by Dante
54
to make the candle ready for its flame.’
No sooner had these few words reached my mind →
than I became aware of having risen
57
above and well beyond my powers,
and such was the new vision kindled within me
that there exists no light so vivid that my eyes
60
could not have borne its brightness.
And I saw light that flowed as flows a river, → →
pouring its golden splendor between two banks → →
63
painted with the wondrous colors of spring.
From that torrent issued living sparks →
and, on either bank, they settled on the flowers,
66
like rubies ringed in gold. →
Then, as though intoxicated by the odors, →
they plunged once more into the marvelous flood, →
69
and, as one submerged, another would come forth.
‘The deep desire that now inflames and prods you →
to understand at last all that you see
72
pleases me the more the more it surges.
‘But you must drink first of these waters
before your great thirst may be satisfied.’
75
Thus the sun of my eyes spoke to me.
Then she continued: ‘The river, the topazes →
that enter and leave it, and the laughter of the meadows →
78
are all shadowy prefaces of their truth, →
‘not that these things are in themselves unripe,
but because the failure lies with you,
81
your vision is not yet strong enough to soar.’
No infant, waking up too late →
for his accustomed feeding, will thrust his face
84
up to his milk with greater urgency,
than I, to make still better mirrors of my eyes, →
inclined my head down toward the water
87
that flows there for our betterment,
and no sooner had the eaves of my eyelids
drunk deep of that water than to me it seemed
90
it had made its length into a circle. →
Then, like people wearing masks, →
once they put off the likeness not their own
93
in which they hid, seem other than before,
the flowers and the sparks were changed before my eyes
into a greater celebration, so that I saw, → →
96
before my very eyes, both courts of Heaven.
O splendor of God, by which I saw →
the lofty triumph of the one true kingdom,
99
grant me the power to tell of what I saw!
There is a light above that makes the Creator → →
visible to every creature
102
that finds its only peace in seeing Him.
It spreads itself into so vast a circle →
that its circumference would be larger
105
than the sphere that is the sun.
All that is seen of it comes as a ray reflected
from the summit of the Primum Mobile,
108
which draws from this its motion and its powers.
And as a hillside is mirrored by the water →
at its foot, as if it saw itself adorned
111
when it is lush with grass and flowers,
so I saw, rising above the light and all around it
mirrored in more than a thousand tiers,
114
all those of us who have returned on high.
And, if the lowest of its ranks encloses →
a light so large, how vast is the expanse containing
117
the farthest petals of this rose? →
Within that breadth and height, →
my sight was not confused but shared
120
the full extent and quality of that rejoicing.
There, near and far do neither add nor take away,
for where God, unmediated, rules
123
natural law has no effect.
Into the yellow of the sempiternal rose, → →
which rises in its ranks, expands, and exhales →
126
fragrances that praise the Sun’s perpetual spring, →
I, like a man who is silent but would speak,
was led by Beatrice, and she said: ‘Behold
129
how vast the white-robed gathering! →
‘See our city, with its vast expanse! → →
See how many are the seats already filled—
132
few are the souls still absent there!
‘And in that great seat which draws your eyes →
for the crown already set above it, →
135
before you shall dine at this wedding feast, →
‘shall sit the soul of noble Henry, →
who on earth, as emperor, shall attempt →
138
to set things straight for Italy before she is prepared. →
‘Blind cupidity, bewitching you, → →
has made you like the infant, dying of hunger,
141
who shoves his nurse’s breast away.
‘At that time the prefect of the sacred court → →
will be a man who will not make his way
144
on the same road by daylight as he will by night.
