The following is taken from "The Divine Comedy", Canto V of Inferno,lines 100-142, by Dante Alighieri written ca. 1304-8:
"Love, that can quickly seize the gentle heart,
took hold of him because of the fair body
taken from me-how that was done still wounds me
Love, that releases no beloved from loving,took hold of me so strongly through his beauty
that, as you see, it has not left me yet.
Love lead the two of us unto one death.
Caina waits for him who took our life"
These words were borne across from them to us.
When I had listened to those injured souls,
I bent my head and held it low until the poet asked of me "What are you thinking?"
When i replied,my words began: "Alas, how many gentle thoughts,hoe deep a longing, had led them to the agonizing pass!"
Then I addressed my my speech again unto them,
and I began: "Francesca, your afflictions move me to tears of sorrow and pity.
But tell me, in the time of gentle sighs,
with what and in what way did Love allow you to recognize your still uncertain longings?"
And she to me: "There is no greater sorrow than thinking back upon a happy time in misery-and this your teacher knows.
Yet if you long so much to understand the first root of our love, then I shall tell my tale to you as one who weeps and speaks.
One day, to pass the time away, we read of Lancelot-how love had overcome him.
We were alone, and we suspected nothing.
And time and time again that reading led our eyes to meet, and made our faces pale, and yet one point alone, defeated us.
When we had read how the desired smile was kissed by one who was so true a lover, this one, whonever shall be parted from me, while all his body trembled, kissed my mouth.
A Gallehault indeed, that book and he who wrote it,too; that day we read no more."
And while one spirit said these words to me, the other wept, so that-because of pity-
I fainted, as if i had met my death.
And then i fell as a dead body falls.
