INFERNO: CANTO III
(The Vestibule of Hell)
SINNER 1: I am the way into the City of Woe
SINNER 2: I am the way to a Forsaken People
SINNER 3: I am the way into Eternal Sorrow
ALL: ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE!
(SCREAMS!)
DANTE: I see the first of the souls in torment,
They are the opportunists
POETS: Opportunists?
OPPORTUNISTS: Yes! WE ARE THE OPPORTUNISTS!
Our souls who in life were neither for good nor evil but only for ourselves!
And they’re the OUTCASTS!
OUTCASTS: OUTCASTS! WE WHO TOOK NO SIDE IN THE REBELLION OF ANGELS!
OP and OC: Eternally unclassified, we race round and roouuund and roooouuuuund!
pursuing a wavering banner that runs forever before the dirty air (HEAVY SIGH!),
pursued by swarms, by swarms, BY SWARMS OF WASPS AND HORNETS!
(BUZZ!)
(HUMS)
SINNER 4: OH SACRED JUSTICE MOVED MY ACHITECT
I WAS REAISED HERE BY DIVINE OMNIPOTENCE
PRIMORDIAL LOVE AND ULTIMATE INTELLECT
ONLY THOSE ELEMENTS TIME CANNOT WEAR
WERE MADE BEFORE ME AND BEYOND TIME
DANTE: these were of that retrograde and faithless crew
Hateful to God and to His enemies
ALL: AND ALL THIS SHALL BE MADE KNOWN TO YOU WHEN WE STAND
ON THE JOYLESS BEACH OF ACHERON
CHARON: BEGONE!
SINNERS: FROM THESE WHO ARE DEAD
BY OTHER WINDINGS AND BY OTHER STEERAGE
SHALL YOU CROSS TO THAT OTHER SHORE
POETS: NO! NOT HERE! NOT HERE!
(TREMBLES!)
ALL: ALL WHO DIE IN THE SHADOW OF GOD’S WRATH
CONVERGE TO THIS FROM EVERY CLIME AND COUNTRY
DANTE: Like one whom sleep comes over in swoon,
I stumble into darkness and went down. (DRAGGED BY SINNERS!)