“vedi come storpiato è Maometto!” … (The Divine Comedy; Canto XXVIII: Line 31)

The above is the Latin original of Dante’s verse in question. In his Divine Comedy, when at the eighth circle of hell, Dante sees people, which are:

Simoniacs (i.e., those who buy or sell of a church office or ecclesiastical preferment)

The fortunetellers and diviners

The grafters

The hypocrites

The thieves

The evil counselors

And the sowers of discord.

It is in the ‘Bolgia nine’ in a place in the hell called “Malebolge” where he first tells:

“ If were again assembled all the people

Which formerly upon the fateful land

Of Puglia were lamenting for their blood

Shed by the Romans and the lingering war

That of the rings made such illustrious spoils

As Livy has recorded, who errs not”                …               (Canto XXVIII: Lines 7-12)  

In this background he sees a vision, which has been referred by Dr. Khalid Sohail.

It is differently translated by Henry Longfellow as follows:

“A cask by losing centre-piece or cant 

Was never shattered so, as I saw one 

Rent from the chin to where one breaketh wind. 

Between his legs were hanging down his entrails; 

His heart was visible, and the dismal sack 

That maketh excrement of what is eaten. 

While I was all absorbed in seeing him, 

He looked at me, and opened with his hands 

His bosom, saying: See now how I rend me; 

How mutilated, see, is Mahomet”                           …         (Canto XXVIII: Lines 22-31) 

The Latin original of the last line (31) reads:

“vedi come storpiato è Maometto!”

which I referred in the beginning.

Also, note that the line 9 in Latin reads

            “di Puglia, fu del suo sangue dolente”

Number of questions:

Why the translator had “Maometto” in line 31 changed to “Mahomet” while he kept “Puglia” in line 9 unchanged. What Dante really meant by “Maometto”? If by “Maometto” Dante meant “Mohammad” then why he says “the fateful land of Puglia” and not “the fateful land of Arabia” while in other places he has used real names such as “Virgil” and “Livy” etc. Then in previous lines he refers to the blood shed by Romans. What he really is referring to? We have also to consider the matter of translation – what is lost and what is skewed in it. More importantly, we must remember to see things in proper context and transcend the apparent to reach the real meaning and purpose of such works. We cannot read any symbolic expression of deep notions as statements of history. We must ponder what Dante is really trying to say? And then why that vision says to Dante: “See now how I rend me”

Sometime we have to decide if we just want to “sow the discord” by literalism or we want to understand the heart and essence of such works of arts, which by their very nature are difficult to comprehend. The problem of literal interpretation does not just apply to interpretation of religious text. I find that the study of science and literature also falls prey to literalism as easily as the study of religion. What lies ahead of us more than anything else is developing the habit of knowing that “heart” which lies behind all those works of art, literature, science, philosophy and religion. Only then we can hope to gain some enlightenment. 

Karen Armstrong has tendency to treat lightly the subject matter of her work. In her other book about Islam, she says something to the effect that “a merchant” of Mecca sees a vision and the course of history changes. This obviously is no more than a flippant approach.   

I have not read her latest book referred by Dr. Khalid, however, the point Dr. Khalid is trying to make in his comment is not clear to me.  I do not see any relevance to my article other than perhaps the need to study the “Divine Comedy” in more depth.  If the above commentary is not satisfactory Dr. Khalid, kindly clarify the question you have regarding my article.

In the end I would invite all to ponder over the following verses of Qur’an to see if we can transcend the literal interpretation: 

Is that the better entertainment or the Tree of Zaqqum?

For We have truly made it (as) a trial for the wrong-doers

For it is a tree that springs out of the bottom of Hell-Fire

The shoots of its fruit-stalks are like the heads of devils

Truly they will eat thereof and fill their bellies therewith

Then on top of that they will be given a mixture made of boiling water

Then shall their return be to the (Blazing) Fire

(Qur’an 037 – 62: 67)