“La notte ch’ i’ passai.” _Inf._ i. 21. “The night that I had spent.” ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1st day. Just before sunrise. At the foot of the Hill. “Ma poi ch’ io fui al piè d’un colle giunto, . . . . . Guardai in alto, e vidi le sue spalle Vestite già de’ raggi del pianeta Che mena dritto altrui per ogni calle.” _Inf._ i. 13-18. “But after I had reached a mountain’s foot, . . . . . . Upward I looked, and I beheld its shoulders Vested already with that planet’s rays Which leadeth others right by every road.” ---------------------------------------------------------------- Sunrise 6 a.m.[452] Climbing the Hill. “Tempo era dal principio del mattino, E il sol montava su con quelle stelle Ch’eran con lui quando l’ Amor divino Mosse da prima quelle cose belle.” _Inf._ i. 37-40. “The time was the beginning of the morning, And up the sun was mounting with those stars That with him were, what time the Love Divine At first in motion set those beautous things.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [452] The clock-hours in this column are not to be regarded as if taken from a railway time-table! Sunrise is at 6 a.m. within a few minutes only, for the reasons above stated, viz.: our clocks are regulated by the “mean” sun, and it is not necessarily the exact day of the equinox when the vision begins. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Evening twilight. At the Gate of Hell. “Lo giorno se n’andava, e l’ aer bruno....” _Inf._ ii. 1. “Day was departing, and the brown air....” ---------------------------------------------------------------- Midnight. Crossing the fourth circle. “Già ogni stella cade, che saliva Quando mi mossi.” _Inf._ vii. 98, 99. “Already sinks each star that was ascending When I set out.” ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd day. About 2 hrs. before sunrise (4 a.m.) On the edge of the cliff, preparing to descend to the 7th circle. “I Pesci guizzan su per l’ orizzonta, E il Carro tutto sovra il Coro giace.” _Inf._ xi. 113, 114.