Canto X of Hell
image Gustave Doré

The burrying-ground of the fanatics.
The valley of Josaphat.

Ora sen va per un secreto calle, tra 'l muro de la terra e li martěri, lo mio maestro, e io dopo le spalle. «O virtů somma, che per li empi giri mi volvi», cominciai, «com'a te piace, parlami, e sodisfammi a' miei disiri. La gente che per li sepolcri giace potrebbesi veder? giŕ son levati tutt'i coperchi, e nessun guardia face». E quelli a me: «Tutti saran serrati quando di Iosafŕt qui torneranno coi corpi che lŕ sů hanno lasciati.


RETURN TO THE PORTAL OF HELL


Now, my Master goes away by a hidden path, between the walls of the city and the tombs of the torture victims, and I walk behind him. "Ô sublimates virtue which leads me by the impious circles, speaks and satisfies my desires as it will please you! Could we see the people who are sleepint in the burials? All the lids are already raised and nobody makes the watch." He answered to me: "All will be closed when they return here from the valley of Josaphat, with their bodies, they left up there. Here is the cemetery of those of which the soul dies with their body, and there, those whose soul will not be the same anymore, because they believe that after their death, it disperses in a universal soul; isn't what you believe my dear Marco?" While I was thinking, I heard some words coming from one of the tombs: "He, who goes by the city of fire, still breathing talking with such elegance an other language than mine, please come closed by. Your language make me understand, you come from this country which is my home, and that, you seem so cruel for her. Are you also Red and from my party?" "I hear, by your accent, that you are from the other people but of the same country as mine. Galganov you are, undoubtedly, badly loved and perfidious character; know that I am neither red nor blue but of any party neither of yours nor that of my people, and, although my criticisms are sour towards my people, tell yourself although, that this does not mean in any way that I thus make a choice between their way and yours. I punish them as much as I like them. And I would not like you to believe that you would be preserved from my punishment if I was one of yours." And he answered to me: "But as true as you will return in the mild world, tell me: why your people is always so cruel to my people in each of its laws?" Then I answered to him: "Do not believe that my people are the only ones who uses of partiality in their laws towards the other people, as much as I know, if you open your eyes you would see that it is the same for your people. But since you detain the power, you perceive as a break of freedom coming from the weak, what you consider, on behalf of your people, who is strong, as a gift of civilization towards the weakest. Thus, you will understand why I could not be on your side nor on the side of my people because I am not of any camp which limit freedom but of all civilizations. I could not say for yourself, the reason why your people acts like he does, but I can say the reason why my people acts as follows: The defeat which coloured in red the humus of this battle field, always furnish the canticle of his prayers; and rather then face the future and give wings to himself, fear of freedom, becomes the political reason that guides him; the party of the blues who tells him he will lead him to freedom, only thinks of cutting down his wings. One can help people to choose between one and the other option and if one cannot use the art of persuasion, go as far as predict the catastrophe, hope for the catastrophe and even provoke the catastroph to influence the opinion and be able to say: "I told you so" if the catastrophe had suddenly occurred. But the only freedom in which we should believe is that of the Individuality, the other which privileges the people is only a soft prison." And already my Master called me back; also I praid this spirit, in great haste, to tell me who where his companions. He answered to me: "With almost a thousand of us, I am lying here: Richter, Libman, Johnson, Mattew Coon Come and alls, they are all here, suburbians and many others; and from where you cam from, I am telling it to you "off record", the day of revenge is near by and that "warriors" are training since the birth of this colony, ready for any Golf War that we Anglos decide to Be." He then disappeared; and me, I directed my steps towards the poet, while thinking to these words which appeared to me like annoying omens. And I thought that I should have avoided this meeting, and stay with my loneliness. My Master started walking; and while going, he says to me: "Do not be so anxious of dramas which only relate to the living beings. When you will be in front of the soft glance of Whom, whose beautiful eyes can see everything, you will be able to learn from Her, the complete journey of your life." After which he directed our steps towards the left; we left the walls and we penetrated in the middle, by a path that leads to a valley which, until up there, was inclined and tired much more than the Spirit.



Marco Polo ou le voyage imaginaire (La tragédie humaine, janvier 2000) © 1999 Jean-Pierre Lapointe
Theme musical: la Vierge de Messiaen, emprunté aux Classical Midi Archives.
Important Notice: any photos or fragments of photos subject to copyright will be removed on notice.


CANTO XI OF HELL