Dante finds himself in such dark, acrid smoke that he is reminded of the very inky desolations of Inferno. In fact, he has come to the darkest spot in all of COMEDY, the fiftieth canto of Dante's masterpiece.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we begin to explore the third terrace of Purgatory proper along with Dante and his guide, Virgil.

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

 

[01:35] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XVI, lines 1 - 24. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me, please scroll down this page.

[03:35] The fiftieth canto of COMEDY is the darkest canto of them all.

[05:24] Is the smoke of anger "contrapasso," as the punishments of hell were?

[08:41] Can Virgil see in the smoke?

[11:57] The line the penitents chant in unison is one of the oldest texts in the Mass.

[15:25] Dante well understands anger as a knot.

[19:27] Dante the poet shows an understanding of modern plot structure.

[21:02] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XVI, lines 1 - 24.

Here’s my English translation of Purgatorio, Canto XVI, Lines 1 – 24

The desolation of hell or of a night without

A single planet or star under an empty heaven

Which had been completely dimmed by clouds

 

Had never made such a big covering over my sight

As that smoke did when it wrapped us up there.

It felt like a thick cloth so abrasive

 

That it wouldn’t let me open my eyes.

That’s why my wise and trustworthy escort

Sidled up to me and lent me his shoulder.

 

Just as a blind man walks behind his guide

So that he won’t get lost or bash against something

That might harm him, or even kill him,

 

So I walked through that bitter and disgusting air,

Listening all the while to my leader as he kept saying,

“Be mindful that you don’t get pushed away from me.”

 

I sensed voices and each one seemed

To be praying for peace or mercy

From the lamb of God who lifts off our sins.

 

In fact, they kept singing the Angus Dei

In one voice and on one pitch

So that they appeared to be in perfect unison.

 

“Master, are these spirits that I hear?”

I said. And he [replied] to me, “You’ve learned the truth.

They make their way solving the knot of wrath.”