Canto XXXII of the purgatory
Adam, why have you betrayed?
You will be for a time, citizen of this celestial Brothel.
Tant'eran li occhi miei fissi e attenti a disbramarsi la decenne sete, che li altri sensi m'eran tutti spenti.
Ed essi quinci e quindi avien parete di non caler - così lo santo riso a sé traéli con l'antica rete! -;
quando per forza mi fu vòlto il viso ver' la sinistra mia da quelle dee, perch'io udi' da loro un «Troppo fiso!»;
e la disposizion ch'a veder èe ne li occhi pur testé dal sol percossi, sanza la vista alquanto esser mi fée.
RETURN TO THE PORTAL OF PURGATORY
Since all this time that my eyes had not seen the divine smile of Jeanne, I fixed her such as my other senses were blunded. To look at her, I was dazzled, like when one fixes the sun for a too long time, which deprived me temporarily, of my vision. It is then that my senses were thwarted by these goddesses, they said to me: "Do not fix your eyes to Jeanne that way, there is so much to see around." Then, my eyes were accustomed to the weak light, and thus, I saw the glorious army, turn on her right and move towards the sun and the seven flames which where blazing. Such a battalion which changes direction, the celestial militia turned as a whole; then the ladies returned towards the Griffon which took again its walk then, without one can see its feathers agitated. Dante, the lovely Lady and I, followed going around all beside the wheel of the chariot, and at the time when we crossed the stripped forest, because Eve had wanted to taste to there, to the fruit of Knowledge, an angelical concert was heard. Jeanne appeared then, as quickly as does an arrow drawn from the crossbow, I heard at the same time, all the others murmuring in unison: "Adam, why have you betrayed?" And they surrounded the tree with the stripped branches of its leaves. "Blessed would you be, Griffon, who gives back to the tree its taste of long ago", shouted the others. "It is needed thus, to preserve the bases of Justice." sang on its side, the Animal, attaching the chariot to a branch. The plant then took the color of Christ's blood, renewing then, her foliage, and the anthem which I heard then, I did not understood it, and I could not support it until the end. I could not say how I feld asleep, but suddenly, I was awaked by a cry of a great loudness: "Upright! what do you do?" Thus, I woke up and I saw, upright and close to me, the charitable lovely Lady who had led my steps along the river; and all disturbed, I asked: "Where is Jeanne?" She answered to me: "She is there under the new foliage; see this company which surrounds her; the others, following the Griffon, goes up towards heaven with a softer and profund song." I had in front of my eyes Whom who had torn me off any other concern. She was alone, sitting to the ground, as left there, to the surveillance of the chariot that I had seen attach the Animal with two forms. The seven Apsaras, in circle, made him like a cloister, holding in their hand these torches which fear neither the darkness nor the winds. "You will dwells little time here, in this forest; and with me, you will be for a time, citizen of this celestial Brothel. Also, to make some profit of it, those who sin, fixes now your eyes on the chariot and do what it is necessary to tell what you will see, when you will be back to earth." Jeanne spoke as such and me, who received her orders, devoted, I directed my glances and my spirit where she wanted it. Never cloud produces such an amount of lightning and rain, to break the bark and to tear the trees, and to strike the chariot which bends like a ship in distress. Then, I saw springing into the chariot, a delirious she-wolf, playing of her charms, that my lady put in flight at once. Then, I saw a winged witch sinking from the clouds on the chariot and to leave it covered of her charms. Then, I saw coming from among the wheels of the chariot, a dragon which inserted its drawn up tail and, in full erection in the chariot, it sprinkled it with his sperm. Thus transformed and desacralized, the saint reliquary covered itself in its angles, with beasts with horns, spitting fire, such as never one did see similar monsters. Sure of herself, like a fortress, appeared to me, sitting well high on the chariot, an all naked whore, playing of her eyes around her. Upright close to her, a giant was standing who took care that she would not be removed from him; on several occasions they fornicated one into the other. But because she turned towards me, her covetous and inconstant eyes, this wild lover whipped her from her feet to her head; then, full of jealousy and fool with anger, he detached the monster and trailed it so far in the forest, that I end up not being able to see neither of the whore nor of the monster.
Marco Polo ou le voyage imaginaire (La tragédie humaine, janvier 2000) © 1999 Jean-Pierre Lapointe
Theme musical: musique d'atmosphère (inner fury), empruntée aux Archives du Web.
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