‘But short shall be the time God suffers him →
in holy office, for he shall be thrust
down there where Simon Magus gets what he deserves, →
148
and push that fellow from Anagni deeper down.’ →
OUTLINE: PARADISO XXXI
THE EMPYREAN
1–3
the blessed, in triumph, in the form of a white rose;
4–6
the angels, flying, see and sing God’s glory
7–12
simile: like bees they descend into the Rose only to reascend with their pollen and make honey in “the hive”;
13–15
angels: red faces, golden wings, whitest possible “bodies”
16–18
angels: take “honey” from the “hive” back to the “flowers”
19–24
angels: translucent, they do not cut off the sight of God;
25–27
the final “kingdom” of the poem: all gaze on God
28–29
triune God, how you do satisfy both these “militias”!
30
look down on our tempest here on this earth!
31–40
if northern barbarians, seeing Rome, were amazed, how much more so was Dante, coming from Florence and time to these good citizens in the true and eternal city!
41–42
joyful and amazed, Dante hears nothing, says nothing;
43–48
simile: pilgrim looking around the distant church he vowed to visit compared to Dante, looking around the Rose
49–51
the blessed, splendid and smiling, gesture with dignity
52–57
having seen the overall design of Paradise, Dante wants to ask Beatrice about specific aspects of the Empyrean;
58–63
in her place he finds a fatherly elder (St. Bernard);
64
Dante’s first spoken words in some time: “Where is she?”
65–69
Bernard: “she sent me to bring your desire to fulfillment and is up there above in the third row from the top”;
70–72
Dante sees Beatrice in the Rose “crowned” by God’s rays;
73–78
the bottom of the sea is no farther from the upper regions than Dante from her, but here distance is no bar to sight
79–90
Dante prays to Beatrice, giving thanks and hoping for help
91–93
Beatrice smiles and then turns back to the source of all;
94–99
Bernard: “to finish your quest, first study this garden”;
100–102
Bernard burns with love for the Virgin, who will help them
103–111
simile: Croatian pilgrim coming to Rome and seeing the Veronica, just as Dante is gazing at Bernard
112–117
Bernard: “look up from here to Mary at the Rose’s rim”
118–123
simile: Sun brightest spot on horizon like Mary on rim
124–129
simile: rising Sun like Mary, darker space to either side
130–135
band of angels, each distinct, surround Mary who, smiling, with her beauty brings joy to all the other saints;
136–138
even had Dante the words, he would not dare describe her;
139–142
Bernard, observing Dante’s fervor for Mary, looks back at her so lovingly that he makes Dante’s eyes more ardent.
PARADISO XXXI
In form, then, of a luminous white rose → →
I saw the saintly soldiery that Christ, →
3
with His own blood, took as His bride.
But the others—who, even as they fly, behold →
and sing the glory of Him who stirs their love, →
6
and sing His goodness that raised them up so high,
as a swarm of bees that in one instant plunge → →
deep into blossoms and, the very next, go back
9
to where their toil is turned to sweetness— →
these descended to the splendid flower,
adorned with many petals, and then flew up
12
to where their love forever dwells. →
Their faces were of living flame, →
their wings were gold, the rest
15
was of a whiteness never matched by snow.
When they descended to the flower, they bestowed
the peace and love acquired with their beating wings →
18
upon the petals, row on row.
Nor did so vast a flying throng, →
coming between the flower and the light above,
21
obstruct the looking up or shining down,
for the light of God so penetrates the universe, →
according to the fitness of its parts to take it in,
24
that there is nothing can withstand its beam.
This sure and joyful kingdom, →
thronged with souls from both the old times and the new,
27
aimed sight and love upon a single goal.
O threefold Light, which, in a single star →
sparkling in their sight, contents them so!
30
Look down upon our tempest here below. →
If the barbarians, coming from that region →
which Helice covers every day, →
33
wheeling with her son, in whom she takes delight,
were dumbstruck at the sight of Rome
and her majestic monuments,
36
when the Lateran surpassed all other works of man,
I, who had come to things divine from man’s estate, →
to eternity from time,
39
from Florence to a people just and sane, →
with what amazement must I have been filled!
Indeed, between the wonder and my joy, I was content
42
neither to hear nor speak a word.
