Our nameless barrator has a plan for escape. He's been maimed by the demons but he's not finished yet!

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we settle into high-stakes gamesmanship in the fifth of the malebolge (or "evil pouches) in the huge landscape of the eighth circle of INFERNO, the hell of fraud. Things are getting tricky. For this political grifter. For Dante and Virgil. For the demons. And even for the reader.

Here are the segments of this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[01:44] My English translation of Inferno, Canto XXII, lines 94 - 117. If you'd like to read along, just scroll down this page.

[03:44] The vulgarity of demons.

[05:33] Clearly, Dante speaks a Tuscan dialect--and Virgil, a Lombardy dialect!

[08:54] Our nameless grifter tells the truth so he can tell a lie (or play a trick).

[11:22]            "Vendetta"--a big word in the passage because a big word throughout INFERNO.

[12:32] The doubts and overconfidence of the demons--which are like the doubts and overconfidence of Dante-the-pilgrim and Virgil in Canto XXI. Inversions and parallels galore!

[17:48] Dante-the-poet uses dramatic irony--to good effect or poor effect?

And here is my English translation of Inferno, Canto XXII, Lines 94 – 117

 The head honcho turned to Butterfly-Imp,

Who was rolling his eyes up in his head for a strike,

And said, “Get back in line, you filthy little bird!”

 

The quaking sinner started up again:

“If you’d really like to see and hear from

Some Tuscans or Lombards, I can make them get over here.

 

“Just make these Evil Claws stand a little to the side,

So the guys won’t be terrorized by the demons holding onto their vendettas.

Then I, sitting at this very spot,

 

“I’m just the one who can make seven of them come

When I whistle. That’s how we do it

When any of us gets out of the pitch for a bit.”

 

At this, Bad-Ass Dog raised his snout

And shook his head, saying, “What a base trick

He’s thought up just so he can dive back in.”

 

Then the guy, who was full-stocked with big plans,

Replied, “I’d have to be the basest of the base

If I brought more suffering on one of my own.”

 

Harlequin couldn’t hold back and, as opposed to the other demons,

Said to the guy, “If you take the dive,

I won’t just come at you at a full gallop—

 

“I’ll beat my wings to get over the pitch.

Let’s pull back from the cliff’s edge to conceal ourselves behind the bank

And we’ll see if all by yourself you’re any match for our might.”