by Dante
54
to the light from which this breathed,
and then I faced Beatrice, who quickly signaled,
with a glance, that I should now pour forth →
57
the waters welling from the source within me.
‘May the grace that allows me to make confession →
to the great centurion,’ I began, →
60
‘grant clear expression to my thoughts.’
And I continued: ‘As the truthful pen, →
father, of your dear brother wrote it, →
63
he who, with you, set Rome upon the path to truth,
‘faith is the substance of things hoped for, →
the evidence of things that are not seen.
66
And this I take to be its quiddity.’
Then I heard: ‘You reason rightly if you understand →
why he placed it, first, among the substances,
69
only then to set it down as evidence.’
And I: ‘The profound mysteries →
that here so richly manifest themselves to me,
72
to our eyes below are so concealed
‘that they exist there through belief alone,
on which is based our hope to rise above.
75
And therefore it assumes the name of substance. →
‘It is from this belief that we must argue,
when there is nothing else we can examine.
78
And it therefore has the name of evidence.’
Then I heard: ‘If all that is acquired below →
from doctrine taught were this well learned,
81
there would be left no room for sophistry.’
This breathed forth from that kindled love.
And it continued: ‘Now this coin’s alloy
84
and weight are well examined,
‘but tell me if you have it in your purse.’
And I: ‘I do indeed, so bright and round
87
that of its coinage I am not in doubt.’
Then came forth from the depth of the light
refulgent there: ‘This precious gem →
90
upon which all the virtues rest,
‘what was its origin and how did you obtain it?’
And I: ‘The abundant rain of the Holy Ghost,
93
poured out onto the parchments old and new,
‘is the syllogism that has proven it to me
with such great force that any other demonstration,
96
compared with it, would seem completely pointless.’
Then I heard: ‘The premises, both old and new, →
that you find so convincing in their truth,
99
why do you take them for the word of God?’
And I: ‘The proof that revealed the truth to me
are the works that followed, for which nature
102
neither makes iron red with heat nor smites an anvil.’
‘Say,’ came the answer, ‘who assures you that these works →
all really happened? The very thing requiring proof,
105
and nothing else, is your sole warrant of them.’
‘For the world to have turned to Christ,’ →
I said, ‘without miracles, that indeed was one
108
to outdo all others more than hundredfold. →
‘For poor and fasting did you come into the field
to sow the good plant that was once a vine
111
and now has turned into a thornbush.’ →
My words ended, the high and holy court resounded
through all its starry spheres with ‘Lord, we praise you’ →
114
with such melody as is only sung above.
And that nobleman who now had led me thus → →
from branch to branch in his examination
117
so that we neared the highest boughs,
began again: ‘The grace that woos your mind →
has until this moment opened your lips
120
and made your mouth say what it should,
‘so that I approve what has come forth from it.
But now you must declare what you believe
123
and through what means you came to such belief.’
‘O holy father, spirit who now can see → →
that which you once believed with such conviction
126
you outstripped younger feet to reach the sepulcher,’
I began, ‘you would have me here declare
the substance of my ready faith, and also tell
129
the source of it, the reason why I hold it dear.
‘And I reply: I believe in one God, →
one and eternal, who, Himself unmoved, moves
132
all the heavens with His love and their desire.
‘In defense of this belief I do have proof, not only
physical and metaphysical, but offered →
135
also by the truth that pours like rain from here
‘through Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms, →
through what the Gospel says and what you wrote →
138
once the burning Spirit made you holy.
‘I believe in three eternal Persons. I believe →
these are a single Essence, at once threefold and one
141
so as to allow agreement both with “are” and “is.”
‘The profound truth of God’s own state of which I speak
is many times imprinted in my mind
144
by the true instructions of the Gospel.
‘This is the beginning, this the living spark
that swells into a living flame
147
and shines within me like a star in heaven.’
As the master to whom a servant brings good news →
rejoices when he hears it, and puts his arms around
150
the speaker just as soon as he has finished,
thus, blessing me as he sang, →
the apostolic light, at whose command I spoke,
encircled me three times once I was silent,
154
because my words had brought him such delight.
OUTLINE: PARADISO XXV
STARRY SPHERE
1–12
should the sacred poem overcome the cruelty of the Florentines, Dante will return to his city a poet, taking the laurel in the Baptistry, where he became a Christian (and now Peter has encircled his brow);
13–18
Peter is joined by a second “baron” [James];
19–24
simile (1): dove joining mate and James joining Peter;
25–27
they are so aflame that Dante is blinded by them;
28–33
Beatrice: “Make hope resound up here, since you ‘figured it’ on earth”;
34–36
James to Dante: “Raise your head and make yourself certain; for mortal sight, up here, must be ripened”;
37–39
Dante now is able to gaze on these “hills” (apostles).
40–45
James: “Since the Emperor, in His grace, wants you to see His Counts in His most secret hall so that you may make yourself stronger in Hope—and others too—
46–48
“(1) say what Hope is, (2) say how it blossoms in your mind, and (3) say whence it came to you.”
49–51
Beatrice, [as Daedalus], intervenes on his behalf on (2):
52–57
“The Church Militant has no son of greater hope;
58–63
<
br /> “he may answer your other two questions for himself.”
64–66
simile (2): eager pupil to his master as Dante to James;
67–69
Dante’s answer to question (1): “Hope is the sure and certain hope of the resurrection, produced by Divine Grace and preceding merit”;
70–78
Dante’s answer to question (3): “David was the first who instilled hope in my heart, and then James.”
79–81
James’s flame seems to be convulsed by internal lightning;
82–86
James: “I, hopeful even in my martyrdom, rebreathe my love of this virtue to you in your gladness in it.”
87–88
James’s fourth question: the promise Hope holds for him?