And, as a pilgrim, in the temple of his vow, →
content within himself, looks lovingly about
45
and expects to tell his tale when he gets home,
so, through the living light I let my eyes
range freely through the ranks, now up, now down,
48
now circling freely all around again. →
I saw visages informed by heavenly love, resplendent →
with Another’s light and their own smiles,
51
their every movement graced with dignity. →
My gaze by now had taken in →
the general form of Paradise
54
but not yet fixed on any single part of it,
and I turned, with newly kindled eagerness →
to ask my lady many things →
57
that kept my mind yet in suspense.
I expected one thing but found another: →
instead of Beatrice, an old man, adorned →
60
as were the rest of those in glory, met my eyes.
His eyes and cheeks were quite suffused
with kindly joy, and from his whole appearance shone
63
a loving father’s tenderness. →
Then ‘Where is she?’ I asked at once →
and he replied: ‘To lead your longing to its goal →
66
Beatrice called me from my place.
‘If you raise your eyes to the third circle
below the highest tier, you shall see her again,
69
now on the throne her merits have assigned.’
Without a word, I lifted up my eyes →
and saw that she, reflecting the eternal rays, →
72
appeared to be encircled by a crown.
From the highest region where the thunder breaks →
down to the bottom of the deepest sea,
75
no mortal eye is ever quite so far
as was my sight removed from Beatrice.
Yet to me that mattered not, because her image →
78
came down undimmed by anything between.
‘O lady who give strength to all my hope → →
and who allowed yourself, for my salvation,
81
to leave your footprints there in Hell,
‘of all the many things that I have seen,
I know the grace and virtue I’ve been shown
84
come from your goodness and your power.
‘It is you who, on no matter what the path, →
have drawn me forth from servitude to freedom
87
by every means that you had in your power.
‘Keep your munificence alive in me, so that →
my soul, which you have healed,
90
may please you when it leaves its mortal frame.’
This was my prayer. And she, however far away →
she seemed, smiled and looked down at me,
93
then turned again to the eternal fountain.
And the holy ancient spoke: ‘So that you may achieve → →
your journey’s consummation now,
96
both sacred love and prayer have sent me here: →
‘Let your sight fly through this garden, →
for seeing it will help prepare your eyes
99
to rise, along the beam of holy light.
‘And Heaven’s queen, for whom I burn
with love, will grant us every grace,
102
since I am her own, her faithful Bernard.’ →
As the man who, perhaps from Croatia, has come → →
to set his gaze on our Veronica,
105
his ancient craving still not satisfied,
and who thinks to himself while it is shown:
‘My
Lord Jesus Christ, God Himself,
108
was this then how you really looked?’,
just so was I, gazing on the living love →
of him who, still within the confines of this world,
111
in contemplation tasted of that peace.
‘Child of grace,’ he said, ‘you will not know →
this joyful state if you maintain your gaze,
114
instead of upward, fixed down here.
‘Rather to the highest circles raise your eyes →
so that you may behold the queen enthroned,
117
her to whom this realm is subject and devout.’
I raised my eyes. As, at break of day, → →
the eastern part of the horizon shines
120
with a brighter glow than where the sun goes down,
so, as though my eyes were moving from a valley
up a mountain, I saw that one far crest
123
surpassed in brightness all the others.
Where we await the shaft of Phaeton’s → →
poorly guided car, there, where it is most aflame, →
126
while on this side and on that the light shades off,
just so that peaceful oriflamme showed brightest →
in the middle, while on either side
129
the flame was dimmed in equal measure.
Around that point I saw more than a thousand angels, →
their wings outspread, in joyful festival,
132
each distinct in brightness and in motion.
I saw there, smiling at their games and songs,
beauty that brought pleasure to the gaze
135
of all the other gathered saints.
Were I as rich with words as in my store of images, →
I still would never dare attempt to tell →