第七篇诗人和索尔戴罗拥抱了三四次，以表示尊敬和快乐的深情，之后索尔戴罗退后一步说：“阁下尊姓大名？”我的向导答道：“在灵魂们值得上升天国被引向此山以前，我的骸骨是屋大维埋葬的。我是维吉尔，但并非有罪过而失去天国的公民权，只因为那时我没有信仰。”如同一个人，突然有一个使人惊奇的东西在他前面，他是“信”也不好，“不信”也不好，“是”既不好，“不是”也不好：这就是索尔戴罗听了维吉尔这番话以后的态度。不久，他俯头看着地上，上前一步，屈身去抱住维吉尔的膝。他说：“拉丁人的光荣呀！因为你，我们的语言显示了他充分的能力，这是我故国永久的荣誉！你能站在我的面前，我深感荣幸呀！假使我值得听你的话，请告诉我：你是从地狱里来，还是从别的地方来？”
诗人答道：“我经过苦恼国度的各处，才到了此地；是天上的圣女差我来的，一路上也多蒙了她的保护。并非因为我做了什么，恰是因为我没有做什么善事，我才丧失了你所企望的太阳，因为我知道这真理已迟了。在那下面有一处所在，那里令人忧郁，但并非只有痛苦。只因为那里黑暗，那里并没有受刑的喊叫，只有深深地叹息。我本来住在那里。伴着一群无重罪的婴儿。他们都是在洗去人类污点之前就给死神带了去的。我就住在那，陪着一媲未受三种圣德所庄严的灵魂，但是他们一无过失，也知道其他的美德，并且都实行过”话说回来，如果你知道，你能够，请你指点我们如何最快地到达净界真正的入口罢！”
索尔戴罗说：“我们并不受指定地点的约束，我们可以继续攀登，也可以围绕着山走。尽我们所能到达的任何地方，我愿意做你的向导。可是天色渐晚。夜间是不能上升的，我们应找一个合意的宿处。我们左近，有一班灵魂；如果你许可，我带你到那里去，认认这些灵魂，不是没有趣味的。”维吉尔问道：“怎么？假使有人愿意在夜间攀登，会有人来阻止么？或者我们没有具备夜间上升的能力么？”
好人索尔戴罗用手指在地上画了一条，说：“你看？这不过是一条线，但是日落以后你便不能越过。并非有什么阻碍物来反抗你，只是因为夜间的黑暗；黑暗能使我们的意志丧失作用。太阳被囚于地平线下的时候，虽然黑暗，也不妨我们能下降于幽谷，或逡巡于山侧。”那时我的老师惊奇的说：“就请引我们到那有趣的宿处罢！”
如此我们走了不太远的路，看见那山腹处一个缺口，就象我门这里的小山谷。孛尔带罗的那灵魂说：“那里是我们要去的地方；那里的山腹凹了进去，我们就在那等候明天的光临。”
我们走在一条曲折的，既不崎岖，也不平坦的小径上，直到那山谷的入口，那儿围绕山谷外的高岗削低了一半。白银和黄金，铅粉和丹砂，青靛的光亮，新破的碧玉，假使把这些物品都放在那山谷里。也会被那里花草的颜色所淹没，变得暗淡，好比渺小遇见了伟大。那里自然界不仅散布着斑阑的颜色而且有不少于千样的香气混合叫人分不出来。我望见有群灵魂，坐在那里的花草上，唱着“圣母呀我礼拜你！”他们在山谷纵深里面，在山谷外面是望不见的。
带领我们的曼图亚人于是说：“在太阳的余光匿藏之前，请我们不必走到这些灵魂的中间；就从这上高处望下去可以辨别他们的姿势和面貌，比我们混在他们中间时看得清楚些。
“那高高地坐着的，好像某种事情应当做而没有做的神态，闭着嘴，不跟着别人唱的，是鲁道夫皇帝，他能够医好意大利的病根，但是他却迟迟不去办，看来有待于别人去复兴她了。另外一位，似乎在那里安慰他，他统治的是摩尔达瓦河流入于易北河易北河义流入于海的地区。他名叫奥托卡尔，在他襁褓的时候就胜过他有须的儿子瓦茨拉夫，他的儿子只会奢侈和逸乐所。
“那位塌鼻子的和那一位面貌和善的，似乎在那里认真亲密的商议；前面一位因败北逃走而死，他使百合花褪了颜色，看，他捶自己的胸膛呢；后面的一位，用手托着下巴，只会叹息。这两位是在法兰西闯了祸的父亲和岳父；别人和自己都知道他们的卑污和邪行，因而刺激他们，使他们伤心到这般地步。
“那位身体很结实的和一位大鼻子在合唱。他缠着一切美德的带子；假使那位坐在他后面的少年还承继着他的王位，即些美德就象由这杯注入那杯，绝不会丧失的，而其他的嗣子便谈不到了。贾科莫和斐德利哥都有土地，但没有继承其它更好的东两。
“人类的好的品质是难得传及支脉的；而人苟欲之，则天将予之，在人之白求而已。那位大鼻子的，以及和他合唱的彼得罗，我的话都可以应验。普利亚和普洛旺斯的人民都在悲泣了。植物经常会较次于他由生的种子；廉斯但斯若却感到她的丈夫比贝雅特丽齐和玛格丽特的犹高一筹。再看那位生活朴素的国王。独坐着一角，他是英国的亨利；他有较好的丫枝。
“再后面一些，其中一位眼睛向上看的是侯爵圭利埃尔莫，因为他的缘故，业历山大里亚和他的战士使蒙菲拉托、卡那维塞流了许多眼泪。”
Sev'n times exchang'd, Sordello backward drew
Exclaiming, "Who are ye?" "Before this mount
By spirits worthy of ascent to God
Was sought, my bones had by Octavius' care
Been buried. I am Virgil, for no sin
Depriv'd of heav'n, except for lack of faith."
