Three were horned like oxen, but
the four
had but one horn on each of
their heads.
No one has ever seen a monster
like it!
Seated thereon, securely, like
a fort,
high on a hill, I saw an ungirt
whore
casting bold, sluttish glances
all around.
Acting as if someone might
take her from him,
a giant, I saw, standing there
by her side;
from time to time the two
of them would kiss."
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Purg xxxii: Whore and Giant
"Once more the eagle swooped down
through the tree:
this time into the framework
of the car,
to shed some of its golden
feathers there;
like sorrow pouring from a
grieving heart
a voice from Heaven was heard:
'My little ship,
O what ill-fated cargo you
must bear!'
And then I saw the ground between
the wheels
opening up: a dragon issued
forth,
driving its tail up through
the chariot;
then, as wasp withdraws its
sting, that thing
drew back its poison tail,
tearing away
part of the floor-gloating,
it wandered off;
the rest, like fertile soil
left for thick weeds
to thrive on, grew a rich
cover of plumes
granted with good intentions,
it would seem,
and all the chariot, with both
its wheels
and pole as well, was overgrown
with them
in less time than it takes
to heave a sigh
Thus changed, the holy shrine
began to sprout
heads from all parts: three
on the chariot's pole
and one from each of its four
courners grew.
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