We're nearing the bottom of the eighth circle of hell, the fundamentals of fraud--where we're treated to an insult contest between Master Adam and Sinon, the Greek who lied to the Trojans and got them to let in the wooden horse.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we walk with the (silent!) pilgrim Dante and his mentor, (the even more silent!) Virgil, through the circles of hell and the "malebolge" of fraud. We're nearing the end of our infernal journey. And we're about to get some very low-class comedy in COMEDY.

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

[01:48] My English translation of the passage: INFERNO, Canto XXX, lines 104 - 129. If you'd like to read along or drop a comment, please go to my website, markscarbrough.com.

[04:21] Where is the pilgrim Dante?

[06:28] How is this passage funny?

[12:41] The insults are a "progression" of degradation.

[15:06] What's so important about Narcissus?

[16:38] Why is twinning central to this concept of fraud?

[21:14] Dante may be commenting on some of the poetry of his youth: the tenzone  with Forese Donati.

[25:48] Is Dante being nostalgic or critical of his tenzone? Or is it even more complicated than that?

[28:07] Why should we complicate this passage so much?

[29:38] Rereading the entire "second act" with Master Adam: INFERNO, Canto XXX, lines 91 - 129.

And here’s my English translation of Inferno, Canto XXX, Lines 104 – 129

 

And Master Adam turned to smack that guy in the face

With his arm, which seemed about as hard as the other guy’s fist,

 

And said to him, “Even though I weigh so much

That the range of motion in my limbs is almost nil,

I still have an arm supple enough for just this sort of work.”

 

Whereupon the other replied, “When you were on your way

To the fire, it certainly couldn’t move so quickly.

But it could do that and much more when you were counterfeiting.”

 

And the guy with dropsy: “You speak the truth,

Although you were sure a lousy witness

When they quizzed you about the truth at Troy.”

 

“If I spoke falsely, you falsified coins,”

Sinon said, “I’m down here because of a single fault,

Whereas your faults are more than any demon’s!”

 

“Liar, keep the horse in mind!”

Replied the one with the swollen belly.

“May you be tormented because the whole world knows about it!”

 

“And may you be tormented by the thirst that cracks your tongue!”

The Greek said. “And may you be plagued by the fetid water

That blows up your stomach to hedge in your view!”

 

Then the money minter: “As always, your mouth

Gapes open because of your disease.

If I’m parched and bloated with my humors,

 

“You’re burning up and have a pounding headache.

To lick the mirror of Narcissus,

You wouldn’t need an invitation with very many words!”