PARADISO CANTO 05 Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.	Notes	Ann.
"If in the fire of love I seem to flame beyond the measure visible on earth, so that I overcome your vision's force, "IF in the heat of love I flame upon thee Beyond the measure that on earth is seen, So that the valour of thine eyes I vanquish,	05.003
you need not wonder; I am so because of my perfected vision-as I grasp the good, so I approach the good in act. Marvel thou not thereat; for this proceeds From perfect sight, which as it apprehends To the good apprehended moves its feet.	05.006
Indeed I see that in your intellect now shines the never-ending light; once seen, that light, alone and always, kindles love; Well I perceive how is already shining Into thine intellect the eternal light, That only seen enkindles always love;	05.009
and if a lesser thing allure your love, it is a vestige of that light which-though imperfectly-gleams through that lesser thing. And if some other thing your love seduce, 'Tis nothing but a vestige of the same, Ill understood, which there is shining througe.	05.012
You wish to know if, through a righteous act, one can repair a promise unfulfilled, so that the soul and God are reconciled." Thou fain wouldst know if with another service For broken vow can such return be made As to secure the soul from further claim."	05.015
So Beatrice began this canto, and as one who does not interrupt her speech, so did her holy reasoning proceed: This Canto thus did Beatrice begin; And, as a man who breaks not off his speech, Continued thus her holy argument:	05.018
"The greatest gift the magnanimity of God, as He created, gave, the gift most suited to His goodness, gift that He "The greatest gift that in his largess God Creating made, and unto his own goodness Nearest conformed, and that which he doth prize	05.021
most prizes, was the freedom of the will; those beings that have intellect-all these and none but these-received and do receive Most highly, is the freedom of the will, Wherewith the creatures of intelligence Both all and only were and are endowed.	05.024
this gift: thus you may draw, as consequence, the high worth of a vow, when what is pledged with your consent encounters God's consent; Now wilt thou see, if thence thou reasonest, The high worth of a vow, if it he made So that when thou consentest God consents:	05.027
for when a pact is drawn between a man and God, then through free will, a man gives up what I have called his treasure, his free will. For, closing between God and man the compact, A sacrifice is of this treasure made, Such as I say, and made by its own act.	05.030
What, then, can be a fitting compensation? To use again what you had offered, would mean seeking to do good with ill-got gains. What can be rendered then as compensation ? Think'st thou to make good use of what thou'st offered, With gains ill gotten thou wouldst do good deed.	05.033
By now you understand the major point; but since the Holy Church gives dispensations- which seems in contrast with the truth I stated- Now art thou certain of the greater point; But because Holy Church in this dispenses, Which seems against the truth which I have shown thee,	05.036
you need to sit at table somewhat longer: the food that you have taken was tough food- it still needs help, if you are to digest it. Behoves thee still to sit awhile at table, Because the solid food which thou hast taken Requireth further aid for thy digestion.	05.039
Open your mind to what I shall disclose, and hold it fast within you; he who hears, but does not hold what he has heard, learns nothing. Open thy mind to that which I reveal, And fix it there within; for 'tis not knowledge, The having heard without retaining it.	05.042
Two things are of the essence when one vows a sacrifice: the matter of the pledge and then the formal compact one accepts. In the essence of this sacrifice two things Convene together; and the one is that Of which 'tis made, the other is the agreement.	05.045
This last can never be annulled until the compact is fulfilled: it is of this that I have spoken to you so precisely. This last for evermore is cancelled not Unless complied with, and concerning this With such precision has above been spoken.	05.048
Therefore, the Hebrews found it necessary to bring their offerings, although-as you must know-some of their offerings might be altered. Therefore it was enjoined upon the Hebrews To offer still, though sometimes what was offered Might be commuted, as thou ought'st to know.	05.051
As for the matter of the vow-discussed above-it may be such that if one shifts to other matter, one commits no sin. The other, which is known to thee as matter, May well indeed be such that one errs not If it for other matter be exchanged.	05.054
But let none shift the burden on his shoulder through his own judgment, without waiting for the turning of the white and yellow keys; But let none shift the burden on his shoulder At his arbitrament, without the turning Both of the white and of the yellow key;	05.057
and let him see that any change is senseless, unless the thing one sets aside can be contained in one's new weight, as four in six. And every permutation deem as foolish, If in the substitute the thing relinquished, As the four is in six, be not contained.	05.060
Thus, when the matter of a vow has so much weight and worth that it tips every scale, no other weight can serve as substitute. Therefore whatever thing has so great weight In value that it drags down every balance, Cannot be satisfied with other spending.	05.063
Let mortals never take a vow in jest; be faithful and yet circumspect, not rash as Jephthah was, in offering his first gift; Let mortals never take a vow in jest; Be faithful and not blind in doing that, As Jephthah was in his first offering,	05.066
he should have said, 'I did amiss,' and not done worse by keeping faith. And you can find that same stupidity in the Greeks' chief- Whom more beseemed to say, 'I have done wrong, Than to do worse by keeping; and as foolish Thou the great leader of the Greeks wilt find,	05.069
