Purgatorio

Night descends. Dante dreams of “a stammering crone” (246). As he gazes at her, she transforms into an object of desire and begins to sing. Dante cannot tear his eyes away. She tells him that she is the Siren who entranced Ulysses. At that moment, a lady, “holy and alert” (246), appears and crushes the siren. Virgil appears, grabbing the Siren and ripping her apart. The stench that emits from her wakes Dante.

Virgil exhorts Dante to get up and find passage to the next level. Following Virgil, Dante remains lost in thought. He hears a soft voice ahead urging him toward the entrance. The speaker fans Virgil and Dante with its swan-like wings, saying, “qui lugent” (blessed are those who mourn) (247).

Dante cannot stop thinking about his dream. Virgil informs Dante that he saw “the ancient witch” (247), because of whom the penitents above weep. Virgil tells Dante to be content with knowing how to defeat the Siren and focus on what is ahead of them. Dante sees an entrance to the fifth level, around which people lie prostrate on the ground, saying, “adhaesit pavimento anima mea!” (my soul cleaves to the ground) (248).