第三十篇當尤諾女神怒恨着塞墨勒的時候，她不上一次成為禍忒拜的王族；阿塔瑪斯病成了瘋漢，他看見他的妻子抱着兩個兒了走來他擋住叫道：“我們撤網吧，快把母獅子和小獅予捉住！”於是他張開他那無情的爪子，奪過一個名叫萊阿爾庫斯的孩子，把他拋嚮在空中，再摔在一塊石上；那時媽媽抱着另一個投海去了。又當那命運降級特洛亞人的驕傲，國王普利阿姆斯和土地同時消亡的時候，傷心的赫枯已成為可憐的俘虜，她見到波利塞娜被殺了，又在海濱的沙灘上發現了波利多魯斯的屍首。於是她發瘋了。和狗子一樣地吠叫着，因為痛苦是如此的刺激着她的神精。但是忒拜的和待洛亞的瘋狂者，都沒有這裏所見的殘忍，因為他們既不咬禽獸，更不咬人體；這裏我看見兩個影子，蒼白而裸體，他們跑着，遇見東西便咬，好像豬圈裏放出來的餓豬一樣。其中一個跑近卡彼喬，咬在他的脖頸上，因此把他弄倒在地，拖着去了。他的肚子在地上摩擦着。那時阿雷佐人嚇得發抖，對我說：“這個惡鬼是簡尼·斯基奇；他就這樣的瘋狂着，遇到他的就要受他的苦！”我對他說：“哦！在另他一個惡鬼還沒有把他的牙齒插入你的身上，在他還沒遠去之前，請你把他的名字告訴我。”於是他又對我說：“這是卑鄙的密耳拉的靈魂，她拋棄了她正當的婚戀，做了她父親的情人；她縱意姦淫的時候，她偽裝為另一個女人。和前面那個一樣，他假裝做卜奧索，偽造了合法的遺囑，得看那”傢畜之後’。”
當那個瘋狂的去了以後，我又掉轉目光看着別的病人。我看見一個靈魂，如果把他肚子下面的兩條腿截去，那末他的形狀很像一個琵琶。這是一個生水膨脹病的，過量的水分使他的肢體失去比例，頭和肚子大小不配套了；他的嘴唇合不攏、好像患癆瘵病的，口幹得下唇垂嚮下巴，上唇朝着鼻子。他對我們說：“你們呀！沒有刑罰到了這個黑暗的世界究竟是什麽緣故，我就不知道，請註意亞當司務的不幸吧！在我活在世上的時候，我要什麽就有什麽；現在呢，唉！我盼望着有一滴清水呢。那條從卡森提諾地方緑蔥蔥的山𠔌裏流出來的溪水，一直流入阿爾諾河裏；溪水使兩岸濕潤而清涼，這種景色常常呈現在我眼前；這種幻象幹枯了我的面孔，還甚於我的毛病呢。嚴厲的正義，他給我刑罰，他偶然又使我對於犯罪之地産生渴望。我在羅梅納仿造那印着施洗者的偽幣；因此我的肉體在世上被人焚燃了。但是我衹要在這裏能夠看見可憐的圭多的靈魂，或是亞歷山德羅的，或是他兄弟的，我情願放棄那勃蘭達泉。如果那轉圈子的兩個瘋靈魂說的話是真的，那末其中的一個已經掉下溝了；可惜我這個癱瘓的不自由的身子不能行動！要是我用一個世紀的時間能夠移動一寸，我早就上了路，雖然這條溝有十一裏長、半裏多寬，在這裏在這些醜陋的靈魂中找他。我因為他們纔墮落在這條溝裏；他們叫我鑄造弗羅林，每個攙雜着三錢的雜質。”
於是我又問他道：“躺在你右邊的兩個罪人是誰呢？他們身上冒着煙，好像鼕天在熱水裏洗過的手。”他答道：“我墮落到這裏的時候，他們已經到這裏來了；從那個時候起，我始終沒有看見過他們動彈過一次，我想他們是永遠不會動彈的。一個是說謊欺詐的女人她誣告了約瑟。其他一個是發偽誓的西農，欺騙特洛亞人的希臘人。他們都生着寒熱病，因此蒸發出一股濁氣來。”其中一個聽見他這些話，心裏非常惱怒了，就往他肚子上打一拳，好像擊鼓一般；亞當司務回擊了一個巴掌，打得似乎也很重，對他說：“雖然我的下體笨重，不能行動，但是我的手臂還能適應我的需要呢。”那一個回答道：“你上火堆的時候就不能隨便行動，你鑄造錢幣的時候就非常靈敏，”生臌脹病的說：“這樁事，你說的是實話，但是關於特洛亞的事情，你就不會說實話了。”西農說：“要是我說了假話，你也造了偽幣；我到這裏是因為一樁罪惡，而你的罪惡卻比所有魔鬼的都要大些。”大肚子的說：“你還記得關於木馬的偽誓麽？你應得的刑罰，全宇宙無人不曉了！”希臘人說：”你的刑罰是口於得舌頭裂開，污水使你的肚子膨脹到擋住你的眼睛！”那個時造偽幣的說：“你張着的嘴是專門說壞話的。假如我是口渴肚脹。那末你也像火燒一般地發熱，而且你的頭痛難忍；請你舐那喀索斯的鏡子，我想是用不着多說話的。”
我正註意聽着他們對話，那時我的老師對我說：“你再多聽一會兒，我便要和你爭吵！”我一聽見他惱怒的口氣，我即轉臉對着他，心裏覺得十分慚愧，就是現在回想起來，仍然覺得慚愧呢。好像一個人夢見不快之事，不覺是夢，但是卻希望他是夢，因此對於這個不快可以不再産生煩惱；我的心緒 也是如此希望剛纔的事空夢一場，並非真有，自己因此可以得寬慰；可是我的想法並沒有說出口，那時我的老師說：“小小的慚愧，可以清洗你較大的過失；所以你放下這個煩惱的擔子吧。你應想到我是經常在你身邊的，萬一命運有一天把你再帶到這樣相互謾駡的人們前面，因為歡喜聽這樣的對話是一種低級趣味。”
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."