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He emperor of the sorrowful kingdom stood waist upwards

from the ice and I am nearer to a giant in size than the giants are to one of his arms

think how great the whole is that corresponds to such a part.

If he was once as fair as he is now ugly

and lifted up his forehead against his Maker

well may all evil flow from him.

O how great a wonder it seemed to me

when I saw three faces on his head!

The one in front was fiery red

the other two were joined to it above the centre of each shoulder

and linked at the top and the right hand one seemed whitish-yellow

the left was black to look at like those who come from where the Nile rises.

Under each face sprang two vast wings of a size fit for such a bird

I never saw ship’s sails as wide.

They had no feathers but were like a bat’s in form and texture

and he was flapping them

so that three winds blew out away from him

by which all Cocytus was frozen.

He wept from six eyes

and tears and bloody spume gushed down three chins.