89–96
Dante: “Scripture offers the emblem for those God loves”;
97–99
angels herald his finished examination with “Sperent in te”
100–102
John appears (unnamed and as yet unidentified)
103–108
simile (3): happy virgin, rising to dance to honor the bride, compared to John approaching Peter and James;
109–111
the three sing and dance while Beatrice watches them.
112–114
Beatrice: “This is the apostle loved by Christ.”
115–117
Beatrice remains fixed upon Peter, James, and John;
118–121
simile (4): a man trying to see the beginning of an eclipse compared to Dante trying to make out John’s body;
122–129
John, who has clearly divined Dante’s desire, scolds him;
130–135
simile (5): as a whistle’s sound arrests oars in air, so John’s first words stilled the other two apostles;
136–139
Dante’s mind was shaken when he could not see Beatrice.
PARADISO XXV
Should it ever come to pass that this sacred poem, → →
to which both Heaven and earth have set their hand →
3
so that it has made me lean for many years, →
should overcome the cruelty that locks me out →
of the fair sheepfold where I slept as a lamb, →
6
foe of the wolves at war with it,
with another voice then, with another fleece, → →
shall I return a poet and, at the font →
9
where I was baptized, take the laurel crown. →
For there I came into the faith →
that recommends the soul to God, and now,
12
because of it, Peter encircled thus my brow.
At that a light moved toward us from the circle →
out of which had come the first-fruit of the stock
15
of vicars Christ did leave for us on earth,
and my lady, brimming with joy, said to me:
‘Look, look, here is the nobleman →
18
who down below draws pilgrims to Galicia.’ →
As, when the dove alights beside its mate →
and each displays, circling and cooing,
21
its fondness for the other,
so I saw one great and glorious prince
welcomed by the other, both giving praise
24
for the feast that there above they share.
But after they had shown their pleasure in each other,
they both stopped, silent, coram me, →
27
so brightly flaming that they overcame my sight.
Then, smiling, Beatrice said: →
‘Illustrious living soul, you who wrote
30
of the abundant gifts of our heavenly court, →
‘make Hope resound here at this height,
since you know how, you who were the very figure of it →
33
when Jesus showed most favor to the three.’
‘Lift up your head and then take heart,
for all that comes here from the mortal world
36
will here be ripened in our radiance.’
The second fire offered this assurance. →
Therefore I raised my eyes up to the hills →
39
whose blazing light had weighed them down before.
‘Since our Emperor, of His grace, →
wills that you come, before your death,
42
to meet His nobles in His secret chamber,
‘so that, having known the reality of this court,
you may then strengthen in yourself and others
45
the hope that brings true love to those on earth,
‘tell what it is and how it blossoms in your mind, →
and tell from where it came to you.’
48
Thus spoke the second light.
And the compassionate soul who guided →
the feathers on my wings to that great height
51
answered for me before I could reply:
‘The Church Militant has no other son →
so filled with hope, as it is written
54
in the Sun that shines its rays on all our host.
‘Therefore is it granted him to come from Egypt
to Jerusalem that he may see the city
57
before his time of warfare has its end.
‘Two other points regarding which you asked— →
not for your enlightenment, but for him to tell
60
how much this virtue means to you—
‘I leave to him. For they will not be difficult,
nor offer grounds for boasting of himself.
63
Now let him answer, and may God’s grace be his aid!’
Like the student answering his teacher,
ready and eager in the subject he prepared,
66
intending to display his worth,
‘Hope,’ I said, ‘is the certain expectation →
of future glory, springing
69
from heavenly grace and merit we have won.
‘This light comes down to me from many stars, →
but he who first instilled it in my heart
72
was that exalted singer of our exalted Lord.
‘ “Let them have hope in you,” he declares → →
in his god-song, “those who know your name.”
75
Among those who share my faith, who does not know it?
‘After he had imbued me with his song,
you poured your epistle down on me so that I,
78
overflowing, now rain your rain on others.’
While I spoke, within the living core →
of fire appeared a flare, quivering
81
like lightning in sudden and repeated flashes.
Then it breathed forth: ‘The love with which I burn, →
for the Virtue that was my companion,
84
even to the palm and my departing from the field,
‘bids me breathe words again to you who take delight
in Hope. And I would like to hear you say
87
what promise Hope holds out to you.’
And I: ‘The new and the ancient Scriptures
set forth the goal for souls that God has made his friends → →
90
and this directs me to that promise.
‘Isaiah says that each in his own land →
shall be vested in a double garment,
93
and their own land is this sweet life. →
‘And then your brother, turning his attention →
to the shining robes, explains to us
96
this revelation with still greater clarity.’
At once, as soon as these words ended, →
Sperent in te was heard above us, →
99
to which all circles of the blessed responded.
Then one light, among them all, shone out so bright →
that, if the Crab held such a gem,
102
to winter would belong a month of endless day.
As a happy maiden rises and comes forward, →
joining the dancers only to show honor
105
to the bride, not prompted by desire for display,
so I saw that now brighter splendor gliding
toward the two already whirling to the notes
108
most fitted to the ardent burning of their love.
He joined them there in singing and in dance, →
and my lady, her gaze fixed on them, stood
111
as a bride stands, silent and motionless.
‘This is he who lay upon the breast →
of our Pelican, who from the cross
114
elected him to bear the heavy charge.’
These were my lady’s words, nor did her gaze
waver after she had spoken, but stayed intent
117
and fixed as it had been before.
As one who strains his eyes in his attempt to see →
the sun when it is partly in eclipse,
120
and, his seeing overwhelmed, has lost his sight,
such did I become before that final flaming
until I heard these words: ‘Why do you blind your eyes →
123
trying to behold what is not here to see?
‘In earth, earth is my body and there shall it lie →
among the others until our number
126