when her fair face made Iphigenia grieve and made the wise and made the foolish weep for her when they heard tell of such a rite. Whence wept Iphigenia her fair face, And made for her both wise and simple weep, Who heard such kind of worship spoken of.'	05.072
Christians, proceed with greater gravity: do not be like a feather at each wind, nor think that all immersions wash you clean. Christians, be ye more serious in your movements; Be ye not like a feather at each wind, And think not every water washes you.	05.075
You have both Testaments, the Old and New, you have the shepherd of the Church to guide you; you need no more than this for your salvation. Ye have the Old and the New Testament, And the Pastor of the Church who guideth you Let this suffice you unto your salvation.	05.078
If evil greed would summon you elsewhere, be men, and not like sheep gone mad, so that the Jew who lives among you not deride you! If evil appetite cry aught else to you, Be ye as men, and not as silly sheep, So that the Jew among you may not mock you.	05.081
Do not act like the foolish, wanton lamb that leaves its mother's milk and, heedless, wants to war against-and harm-its very self!" Be ye not as the lamb that doth abandon Its mother's milk, and frolicsome and simple Combats at its own pleasure with itself."	05.084
These words of Beatrice I here transcribe; and then she turned-her longing at the full- to where the world is more alive with light. Thus Beatrice to me even as I write it; Then all desireful turned herself again To that part where the world is most alive.	05.087
Her silence and the change in her appearance imposed a silence on my avid mind, which now was ready to address new questions; Her silence and her change of countenance Silence imposed upon my eager mind, That had already in advance new questions;	05.090
and even as an arrow that has struck the mark before the bow-cord comes to rest, so did we race to reach the second realm. And as an arrow that upon the mark Strikes ere the bowstring quiet hath become, So did we speed into the second realm.	05.093
When she had passed into that heaven's light, I saw my lady filled with so much gladness that, at her joy, the planet grew more bright. My Lady there so joyful I beheld, As into the brightness of that heaven she entered, More luminous thereat the planet grew;	05.096
And if the planet changed and smiled, what then did I-who by my very nature am given to every sort of change-become? And if the star itself was changed and smiled, What became I, who by my nature am Exceeding mutable in every guise!	05.099
As in a fish-pool that is calm and clear, the fish draw close to anything that nears from outside, if it seems to be their fare, As, in a fish-pond which is pure and tranquil, The fishes draw to that which from without Comes in such fashion that their food they deem it;	05.102
such were the far more than a thousand splendors I saw approaching us, and each declared: "Here now is one who will increase our loves." So I beheld more than a thousand splendours Drawing towards us, and in each was heard: "Lo, this is she who shall increase our love."	05.105
And even as each shade approached, one saw, because of the bright radiance it sent forth, the joyousness with which that shade was filled. And as each one was coming unto us, Full of beatitude the shade was seen, By the effulgence clear that issued from it.	05.108
Consider, reader, what your misery and need to know still more would be if, at this point, what I began did not go on; Think, Reader, if what here is just beginning No farther should proceed, how thou wouldst have An agonizing need of knowing more;	05.111
and you will-unassisted-feel how I longed so to hear those shades narrate their state as soon as they appeared before my eyes. And of thyself thou'lt see how I from these Was in desire of hearing their conditions, As they unto mine eyes were manifest.	05.114
"O you born unto gladness, whom God's grace allows to see the thrones of the eternal triumph before your war of life is ended, "O thou well-born, unto whom Grace concedes To see the thrones of the eternal triumph, Or ever yet the warfare be abandoned'	05.117
the light that kindles us is that same light which spreads through all of heaven; thus, if you would know us, sate yourself as you may please." With light that through the whole of heaven is spread Kindled are we, and hence if thou desirest To know of us, at thine own pleasure sate thee."	05.120
So did one of those pious spirits speak to me. And Beatrice then urged: "Speak, speak confidently; trust them as you trust gods." Thus by some one among those holy spirits Was spoken, and by Beatrice: "Speak, speak Securely, and believe them even as Gods."	05.123
"I see-plainly-how you have nested in your own light; see-you draw it from your eyes- because it glistens even as you smile; "Well I perceive how thou dost nest thyself In thine own light, and drawest it from thine eyes, Because they coruscate when thou dost smile,	05.126
but I do not know who you are or why, good soul, your rank is in a sphere concealed from mortals by another planet's rays." But know not who thou art, nor why thou hast, Spirit august, thy station in the sphere That veils itself to men in alien rays."	05.129
I said this as I stood turned toward the light that first addressed me; and at this, it glowed more radiantly than it had before. This said I in direction of the light Which first had spoken to me; whence it became By far more lucent than it was before.	05.132
Just as the sun, when heat has worn away thick mists that moderate its rays, conceals itself from sight through an excess of light, Even as the sun, that doth conceal himself By too much light, when heat has worn away The tempering influence of the vapours dense,	05.135
so did that holy form, through excess gladness, conceal himself from me within his rays; and so concealed, concealed, he answered me By greater rapture thus concealed itself In its own radiance the figure saintly, And thus close, close enfolded answered me	05.138
even as the next canto is to sing. In fashion as the following Canto sings.	05.139

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