Dante's Hell, Fourth Canto Translation First Part,

Fourth canto (first part) The deep slumber was broken in my head By a strong thunder, so that I woke up As person forced to arouse from bed; My rested eye I moved around then deep, Erect uprisen, and also stared straight In order of the place a knowledge to buildup. It’s true that I was just in the side trait Of the deep valley in the sore abyss Where infinite troubles one has to wait. Obscure and foggy was certainly this So much that, having my face deeply stuck, Anything there my sight was bound to miss. “Now into the world blind straight down we chuck”, Started to tell the poet completely pale. “I will be first, and you second to duck”. And I, seeing his hue and its entail, Told him: ”How can I come if you just fear Being the one who supports when I quail?”. And he to me: “Of people the distress Lying down here, imprints then on my face The same compassion you feel due to stress. Now go, since we have a long way to trace”. So he moved and so pushed me to step in The first circle which starts the chasm to lace. Here, to extent of what you could listen, Never was heard so much crying which ails And made the eternal air quake and spin; This happened without any torment bales, Which had the crowds, many and large indeed, Of infants, of women and of males. The good master to me: “Do not you need To know which souls are these that you see? You must be aware, before you proceed, They did not sin; if have worth as a fee Is in vain, baptism they did not receive, Which is the door to faith that you agree; And if they lived before the Christ achieve, They did not properly adored to God: And to these I myself pertain and cleave. Due to this lack, and not for being sod, We are lost, and offended in a way That to a life with no hope we must nod”. Great grief then kept me when I heard his say, Because people of value very high Who I met in limbo compelled to stay. “Tell me, my master, you that underlie”, I started willing briefly to be sure On that faith with no error to rely: “Nobody came out of here, being pure Or with intercession, blessed became? And he understanding my say obscure, Answered: “Short after in this state I came, When I saw arriving a man with sway, Crowned with signs of victory and great fame. The soul of the first father took away, His son Abel and Noah could bring, And Mose’s loyal who gave the laws array; Abraham’s patriarch and David’s king, Israel with his father and his breed And with Rachel, which took under his wing, Many others, to be blessed agreed. And I want to let you know that, before, No human soul’s salvation had succeed”. While he was speaking we were walking more , But the wilderness we were going through, The wilderness, I mean, of souls hard core. Not very long the way we had to do Before night, when I saw a fire bright Which dark hemisphere was able to hue. We were still far more than a little bite But not much so I could partly discern The honorable people lying in that site. “You that raise science and art with concern, Who are these having honor just so great That a different mode deserve in turn?” And he to me: “The honored fame and trait Which sounds up there where really you live Mercy in heavens grows who pass them straight”. Meanwhile a voice I heard to me arrive: “Do honor to the poet which is at top; His soul comes back, next had to derive”. When that voice was calm and allayed to stop, I saw four big shades toward us to come: They did not show delight or of mood drop. The good master then started telling some: “Look well at the one holding that big sword, Who is by of three as a king become: That is Homer who all other poets scored; Horace the satirist is the other; Ovid the third, Lucan last of the board. Since all of them now welcomes me further According to the voice before I heard, They honor me, and then are good farther. So I saw the well worthy school conferred Of that lord in the most distinguished song Which over others flies as eagle bird. After they friendly reasoned enough long, They turned their heads to me sending a nod, And then my master smiled for that along; And they gave me honor even more broad, Since they made me member of their array, So I was sixth in all that wisdom laud. So then we moved toward the light our way, Speaking of things at best silent to keep, Like it was speaking where I had to stay. (continued next, not enough space)