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PARADISO CANTO 13
Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.		 NotesAnn. 

	Let him imagine, who would rightly seize
what I saw now-and let him while I speak
retain that image like a steadfast rock-

	LET him imagine, who would well conceive
What now I saw, and let him while I speak
Retain the image as a steadfast rock,








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	in heaven's different parts, those fifteen stars
that quicken heaven with such radiance
as to undo the air's opacities;

	The fifteen stars, that in their divers regions
The sky enliven with a light so great
That it transcends all clusters of the air;








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	let him imagine, too, that Wain which stays
within our heaven's bosom night and day,
so that its turning never leaves our sight;

	Let him the Wain imagine unto which
Our vault of heaven sufficeth night and day,
So that in turning of its pole it fails not;








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	let him imagine those two stars that form
the mouth of that Horn which begins atop
the axle round which the first wheel revolves;

	Let him the mouth imagine of the horn
That in the point beginneth of the axis
Round about which the primal wheel revolves,emdash 








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	then see these join to form two signs in heaven-
just like the constellation that was shaped
by Minos' daughter when she felt death's chill-

	To have fashioned of themselves two signs in heaven,
Like unto that which Minos' daughter made,
The moment when she felt the frost of death;








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	two signs with corresponding radii,
revolving so that one sign moves in one
direction, and the other in a second;

	And one to have its rays within the other,
And both to whirl themselves in such a manner
That one should forward go, the other backward;








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	and he will have a shadow-as it were-
of the true constellation, the double dance
that circled round the point where I was standing:

	And he will have some shadowing forth of that
True constellation and the double dance 
That circled round the point at which I was;








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	a shadow-since its truth exceeds our senses,
just as the swiftest of all heavens is
more swift than the Chiana's sluggishness.

	Because it is as much beyond our wont,
As swifter than the motion of the Chiana
Moveth the heaven that all the rest outspeeds.








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	They sang no Bacchus there, they sang no Paean,
but sang three Persons in the divine nature, 
and in one Person the divine and human.

	There sang they neither Bacchus, nor Apollo,
But in the divine nature Persons three,
And in one person the divine and human.








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	The singing and the dance fulfilled their measure;
and then those holy lights gave heed to us,
rejoicing as they turned from task to task.

	The singing and the dance fulfilled their measure,
And unto us those holy lights gave need,
Growing in happiness from care to care.








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	The silence of the blessed fellowship
was broken by the very light from which
I heard the wondrous life of God's poor man;

	Then broke the silence of those saints concordant
The light in which the admirable life
Of God's own mendicant was told to me,








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	that light said: "Since one stalk is threshed, and since
its grain is in the granary already,
sweet love leads me to thresh the other stalk.

	And said: "Now that one straw is trodden out
Now that its seed is garnered up already,
Sweet love invites me to thresh out the other.








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	You think that any light which human nature
can rightfully possess was all infused
by that Force which had shaped both of these two:

	Into that bosom, thou believest, whence
Was drawn the rib to form the beauteous cheek
Whose taste to all the world is costing dear,








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	the one out of whose chest was drawn the rib
from which was formed the lovely cheek whose palate
was then to prove so costly to the world;

	And into that which, by the lance transfixed,
Before and since, such satisfaction made
That it weighs down the balance of all sin,








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	and One whose chest was transfixed by the lance,
who satisfied all past and future sins,
outweighing them upon the scales of justice.

	Whate'er of light it has to human nature
Been lawful to possess was all infused
By the same power that both of them created;  








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	Therefore you wondered at my words when I-
before-said that no other ever vied
with that great soul enclosed in the fifth light.

	And hence at what I said above dost wonder,
When I narrated that no second had
The good which in the fifth light is enclosed.








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	Now let your eyes hold fast to my reply,
and you will see: truth centers both my speech
and your belief, just like a circle's center.

	Now ope thine eyes to what I answer thee,
And thou shalt see thy creed and my discourse 
Fit in the truth as centre in a circle.








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	Both that which never dies and that which dies
are only the reflected light of that
Idea which our Sire, with Love, begets;

	That which can die, and that which dieth not,
Are nothing but the splendour of the idea
Which by his love our Lord brings into being








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	because the living Light that pours out so
from Its bright Source that It does not disjoin
from It or from the Love intrined with them,

	Because that living Light, which from its fount
Effulgent flows, so that it disunites not
From Him nor from the Love in them intrined,








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	through Its own goodness gathers up Its rays
within nine essences, as in a mirror,
Itself eternally remaining One.

	Through its own goodness reunites its rays
In nine subsistences, as in a mirror,
Itself eternally remaining One.








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	From there, from act to act, light then descends
down to the last potentialities,
where it is such that it engenders nothing

	Thence it descends to the last potencies,
Downward from act to act becoming such
That only brief contingencies it makes;








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	but brief contingent things, by which I mean
the generated things the moving heavens
bring into being, with or without seed.

	And these contingencies I hold to be
Things generated, which the heaven produces
By its own motion, with seed and without.








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	The wax of such things and what shapes that wax
are not immutable; and thus, beneath
Idea's stamp, light shines through more or less.

	Neither their wax, nor that which tempers it,
Remains immutable, and hence beneath
The ideal signet more and less shines through;








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	Thus it can be that, in the selfsame species,
some trees bear better fruit and some bear worse,
and men are born with different temperaments.

