I walked as silence covers darkness upon the way to hell;
And lo! Almost at the beginning of the rise
I face a spotted leopard,all tremor,flow and gaudy pelt.
It stared at me as though I was about to melt.
SO scary were its claws that my heart leaped.
Blocking my every turn and again
it would not pass,but stood;
I was on the verge of turning back to the wood.
Behind that bright and murderous beast,
a sight of a lion broke upon me.
Yet not so much but i shook with dread.
Raging with hunger,he welcomed me with his enormous head.
And down his track a she-wolf drove upon me;
She seemed a rack for avarice,gaunt and craving.
A starved horror ravening and wasted beyond all belief;
Oh many the souls she has brought to endless grief!
Like a miser--- I wavered back.
Forcing herself against me bit by bit,
still the hungry beast pursued,
till I slid back to the sunless wood.
And as i fell to my soul's ruin,
a presence gathered before me on discolored air.
The figure of one who seemed hoarse from long silence,
my soul recognized an air of defense.
And there stood the spirit of Virgil who said:
"I'll lead you forth through an eternal place,
you follow me and I will be your guide.
There you shall see the ancient spirits tried.
They tried in endless pain,hear their lamentation
as each bemoans the second death of souls."
He told me the mysteries as he walked ahead...
in silence I followed where he led.
I AM THE WAY TO THE FORSAKEN PEOPLE.
SACRED JUSTICE MOVED MY ARCHITECT.
I AM THE WAY TO THE CITY OF WOE;
I AM THE WAY TO ETERNAL SORROW.
ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE.
ONLY THOSE ELEMENTS TIME CANNOT WEAR
WERE MADE BEFORE ME,AND BEYOND TIME I STAND.
I AM THE WAY TO HELL,TO ENDLESS TORMENT'S LAND.
These mysteries I read cut into stone above a gate
which stood tall amidst the darkness around.
The scent of death's angel I smell...
I found myself entering the gate of hell.
*******************************
*Virgil explains that he has been sent to lead Dante from Error.There can,however,be no direct ascent past the beast:the man who would escape them must go a longer and harder way.First,he must descend through hell(the recognition of sin) then he must ascend to purgatory(the renunciation of sin) and only then may he reach the pinnacle of joy and come to the light of God.
Note: The story of Dante's descention to hell might take a lot of series for his adventures covered a lot of episodes describing the nine circles of hell,and his way to purgatory.
