So much more dear and pleasing is to God
My little widow, whom so much I loved,
As in good works she is the more alone;
For the Barbagia of Sardinia

By far more modest in its women is

Than the Barbagia I have left her in.

O brother sweet, what wilt thou have me say?
A future time is in my sight already,

To which this hour will not be very old,
When from the pulpit shall be interdicted

To the unblushing womankind of Florence

Το go about displaying breast and paps.

What savages were e'er, what Saracens,

Who stood in need, to make them covered

Of spiritual or other discipline?

But if the shameless women were assured

go,

Of what swift Heaven prepares for them, already Wide open would they have their mouths to howl; For if my foresight here deceive me not,

They shall be sad ere he has bearded cheeks
Who now is hushed to sleep with lullaby.

O brother, now no longer hide thee from me;
See that not only I, but all these people

Are gazing there, where thou dost veil the sun.'

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Whence I to him: "If thou bring back to mind

What thou with me hast been and I with thee,
The present memory will be grievous still.
Out of that life he turned me back who goes

In front of me, two days agone when round
The sister of him yonder showed herself,"
And to the sun I pointed. "Through the deep

Night of the truly dead has this one led me,
With this true flesh, that follows after him.

Thence his encouragements have led me up,

Ascending and still circling round the mount

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That you doth straighten, whom the world made

He says that he will bear me company,

[crooked.

Till I shall be where Beatrice will be;

There it behoves me to remain without him.

This is Virgilius, who thus says to me,"

And him I pointed at; "the other is

That shade for whom just now shook every slope

Your realm, that from itself discharges him."

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CANTO XXIV.

NOR speech the going, nor the going that

Slackened; but talking we went bravely on,
Even as a vessel urged by a good wind.
And shadows, that appeared things doubly dead,
From out the sepulchres of their eyes betrayed
Wonder at me, aware that I was living.

And I, continuing my colloquy,

Said: "Peradventure he goes up more slowly

Than he would do, for other people's sake. But tell me, if thou knowest, where is Piccarda;

Tell me if any one of note I see

Among this folk that gazes at me so."

"My sister, who, 'twixt beautiful and good,

I know not which was more, triumphs rejoicing
Already in her crown on high Olympus."

So said he first, and then: "'T is not forbidden

To name each other here, so milked away

Is our resemblance by our dieting.

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This," pointing with his finger, "is Buonagiunta,
Buonagiunta of Lucca; and that face

Beyond him there, more peaked than the others,

Has held the holy Church within his arms;

From Tours was he, and purges by his fasting

Bolsena's eels and the Vernaccia wine."

He named me many others one by one;

And all contented seemed at being named,

So that for this I saw not one dark look.

I saw for hunger bite the empty air

Ubaldin dalla Pila, and Boniface,

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Who with his crook had pastured many people.

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I saw Messer Marchese, who had leisure.

Once at Forlì for drinking with less dryness,
And he was one who ne'er felt satisfied.
But as he does who scans, and then doth prize
One more than others, did I him of Lucca,
Who seemed to take most cognizance of me.

He murmured, and I know not what Gentucca
From that place heard I, where he felt the wound
Of justice, that doth macerate them so.

"O soul," I said, "that seemest so desirous

To speak with me, do so that I may hear thee,
And with thy speech appease thyself and me."

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"A maid is born, and wears not yet the veil,"
Began he, "who to thee shall pleasant make
My city, howsoever men may blame it.
Thou shalt go on thy way with this prevision;

If by my murmuring thou hast been deceived,
True things hereafter will declare it to thee.
But say if him I here behold, who forth

Evoked the new-invented rhymes, beginning,
Ladies, that have intelligence of love?"
And I to him: "One am I, who, whenever

Love doth inspire me, note, and in that measure
Which he within me dictates, singing go."

"O brother, now I see," he said, "the knot
Which me, the Notary, and Guittone held
Short of the sweet new style that now I hear.

I do perceive full clearly how your pens

Go closely following after him who dictates,
Which with our own forsooth came not to pass;

And he who sets himself to go beyond,

No difference sees from one style to another";
And as if satisfied, he held his peace.

Even as the birds, that winter tow'rds the Nile,
Sometimes into a phalanx form themselves,
Then fly in greater haste, and go in file;

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