17 — Sapienza

1For thy judgments, O Lord, are great, and thy words cannot be expressed: therefore undisciplined souls have erred.Grandi sono i tuoi giudizj, o Signore, e ineffabili le opere tue: per questo le anime privo di scienza, caddero in errore.FOR thy iudgements ô Lord are great, & thy wordes inexphcable, for this cause the soules lacking discipline haue erred.Magna sunt enim judicia tua, Domine, / et inenarrabilia verba tua: / propter hoc indisciplinatæ animæ erraverunt. 2For while the wicked thought to be able to have dominion over the holy nation, they themselves being fettered with the bonds of darkness, and a long night, shut up in their houses, lay there exiled from the eternal providence.Conciossiachè mentre gli iniqui si persuadono di potere opprimere il popol santo; legati da catene di tenebre, e di lunga notte, chiusi dentro le loro case, giacevano esclusi dalla eterna Previdenza.For whiles the wicked are perswaded that they can rule ouer the holie nation: fettered with the bands of darknes, and long night, shut vp vnder roofes, they haue lyen fugitiues from the euerlasting prouidence.Dum enim persuasum habent iniqui / posse dominari nationi sanctæ, / vinculis tenebrarum et longæ noctis compediti, / inclusi sub tectis, / fugitivi perpetuæ providentiæ jacuerunt. 3And while they thought to lie hid in their obscure sins, they were scattered under a dark veil of forgetfullness, being horribly afraid, and troubled with exceeding great astonishment.E mentre credono di potere restare ascosi coi neri loro peccati, furon disgiunti l'uno dall'altro con tenebroso velo di obblivione, pieni di orrende paure, e turbati da eccessivo sbigottimento.And whiles they thincke that they lie hid in obscure sinnes, they were dispersed by the darke couert of obliuion, being horribly afrayd and disturbed with exceding admiration.Et dum putant se latere in obscuris peccatis, / tenebroso oblivionis velamento dispersi sunt, / paventes horrende, / et cum admiratione nimia perturbati. 4For neither did the den that held them, keep them from fear: for noises coming down troubled them, and sad visions appearing to them, affrighted them.Conciossiaché i nascondigli dove erano ritirati, non li facevan sicuri, ma erano spauriti dai rumori, che si levavano, e spettri orribili ad essi apparivano, da' quali erano spaventati.For neither did the denne that conteyned them, keepe them without feare: because the sound coming downe trubled them, and sorowful visions appearing to them, put them in feare.Neque enim quæ continebat illos spelunca sine timore custodiebat, / quoniam sonitus descendens perturbabat illos, / et personæ tristes illis apparentes pavorem illis præstabant.

5And no power of fire could give them light, neither could the bright flames of the stars enlighten that horrible night.Né il fuoco per grande, ch'ei fosse, poteva ad essi dar lume, né il chiaro splendor delle stelle poteva dar luce a quella orrenda notte.And no force certes of the fyre could geue them light, neither could the clere flames of the starres lighten that horrible night.Et ignis quidem nulla vis poterat illis lumen præbere, / nec siderum limpidæ flammæ / illuminare poterant illam noctem horrendam. 6But there appeared to them a sudden fire, very dreadful: and being struck with the fear of that face, which was not seen, they thought the things which they saw to be worse:Ma un repentino fuoco terribile compariva dinanzi ad essi, e sbalorditi per la paura di que' fantasmi, che mal vedevano, peggiori si figuravan le cose, che comparivano.But there appeared to them soden fyre, ful of feare: and being stroken with the feare of that face, which was not sene, they estemed the thinges that were sene to be worse:Apparebat autem illis subitaneus ignis, timore plenus; / et timore perculsi illius quæ non videbatur faciei, / æstimabant deteriora esse quæ videbantur. 7And the delusions of their magic art were put down, and their boasting of wisdom was reproachfully rebuked.Ed eranvi aggiunti gli scherni dell'arte magica, e i voltamenti di saggezza furon redarguiti con ignominia;and there were added derisions of the magical art, and contumelious rebuke of the glorie of their wisdom.Et magicæ artis appositi erant derisus, / et sapientiæ gloriæ correptio cum contumelia. 8For they who promised to drive away fears and troubles from a sick soul, were sick themselves of a fear worthy to be laughed at.Perocché quelli, che facevan professione di sbandire dagli animi abbattuti le paure, e i turbamenti, sopraffatti dal timore con lor vitupero languivano;For they which promised that they would expel feares and perturbations from the languishing soule, these with derision languished ful of feare.Illi enim qui promittebant / timores et perturbationes expellere se ab anima languente, / hi cum derisu pleni timore languebant. 9For though no terrible thing disturbed them: yet being scared with the passing by of beasts, and hissing of serpents, they died for fear and denying that they saw the air, which could by no means be avoided.Conciossiachè quantunque nulla di mostruoso gli offendesse, al passar, che facevano le bestie, e al fischiar dei serpenti si sbigottivano, e morivano di paura, e avrebbon eletto di non veder l'aria, che da nissuno può evitarsi;For although none of the monsters disturbed them: being moued with the passing by of beasts, and hissing of serpents, they perished trembling: and denying that they saw the ayre, which by no meanes any man could avoyde.Nam etsi nihil illos ex monstris perturbabat, / transitu animalium et serpentium sibilatione commoti, / tremebundi peribant, / et aërem quem nulla ratione quis effugere posset, negantes se videre.