So answer'd him in few my gentle guide.
As one, who aught before him suddenly
Beholding, whence his wonder riseth, cries
"It is yet is not," wav'ring in belief;
Such he appear'd; then downward bent his eyes,
And drawing near with reverential step,
Caught him, where of mean estate might clasp
His lord. "Glory of Latium!" he exclaim'd,
"In whom our tongue its utmost power display'd!
Boast of my honor'd birth-place! what desert
Of mine, what favour rather undeserv'd,
Shows thee to me? If I to hear that voice
Am worthy, say if from below thou com'st
And from what cloister's pale?"—"Through every orb
Of that sad region," he reply'd, "thus far
Am I arriv'd, by heav'nly influence led
And with such aid I come. There is a place
There underneath, not made by torments sad,
But by dun shades alone; where mourning's voice
Sounds not of anguish sharp, but breathes in sighs."
There I with little innocents abide,
Who by death's fangs were bitten, ere exempt
From human taint. There I with those abide,
Who the three holy virtues put not on,
But understood the rest, and without blame
Follow'd them all. But if thou know'st and canst,
Direct us, how we soonest may arrive,
Where Purgatory its true beginning takes."
He answer'd thus: "We have no certain place
Assign'd us: upwards I may go or round,
Far as I can, I join thee for thy guide.
But thou beholdest now how day declines:
And upwards to proceed by night, our power
Excels: therefore it may be well to choose
A place of pleasant sojourn. To the right
Some spirits sit apart retir'd. If thou
Consentest, I to these will lead thy steps:
And thou wilt know them, not without delight."
"How chances this?" was answer'd; "who so wish'd
To ascend by night, would he be thence debarr'd
By other, or through his own weakness fail?"
The good Sordello then, along the ground
Trailing his finger, spoke: "Only this line
Thou shalt not overpass, soon as the sun
Hath disappear'd; not that aught else impedes
Thy going upwards, save the shades of night.
These with the wont of power perplex the will.
With them thou haply mightst return beneath,
Or to and fro around the mountain's side
Wander, while day is in the horizon shut."
My master straight, as wond'ring at his speech,
Exclaim'd: "Then lead us quickly, where thou sayst,
That, while we stay, we may enjoy delight."
A little space we were remov'd from thence,
When I perceiv'd the mountain hollow'd out.
Ev'n as large valleys hollow'd out on earth,
"That way," the' escorting spirit cried, "we go,
Where in a bosom the high bank recedes:
And thou await renewal of the day."
Betwixt the steep and plain a crooked path
Led us traverse into the ridge's side,
Where more than half the sloping edge expires.
Refulgent gold, and silver thrice refin'd,
And scarlet grain and ceruse, Indian wood
Of lucid dye serene, fresh emeralds
But newly broken, by the herbs and flowers
Plac'd in that fair recess, in color all
Had been surpass'd, as great surpasses less.
Nor nature only there lavish'd her hues,
But of the sweetness of a thousand smells
A rare and undistinguish'd fragrance made.
"Salve Regina," on the grass and flowers
Here chanting I beheld those spirits sit
Who not beyond the valley could be seen.
"Before the west'ring sun sink to his bed,"
Began the Mantuan, who our steps had turn'd,
"'Mid those desires not that I lead ye on.
For from this eminence ye shall discern
Better the acts and visages of all,
Than in the nether vale among them mix'd.
He, who sits high above the rest, and seems
To have neglected that he should have done,
And to the others' song moves not his lip,
The Emperor Rodolph call, who might have heal'd
The wounds whereof fair Italy hath died,
So that by others she revives but slowly,
He, who with kindly visage comforts him,
Sway'd in that country, where the water springs,
That Moldaw's river to the Elbe, and Elbe
Rolls to the ocean: Ottocar his name:
Who in his swaddling clothes was of more worth
Than Winceslaus his son, a bearded man,
Pamper'd with rank luxuriousness and ease.
And that one with the nose depress, who close
In counsel seems with him of gentle look,
Flying expir'd, with'ring the lily's flower.
Look there how he doth knock against his breast!
The other ye behold, who for his cheek
Makes of one hand a couch, with frequent sighs.
They are the father and the father-in-law
Of Gallia's bane: his vicious life they know
And foul; thence comes the grief that rends them thus.
"He, so robust of limb, who measure keeps
In song, with him of feature prominent,
With ev'ry virtue bore his girdle brac'd.
And if that stripling who behinds him sits,
King after him had liv'd, his virtue then
From vessel to like vessel had been pour'd;
Which may not of the other heirs be said.
By James and Frederick his realms are held;
Neither the better heritage obtains.
Rarely into the branches of the tree
Doth human worth mount up; and so ordains
He who bestows it, that as his free gift
It may be call'd. To Charles my words apply
No less than to his brother in the song;
Which Pouille and Provence now with grief confess.
So much that plant degenerates from its seed,
As more than Beatrice and Margaret
Costanza still boasts of her valorous spouse.
"Behold the king of simple life and plain,
Harry of England, sitting there alone:
He through his branches better issue spreads.
"That one, who on the ground beneath the rest
Sits lowest, yet his gaze directs aloft,
Us William, that brave Marquis, for whose cause
The deed of Alexandria and his war
Makes Conferrat and Canavese weep."