第三十二篇假如我有粗厉的诗韵，好像比较适合描写那受各圈压迫的可怕深洞，也表示我思想的精髓可以更加完美。可是我没有这种诗韵，所以我叙述他的时候未免有点发愁，因为描写全宇宙之底，这件工作并非玩耍儿，也不是叫爸爸妈妈的舌头可以担当得起的；但是，那些帮助安菲翁筑成忒拜城的女神可以助成我的诗篇，所以我的文字也许不至于离开事实。
你们呀，最卑贱的罪人，住在这个难于描述的地方，就是在世上转生成猪狗，也比你们在这里好些呢！
当我们在幽暗的井底，站在比巨人的脚踏处还要低的地方，我正仰望着四周的高墙，我听见有人对我说：“当心你的脚步！不要踏了可怜的兄弟们的头颅！”我掉转头来，在我前面的脚下我看见一个湖，里面不是水，却是玻璃一样的冰。就是奥地利的多瑙河，或是顿河，在严寒的冬天，他们那里的冰都没有此地所见的厚。因为，假如坦贝尔尼契山或庇埃特拉帕纳山落在上面。也下会使他破裂，那里痛苦的灵魂都淹在冰里。一直没淹到因羞耻而发红的面颊。他们的面色发青，他们的牙齿打着寒颤，声音像鹤叫一般；这种景象，和农妇梦着收获时候的青蛙，身子没在水里，嘴露在外面阁阁地叫，没有两样。他们的头低着，看他们的嘴，证明他们的寒冷；看他们的眼睛，证明他们心里的悲哀。
那时我在脚底四周看了一下，看见有两个罪人，他们的头发紧贴着，分不出你的我的。我问道：“胸膛紧贴看的两位，告诉我，你们是谁？”于是他们仰起头来望着我，我看见他们泪水盈眶的泪珠涌出睫毛外面，并不等淌下来，立即结冰，把两眼封锁；就是铁钉钉本片也没有这样坚固。于是两个罪人都愤怒了，像山羊一般，额角抵住额角，死不放松。
另外有一个灵魂，他的两耳已经冻掉了，他的面孔也向着下面，他对我说：”为什么你这样看着我们？假使你要知道这两个是谁。他们的父亲阿尔贝尔托和他们自己都占踞过毕森乔河流过的山谷。他们本是同根所生；你找遍该隐环，也找不出一个比他们更值得固定在胶质里面的，他们不是那个被亚瑟王一手刺穿胸膛和影子的；不是浮卡洽；也不是遮挡我眼光的这一个，他叫做马斯凯洛尼，假使你是托斯卡那人，你一定很知道他的。要是你不再需要我多说，请你记住我是卡密施庸，我等着卡尔利诺来和我较量呢，”
稍后，我看见那里千百个面孔，都冻得发青，我一想到这个冰湖，全身就像给冰水浇了，接连打着寒战。
我们向着重物所趋的地的中心走，在永远的寒气中发抖，这是意志呢，是偶然呢，是命运呢？我都不知道。我走在许多头颅之间，我的脚忽然踢着一个头颅，踢得很重。这个灵魂哭起来了，叫道：“你为什么踢我？假使你不是来报复蒙塔培尔蒂的仇，那末你为什么这样践蹈我呢？”那时我说：“老师！请你在此地等一等罢，这个灵魂引起我的怀疑了；以后你叫我走得无论多快都可以。”我的老师停住了；我对那个还在怒骂的灵魂说：“你是谁，这样地骂人？”他答道：”那末你是谁？走过安特诺尔环，踢了别人的头颅，就是活人的脚也没有这么重！”我答道：“我本来就是活人，假使你要扬名，现在可是极好的机会，因为我可以把你的名字记下来，再传到世间呢。”他对我说：“我所希望的正和这个相反！滚蛋罢，你不要再烦恼我了，因为你实在不会安抚冰湖里面的居民呀！”于是我抓住他后脑袋上的头发，对他说：“你非说出你的名字不可，不说你就不要想在脑袋上留一根毛！”他答道：”就是拔得精光，我也不告诉你我是谁；就是你践踏我一千下，我的面孔也不仰起来给你看见。”我已经把他的头发绕在手上，已经拔去了一撮头发，于是他像狗一样地叫着，可是仍旧低着头；当时另有个灵魂叫道：“你添了什么痛苦，鲍卡？你的牙齿和牙齿还敲得不够么？何必再学狗叫呢！什么魔鬼招惹了你？”我说：“现在我用不着你说了，可诅咒的卖国贼；说着你的真情况，这就是你的耻辱！”他答道：“你滚蛋罢！你欢喜怎样说，就怎样说；但是你走出此地的时候，不要丢下这个饶舌的。他在这里哭泣法国人给他的银子呢；你可以这样说：“他是杜埃拉，我看见他和一群罪入站在冰潭里面。’如若有人问起别的灵魂，你看在你旁边的是贝凯利亚，他的喉咙是被佛罗伦萨人割断的。我想，再远一些就是索尔达利，甘尼伦，还有泰己尔戴罗，他在人家熟睡的时候就把法恩察的城门开了。”
我们离开他，走了几步路，看见两个冻灵魂放在一个洞里，他们靠得这样紧，一个的头做了另一个的风帽；在上的一个把牙齿插入另一个的后脑袋，好像饿鬼咬面包一样，从前提德乌斯狂怒着咬梅纳利普斯的太阳穴，不异于他咬那头颅和那连带的部分。我说：“你呀！看你这样残酷的样子，就可以证明你对于这个被咬者的忿恨，请你告诉我这是什么缘故？假使你仇视他有理由，那末你使我知道你们的名字和他的罪恶，我可以到世上去替你宣扬，只要我对你说话的舌头不烂掉。”
That hole of sorrow, o'er which ev'ry rock