10For whereas wickedness is fearful, it beareth witness of its condemnation: for a troubled conscience always forecasteth grievous things.Perocché la malvagità essendo paurosa ai condanna colla propria testimonianza: e nella agitata coscienza presagisce cose crudeli.For wheras wickednes is fearful, it geueth testimonie of condemnation: for a trubled conscience doth alwayes presume cruel thinges.Cum sit enim timida nequitia, / dat testimonium condemnationis: / semper enim præsumit sæva, / perturbata conscientia: 11For fear is nothing else but a yielding up of the succours from thought.E il timore altro non è, se non la privazione degli ajuti della ragione.For feare is nothing els but a bewraying of the aydes of cogitation.nihil enim est timor nisi proditio cogitationis auxiliorum. 12And while there is less expectation from within, the greater doth it count the ignorance of that cause which bringeth the torment.E quanto meno dentro di se uno aspetta soccorso, tanto più ingrandisce la ignota cagione, che a lui da tormento.And whiles inwardly there is lesse expectation, the greater doth he count the ignorance of that cause which maketh the torment.Et dum ab intus minor est exspectatio, / majorem computat inscientiam ejus causæ, / de qua tormentum præstat. 13But they that during that night, in which nothing could be done, and which came upon them from the lowest and deepest hell, slept the same sleep,Quelli però in quella notte veramente intollerabile, e venuta sopra di loro dall'intimo profondissimo inferno, assopiti dal medesimo sonno,But they that during the night in deede impotent, and coming vpon them from the lowest and highest hel, slept the same sleepe,Illi autem qui impotentem vere noctem, / et ab infimis et ab altissimis inferis supervenientem, / eumdem somnum dormientes, 14Were sometimes molested with the fear of monsters, sometimes fainted away, their soul failing them: for a sudden and unlooked for fear was come upon them.Ora dal timor degli spettri erano agitati, ora venivan meno per l'abbattimento dell'animo; sorpresi da subitaneo, e inaspettato terrore.were sometime molested with the feare of monsters, sometime fayled by passing away of the soule: for soden feare and vnlooked for came vpon them.aliquando monstrorum exagitabantur timore, / aliquando animæ deficiebant traductione: / subitaneus enim illis et insperatus timor supervenerat. 15Moreover, if any of them had fallen down, he was kept shut up in prison without irons.Che se alcuno di quelli fosse venuto a cadere, ivi si stava rinchiuso, e serrato in prigione senza catene di ferro.Moreouer if any of them had fallen downe, he was kept shut vp in prison without yron.Deinde si quisquam ex illis decidisset, / custodiebatur in carcere sine ferro reclusus.

16For if any one were a husbandman, or a shepherd, or a labourer in the field, and was suddenly overtaken, he endured a necessity from which he could not fly.Imperocché o fosse egli un contadino, od un pastore, o mercenario, che lavorasse alla campagna, si trovava involto da quella insuperabile necessità;For if one were a husbandman, or if a shepheard, or worker of the labours in the silde were sodenly taken, he susteyned necessitie ineuitable.Si enim rusticus quis erat, aut pastor, / aut agri laborum operarius præoccupatus esset, / ineffugibilem sustinebat necessitatem; 17For they were all bound together with one chain of darkness. Whether it were a whistling wind, or the melodious voice of birds, among the spreading branches of trees, or a fall of water running down with violence,Conciossiaché tutti erano avvinti dalla stessa catena di tenebre. E il susurrare de' venti, e il canto soave degli uccelli trai folti rami degli alberi, e il precipitoso impeto dell'acqua corrente,For with one chayne of darkenes they were al tyed together. Whether it were the hissing winde, or among the thicke boughes of trees the sweete sound of birdes, or the force of water running downward exceedingly,una enim catena tenebrarum omnes erant colligati. / Sive spiritus sibilans, / aut inter spissos arborum ramos avium sonus suavis, / aut vis aquæ decurrentis nimium, 18Or the mighty noise of stones tumbling down, or the running that could not be seen of beasts playing together, or the roaring voice of wild beasts, or a rebounding echo from the highest mountains: these things made them to swoon for fear.E il forte romore de' sassi cadenti, e il correre dei non veduti animali, che scherzavano, e il forte suono delle bestie, che urlavano, e l'eco da' monti altissimi ripercosso li facean venir meno per lo spavento.or the mightie sound of rockes tumbled headlong, or the running of playing beasts, that were not sene, or the mightie noyse of roaring beastes, or an Echo resounding from the highest mountaynes: they made them swoone for feare.aut sonus validus præcipitatarum petrarum, / aut ludentium animalium cursus invisus, / aut mugientium valida bestiarum vox, / aut resonans de altissimis montibus echo: / deficientes faciebant illos præ timore. 19For the whole world was enlightened, with a clear light, and none were hindered in their labours.Conciossiaché il mondo tutto da luce chiarissima era illuminato, ed era occupato senza impedimento ne' suoi lavori.For al the world was illuminated with a cleare light, & none was hindered in their workes.Omnis enim orbis terrarum limpido illuminabatur lumine, / et non impeditis operibus continebatur.

20But over them only was spread a heavy night, an image of that darkness which was to come upon them. But they were to themselves more grievous than the darkness.Sopra quelli soli posava gravosa notte, immagine di quelle tenebre, che dipoi gli aspettavano; per la qual cosa eran eglino più insopportabili a loro stessi, che quelle tenebre.But ouer them onlie was layd an heauie night, the image of darkenes, which was to come vpon them. They therfore were vnto themselues more heauie then the darknes.Solis autem illis superposita erat gravis nox, / imago tenebrarum quæ superventura illis erat: / ipsi ergo sibi erant graviores tenebris.