left Belacqua there. 79
5: The Unconfessed
1 I left these ghosts to follow him uphill,
and then heard other voices shouting, “Look!
Sunlight won’t pierce him, so he is not dead!”
4 Turning my head I saw an eager crowd
staring upon my shadow and at me.
“Words should not turn you – face the uphill track,”
7 my leader cried. “Good heads should imitate
strong towers undisturbed by windy blast.
Ignore what people say. Distracted minds
10 go easily astray because each thought
cancels the last.” “Coming!” I called (for what
else could I say?) and blushing with shame,
13 climbed up to him. From round the hill above
penitents came, chanting King David’s psalm,
The Miserere, grieving for past sin.
16 At sight of me their chant became an “Oo!”
and two ran down to us, crying, “Please say,
what kind of man are you?” My guide replied,
19 “Tell your folk that he (as his shadow proves)
is flesh and blood, able to do them good
if they respect him as they should.” No cloud
soared swifter through the sky than they returned 22
to that crowd who, hearing their news, then wheeled
round like a troop of cavalry and then
came charging down. My guide said, “Know that these 25
will beg you to take word of them to Earth,
but don’t stop climbing. Listen as you go.”
“O lucky soul, ascending to delight,” 28
one cried. “On legs your mother made, please
look at us hard. Do you see any here
whose names you could take back to those we love? 31
They do not know the manner of our deaths,
deaths so obscure that we could not confess
but are not damned to Hell. A final pang of grief 34
for our past sins admitted Heaven’s Grace,
which brought us here where prayers from pure hearts
can make us fit to see God’s face, and these 37
are now our agonising need.” I said,
“I see none here I know. Tell me your names,
if that will ease your pains and speed your climb 40
if it does not halt mine. I must obey
one who forbids delay while leading me
from world to world, but truly I declare, 43
by peace we all desire, to do my best.”
“No need to swear – we trust your kindly words,”
their spokesman said. “I will first give my name: 46
Jacopo Cassero, Fano my town
between Naples ruled by Charles of Anjou
49 and states claimed by the Pope. Please visit there.
Ask people to say orisons that will
help shed the sorry burden of my guilt.
52 The Marquis of Ferrara spilt my blood
in secret, just to gratify his wrath.
At Oriaco near to Padua
55 (that traitor’s town) his men ambushed my path.
Stabbed and confused I fled quite the wrong way
into the marsh, stumbled through mud and reeds,
58 fell bleeding, and saw my heart’s blood at last
stain a pool red.” Another spoke to me,
“May you meet what you seek upon this hill,
61 then back on Earth find some who’ll pray for me.
I am from Montefeltro, once its count,
foxy old Guido’s son, but few there now
64 care for me. My widow Joan does not,
and so you find me here with troubled brow.”
Surprised, I cried, “But you and I once fought
67 at Campoldino! Afterwards I heard
your corpse was missing. None knew where it went.
Was that through malice or by accident?”
70 He said, “A demon drowned my solid part
after my soul was saved. I will explain.
I left that fight unhorsed and with slashed throat,
73 my blood dabbling the plain until I reached
a stream called Archiano that flows down
into the Arno from the Apennines.
Falling upon its bank I lost my sight 76
praying to God, and died with Mary’s name
on my wicked lips. Let the living know
what happened then. God’s angel took my soul. 79
The fiend from Satan yelled, “I have been robbed!
You carry off this man’s eternal part
all for one tiny tear! See what I do 82
to his remains!” With wind and mist he swelled
clouds
