom I answ'ring: "Oh! as thou dost hope,
The other may not flesh its jaws on thee,
Be patient to inform us, who it is,
Ere it speed hence."—"That is the ancient soul
Of wretched Myrrha," he replied, "who burn'd
With most unholy flame for her own sire,
"And a false shape assuming, so perform'd
The deed of sin; e'en as the other there,
That onward passes, dar'd to counterfeit
Donati's features, to feign'd testament
The seal affixing, that himself might gain,
For his own share, the lady of the herd."
When vanish'd the two furious shades, on whom
Mine eye was held, I turn'd it back to view
The other cursed spirits. One I saw
In fashion like a lute, had but the groin
Been sever'd, where it meets the forked part.
Swoln dropsy, disproportioning the limbs
With ill-converted moisture, that the paunch
Suits not the visage, open'd wide his lips
Gasping as in the hectic man for drought,
One towards the chin, the other upward curl'd.
"O ye, who in this world of misery,
Wherefore I know not, are exempt from pain,"
Thus he began, "attentively regard
Adamo's woe. When living, full supply
Ne'er lack'd me of what most I coveted;
One drop of water now, alas! I crave.
The rills, that glitter down the grassy slopes
Of Casentino, making fresh and soft
The banks whereby they glide to Arno's stream,
Stand ever in my view; and not in vain;
For more the pictur'd semblance dries me up,
Much more than the disease, which makes the flesh
Desert these shrivel'd cheeks. So from the place,
Where I transgress'd, stern justice urging me,
Takes means to quicken more my lab'ring sighs.
There is Romena, where I falsified
The metal with the Baptist's form imprest,
For which on earth I left my body burnt.
But if I here might see the sorrowing soul
Of Guido, Alessandro, or their brother,
For Branda's limpid spring I would not change
The welcome sight. One is e'en now within,
If truly the mad spirits tell, that round
Are wand'ring. But wherein besteads me that?
My limbs are fetter'd. Were I but so light,
That I each hundred years might move one inch,
I had set forth already on this path,
Seeking him out amidst the shapeless crew,
Although eleven miles it wind, not more
Than half of one across. They brought me down
Among this tribe; induc'd by them I stamp'd
The florens with three carats of alloy."
"Who are that abject pair," I next inquir'd,
"That closely bounding thee upon thy right
Lie smoking, like a band in winter steep'd
In the chill stream?"—"When to this gulf I dropt,"
He answer'd, "here I found them; since that hour
They have not turn'd, nor ever shall, I ween,
Till time hath run his course. One is that dame
The false accuser of the Hebrew youth;
Sinon the other, that false Greek from Troy.
Sharp fever drains the reeky moistness out,
In such a cloud upsteam'd." When that he heard,
One, gall'd perchance to be so darkly nam'd,
With clench'd hand smote him on the braced paunch,
That like a drum resounded: but forthwith
Adamo smote him on the face, the blow
Returning with his arm, that seem'd as hard.
"Though my o'erweighty limbs have ta'en from me
The power to move," said he, "I have an arm
At liberty for such employ." To whom
Was answer'd: "When thou wentest to the fire,
Thou hadst it not so ready at command,
Then readier when it coin'd th' impostor gold."
And thus the dropsied: "Ay, now speak'st thou true.
But there thou gav'st not such true testimony,
When thou wast question'd of the truth, at Troy."
"If I spake false, thou falsely stamp'dst the coin,"
Said Sinon; "I am here but for one fault,
And thou for more than any imp beside."
"Remember," he replied, "O perjur'd one,
The horse remember, that did teem with death,
And all the world be witness to thy guilt."
"To thine," return'd the Greek, "witness the thirst
Whence thy tongue cracks, witness the fluid mound,
Rear'd by thy belly up before thine eyes,
A mass corrupt." To whom the coiner thus:
"Thy mouth gapes wide as ever to let pass
Its evil saying. Me if thirst assails,
Yet I am stuff'd with moisture. Thou art parch'd,
Pains rack thy head, no urging would'st thou need
To make thee lap Narcissus' mirror up."
I was all fix'd to listen, when my guide
Admonish'd: "Now beware: a little more.
And I do quarrel with thee." I perceiv'd
How angrily he spake, and towards him turn'd
With shame so poignant, as remember'd yet
Confounds me. As a man that dreams of harm
Befall'n him, dreaming wishes it a dream,
And that which is, desires as if it were not,
Such then was I, who wanting power to speak
Wish'd to excuse myself, and all the while
Excus'd me, though unweeting that I did.
"More grievous fault than thine has been, less shame,"
My master cried, "might expiate. Therefore cast
All sorrow from thy soul; and if again
Chance bring thee, where like conference is held,
Think I am ever at thy side. To hear
Such wrangling is a joy for vulgar minds."