	Therefore it happens, that the selfsame tree
After its kind bears worse and better fruit,
And ye are born with characters diverse.








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	For were the wax appropriately readied,
and were the heaven's power at its height,
the brightness of the seal would show completely;

	If in perfection tempered were the wax,
And were the heaven in its supremest virtue,
The brilliance of the seal would all appear;








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	but Nature always works defectively-
she passes on that light much like an artist
who knows his craft but has a hand that trembles.

	But nature gives it evermore deficient,
In the like manner working as the artist,
Who has the skill of art and hand that trembles.








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	Yet where the ardent Love prepares and stamps
the lucid Vision of the primal Power,
a being then acquires complete perfection.

	If then the fervent Love, the Vision clear,
Of primal Virtue do dispose and seal,    
Perfection absolute is there acquired.








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	In that way, earth was once made worthy of
the full perfection of a living being;
thus was the Virgin made to be with child.

	Thus was of old the earth created worthy
Of all and every animal perfection;
And thus the Virgin was impregnate made;








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	So that I do approve of the opinion
you hold: that human nature never was 
nor shall be what it was in those two persons.

	So that thine own opinion I commend,
That human nature never yet has been,
Nor will be, what it was  in, those two persons.








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	Now if I said no more beyond this point,
your words might well begin, 'How is it, then,
with your assertion of his matchless vision?'

	Now if no farther forth I should proceed,
' Then in what way was he without a peer ?'
Would be the first beginning of thy words. 








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	But so that the obscure can be made plain,
consider who he was, what was the cause
of his request when he was told, 'Do ask.'

	But, that may well appear what now appears not,
Think who he was, and what occasion moved him
To make request, when it was told him, ' Ask.'








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	My words did not prevent your seeing clearly
that it was as a king that he had asked
for wisdom that would serve his royal task-

	I've not so spoken that thou canst not see
Clearly he was a king who asked for wisdom,  
That he might be sufficiently a king;








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	and not to know the number of the angels
on high or, if combined with a contingent,
necesse ever can produce necesse,

	'Twas not to know the number in which are
The motors here above, or if necesse
With a contingent e'er necesse make,








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	or si est dare primum motum esse,
or if, within a semicircle, one
can draw a triangle with no right angle.

	Non si est dare primum motum esse,
Or if in semicircle can be made
Triangle so that it have no right angle.








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	Thus, if you note both what I said and say,
by 'matchless vision' it is kingly prudence
my arrow of intention means to strike;

	Whence, if thou notest this and what I said,
A regal prudence is that peerless seeing
In which the shaft of my intention strikes








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	and if you turn clear eyes to that word 'rose,'
you'll see that it referred to kings alone-
kings, who are many, and the good are rare.

	And if on ' rose ' thou turnest thy clear eyes,
Thou'lt see that it has reference alone
To kings who're many, and the good are rare.








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	Take what I said with this distinction then;
in that way it accords with what you thought
of the first father and of our Beloved.

	With this distinction take thou what I said,
And thus it can consist with thy belief  
Of the first father and of our Delight.








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	And let this weigh as lead to slow your steps,
to make you move as would a weary man
to yes or no when you do not see clearly:

	And lead shall this be always to thy feet,
To make thee, like a weary man, move slowly
Both to the Yes and No thou seest not;








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	whether he would affirm or would deny,
he who decides without distinguishing
must be among the most obtuse of men;

	For very low among the fools is he
Who affirms without distinction, or denies,
As well in one as in the other case;








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	opinion-hasty-often can incline
to the wrong side, and then affection for
one's own opinion binds, confines the mind.

	Because it happens that full often bends
Current opinion in the false direction,
And then the feelings bind the intellect.








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	Far worse than uselessly he leaves the shore
(more full of error than he was before)
who fishes for the truth but lacks the art.

	Far more than uselessly he leaves the shore,
(Since he returneth not the same he went,)
Who fishes for the truth, and has no skill;








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	Of this, Parmenides, Melissus, Bryson,
are clear proofs to the world, and many others
who went their way but knew not where it went;

	And in the world proofs manifest thereof
Parmenides, Melissus, Brissus are,   
And many who went on and knew not whither;








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	so did Sabellius and Arius
and other fools-like concave blades that mirror-
who rendered crooked the straight face of Scriptures.

	Thus did Sabellius, Arius, and those fools
Who have been even as swords unto the Scriptures
In rendering distorted their straight faces.








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	So, too, let men not be too confident
in judging-witness those who, in the field,
would count the ears before the corn is ripe;

	Nor yet shall people be too confident  
In judging, even as he is who doth count
The corn in field or ever it be ripe.








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	for I have seen, all winter through, the brier
display itself as stiff and obstinate,
and later, on its summit, bear the rose;

	For I have seen all winter long the thorn
First show itself intractable and fierce,
And after bear the rose upon its top;








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	and once I saw a ship sail straight and swift
through all its voyaging across the sea,
then perish at the end, at harbor entry.

	And I have seen a ship direct and swift
Run o'er the sea throughout its course entire,
To perish at the harbour's mouth at last.








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	Let not Dame Bertha or Master Martin think
that they have shared God's Counsel when they see
one rob and see another who donates:

	Let not Dame Bertha nor Ser Martin think,
Seeing one steal, another offering make, 
To see them in the arbitrament divine;








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	the last may fall, the other may be saved."

	For one may rise, and fall the other may."




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