PURGATORIO, Episode 124. Greeting The Wrathful And Slowly Changing COMEDY Itself: PURGATORIO, Canto XVI, Lines 25 - 51

Wrapped in the dark, acrid smoke, Dante encounters one of the angry penitents and one of the most seminal figures in COMEDY, here at almost the exact center of the entire poem.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we work through the pilgrim's flatteries, the penitent's abrupt nature, and the questions of beauty that begin to dominate COMEDY itself.

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

[02:10] My English translation of the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XVI, lines 25 - 51. If you'd like to read along or continue the discussion with me, please scroll down this page.

[04:35] Is Marco still angry? Abrupt? What his deal with cutting and segmenting?

[08:21] Virgil is all about the destination in a canticle all about process.

[10:31] Dante the pilgrim is becoming the wonder of the poem. And he's beginning to connect beauty with ethics.

[14:57] At first, Marco probably is walking toward (not with) Dante and Virgil.

[17:19] Dante's answer to Marco seems to indicate that he now is indeed Aeneas and Paul (as opposed to how he felt in INFERNO, Canto II).

[21:20] The erratic plotting of PURGATORIO positions this canticle between INFERNO and PARADISO.

[25:05] Who is Marco of Lombardy? And is that even his name?

[27:06] Marco of Lombardy is connected to Ulysses (from INFERNO, Canto XXVI).

[29:28] Marco asks Dante the pilgrim to pray for him, a distinct change from those who've come before.

[31:14] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XVI, lines 25 - 51.

And here’s my English translation of Purgatorio, Canto XVI, Lines 25 – 51

“Now who are you who cut through our smoke

And speak about us exactly as if you still

Segmented time by the calendar?”

So said one of the voices.

At that, my master said to me, “Reply

And ask if one can head up this way.”

And I [said], “O created thing, cleaning yourself

To go back beautiful to the one who made you,

You’ll hear some wonders, if you follow me.”

He replied: “I’ll follow you as far as I’m allowed.

If the smoke doesn’t let us see each other,

Hearing will hold us together in its own way.”

So I began, “In the infant wrappings

That death unwinds, I’m headed up.

I’ve already come through hellish wretchedness.

“And since God has wrapped me up in his grace,

And [since] he wills that I will see his court

In a manner that’s beyond any modern custom,

“Do not conceal from me what you were before you died.

In other words, tell me [that]. And tell me if I’m headed correctly to the intersection.

Your words will become our escort.”

“I was a Lombard and I was called Marco.

I knew all about the world and I loved the sort of valor

Which everyone has now unstrung from the bow.

“To climb up, go straight on.”

Thus, his response. Then he added, “I beg you,

Please pray for me when you get up above.”