His firm abutment rears, then might the vein
Of fancy rise full springing: but not mine
Such measures, and with falt'ring awe I touch
The mighty theme; for to describe the depth
Of all the universe, is no emprize
To jest with, and demands a tongue not us'd
To infant babbling. But let them assist
My song, the tuneful maidens, by whose aid
Amphion wall'd in Thebes, so with the truth
My speech shall best accord. Oh ill-starr'd folk,
Beyond all others wretched! who abide
In such a mansion, as scarce thought finds words
To speak of, better had ye here on earth
Been flocks or mountain goats. As down we stood
In the dark pit beneath the giants' feet,
But lower far than they, and I did gaze
Still on the lofty battlement, a voice
Bespoke me thus: "Look how thou walkest. Take
Good heed, thy soles do tread not on the heads
Of thy poor brethren." Thereupon I turn'd,
And saw before and underneath my feet
A lake, whose frozen surface liker seem'd
To glass than water. Not so thick a veil
In winter e'er hath Austrian Danube spread
O'er his still course, nor Tanais far remote
Under the chilling sky. Roll'd o'er that mass
Had Tabernich or Pietrapana fall'n,
Not e'en its rim had creak'd. As peeps the frog
Croaking above the wave, what time in dreams
The village gleaner oft pursues her toil,
So, to where modest shame appears, thus low
Blue pinch'd and shrin'd in ice the spirits stood,
Moving their teeth in shrill note like the stork.
His face each downward held; their mouth the cold,
Their eyes express'd the dolour of their heart.
A space I look'd around, then at my feet
Saw two so strictly join'd, that of their head
The very hairs were mingled. "Tell me ye,
Whose bosoms thus together press," said I,
"Who are ye?" At that sound their necks they bent,
And when their looks were lifted up to me,
Straightway their eyes, before all moist within,
Distill'd upon their lips, and the frost bound
The tears betwixt those orbs and held them there.
Plank unto plank hath never cramp clos'd up
So stoutly. Whence like two enraged goats
They clash'd together; them such fury seiz'd.
And one, from whom the cold both ears had reft,
Exclaim'd, still looking downward: "Why on us
Dost speculate so long? If thou wouldst know
Who are these two, the valley, whence his wave
Bisenzio slopes, did for its master own
Their sire Alberto, and next him themselves.
They from one body issued; and throughout
Caina thou mayst search, nor find a shade
More worthy in congealment to be fix'd,
Not him, whose breast and shadow Arthur's land
At that one blow dissever'd, not Focaccia,
No not this spirit, whose o'erjutting head
Obstructs my onward view: he bore the name
Of Mascheroni: Tuscan if thou be,
Well knowest who he was: and to cut short
All further question, in my form behold
What once was Camiccione. I await
Carlino here my kinsman, whose deep guilt
Shall wash out mine." A thousand visages
Then mark'd I, which the keen and eager cold
Had shap'd into a doggish grin; whence creeps
A shiv'ring horror o'er me, at the thought
Of those frore shallows. While we journey'd on
Toward the middle, at whose point unites
All heavy substance, and I trembling went
Through that eternal chillness, I know not
If will it were or destiny, or chance,
But, passing 'midst the heads, my foot did strike
With violent blow against the face of one.
"Wherefore dost bruise me?" weeping, he exclaim'd,
"Unless thy errand be some fresh revenge
For Montaperto, wherefore troublest me?"
I thus: "Instructor, now await me here,
That I through him may rid me of my doubt.
Thenceforth what haste thou wilt." The teacher paus'd,
And to that shade I spake, who bitterly
Still curs'd me in his wrath. "What art thou, speak,
That railest thus on others?" He replied:
"Now who art thou, that smiting others' cheeks
Through Antenora roamest, with such force
As were past suff'rance, wert thou living still?"
"And I am living, to thy joy perchance,"
Was my reply, "if fame be dear to thee,
That with the rest I may thy name enrol."
"The contrary of what I covet most,"
Said he, "thou tender'st: hence; nor vex me more.
Ill knowest thou to flatter in this vale."
Then seizing on his hinder scalp, I cried:
"Name thee, or not a hair shall tarry here."
"Rend all away," he answer'd, "yet for that
I will not tell nor show thee who I am,
Though at my head thou pluck a thousand times."
Now I had grasp'd his tresses, and stript off
More than one tuft, he barking, with his eyes
Drawn in and downward, when another cried,
"What ails thee, Bocca? Sound not loud enough
Thy chatt'ring teeth, but thou must bark outright?
"What devil wrings thee?"—"Now," said I, "be dumb,
Accursed traitor! to thy shame of thee
True tidings will I bear."—"Off," he replied,
"Tell what thou list; but as thou escape from hence
To speak of him whose tongue hath been so glib,
Forget not: here he wails the Frenchman's gold.
'Him of Duera,' thou canst say, 'I mark'd,
Where the starv'd sinners pine.' If thou be ask'd
What other shade was with them, at thy side
Is Beccaria, whose red gorge distain'd
The biting axe of Florence. Farther on,
If I misdeem not, Soldanieri bides,
With Ganellon, and Tribaldello, him
Who op'd Faenza when the people slept."
We now had left him, passing on our way,
When I beheld two spirits by the ice
Pent in one hollow, that the head of one
Was cowl unto the other; and as bread
Is raven'd up through hunger, th' uppermost
Did so apply his fangs to th' other's brain,
Where the spine joins it. Not more furiously
On Menalippus' temples Tydeus gnaw'd,
Than on that skull and on its garbage he.
"O thou who show'st so beastly sign of hate
'Gainst him thou prey'st on, let me hear," said I
"The cause, on such condition, that if right
Warrant thy grievance, knowing who ye are,
And what the colour of his sinning was,
I may repay thee in the world above,
If that, wherewith I speak be moist so long."