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PARADISO CANTO 14
Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.		 NotesAnn. 

	From rim to center, center out to rim,
so does the water move in a round vessel,
as it is struck without, or struck within.

	FROM centre unto rim, from rim to centre,
In a round vase the water moves itself,
As from without 'tis struck or from within.








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	What I am saying fell most suddenly
into my mind, as soon as Thomas's
glorious living flame fell silent, since

	Into my mind upon a sudden dropped
What I am saying, at the moment when
Silent became the glorious life of Thomas,








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	between his speech and that of Beatrice,
a similarity was born. And she,
when he was done, was pleased to start with this:

	Because of the resemblance that was born
Of his discourse and that of Beatrice,
Whom, after him, it pleased thus to begin:








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	"He does not tell you of it-not with speech
nor in his thoughts as yet-but this man needs
to reach the root of still another truth.

	"This man has need (and does not tell you so,
Nor with the voice, nor even in his thought)
Of going to the root of one truth more.








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	Do tell him if that light with which your soul
blossoms will stay with you eternally
even as it is now; and if it stays,

	Declare unto him if the light wherewith
Blossoms your substance shall remain with you
Eternally the same that it is now;








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	do tell him how, when you are once again
made visible, it will be possible
for you to see such light and not be harmed."

	And if it do remain, say in what manner,
After ye are again made visible,
It can be that it injure not your sight.'








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	As dancers in a ring, when drawn and driven
by greater gladness, lift at times their voices
and dance their dance with more exuberance,

	As by a greater gladness urged and drawn
They who are dancing in a ring sometimes
Uplift their voices and their motions quicken;








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	so, when they heard that prompt, devout request,
the blessed circles showed new joyousness
in wheeling dance and in amazing song.

	So, at that orison devout and prompt,
The holy circles a new joy displayed
In their revolving and their wondrous song.








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	Whoever weeps because on earth we die
that we may live on high, has never seen
eternal showers that bring refreshment there.

	Whoso lamenteth him that here we die
That we may live above, has never there
Seen the refreshment of the eternal rain.








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	That One and Two and Three who ever lives
and ever reigns in Three and Two and One,
not circumscribed and circumscribing all,

	The One and Two and Three who ever liveth,
And reigneth ever in Three and Two and One,
Not circumscribed and all things circumscribing,  








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	was sung three times by each and all those souls
with such a melody that it would be
appropriate reward for every merit.

	Three several times was chanted by each one
Among those spirits, with such melody
That for all merit it were just reward;








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	And I could hear within the smaller circle's
divinest light a modest voice (perhaps
much like the angel's voice in speech to Mary)

	And, in the lustre most divine of all
The lesser ring, I heard a modest voice,
Such as perhaps the Angel's was to Mary,








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	reply: "As long as the festivity
of Paradise shall be, so long shall our
love radiate around us such a garment.

	Answer: "As long as the festivity
Of Paradise shall be, so long our love
Shall radiate round about us such a vesture.          








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	Its brightness takes its measure from our ardor,
our ardor from our vision, which is measured
by what grace each receives beyond his merit.

	Its brightness is proportioned to the ardour,
The ardour to the vision; and the vision
Equals what grace it has above its worth.








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	When, glorified and sanctified, the flesh
is once again our dress, our persons shall,
in being all complete, please all the more;

	When, glorious and sanctified, our flesh
Is reassumed, then shall our persons be
More pleasing by their being all complete;








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	therefore, whatever light gratuitous
the Highest Good gives us will be enhanced-
the light that will allow us to see Him;

	For will increase whate'er bestows on us
Of light gratuitous the Good Supreme,
Light which enables us to look on Him;








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	that light will cause our vision to increase,
the ardor vision kindles to increase,
the brightness born of ardor to increase.

	Therefore the vision must perforce increase,
Increase the ardour which from that is kindled,
Increase the radiance which from this proceeds.








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	Yet even as a coal engenders flame,
but with intenser glow outshines it, so
that in that flame the coal persists, it shows,

	But even as a coal that sends forth flame,
And by its vivid whiteness overpowers it
So that its own appearance it maintains,








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	so will the brightness that envelops us 
be then surpassed in visibility
by reborn flesh, which earth now covers up.

	Thus the effulgence that surrounds us now
Shall be o'erpowered in aspect by the flesh,
Which still to-day the earth doth cover up;








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	Nor will we tire when faced with such bright light,
for then the body's organs will have force
enough for all in which we can delight."

	Nor can so great a splendour weary us,
For strong will be the organs of the body
To everything which hath the power to please us."








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	One and the other choir seemed to me
so quick and keen to say "Amen" that they
showed clearly how they longed for their dead bodies-

	So sudden and alert appeared to me
Both one and the other choir to say Amen,
That well they showed desire for their dead bodies;








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	not only for themselves, perhaps, but for
their mothers, fathers, and for others dear
to them before they were eternal flames.

	Nor sole for them perhaps, but for the mothers,
The fathers, and the rest who had been dear
Or ever they became eternal flames.








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	And-look!-beyond the light already there,
an added luster rose around those rings,
even as a horizon brightening.

	And lo! all round about of equal brightness
Arose a lustre over what was there,
Like an horizon that is clearing up.








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	And even as, at the approach of evening,
new lights begin to show along the sky,
so that the sight seems and does not seem real,

	And as at rise of early eve begin
Along the welkin new appearances,
So that the sight seems real and unreal,








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	it seemed to me that I began to see
new spirits there, forming a ring beyond
the choirs with their two circumferences.

	It seemed to me that new subsistences
Began there to be seen, and make a circle
Outside the other two circumferences.








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	O the true sparkling of the Holy Ghost-
how rapid and how radiant before
my eyes that, overcome, could not sustain it!

	O very sparkling of the Holy Spirit,
How sudden and incandescent it became
Unto mine eyes that vanquished bore it not!








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	But, smiling, Beatrice then showed to me
such loveliness-it must be left among
the visions that take flight from memory.

	But Beatrice so beautiful and smiling
Appeared to me, that with the other sights
That followed not my memory I must leave her.








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	From this my eyes regained the strength to look
above again; I saw myself translated
to higher blessedness, alone with my

	Then to uplift themselves mine eyes resumed
The power, and I beheld myself translated
To higher salvation with my Lady only.








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	lady; and I was sure that I had risen
because the smiling star was red as fire-
beyond the customary red of Mars.

	Well was I ware that I was more uplifted
By the enkindled smiling of the star,
That seemed to me more ruddy than its wont.








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	With all my heart and in that language which
is one for all, for this new grace I gave
to God my holocaust, appropriate.

	With all my heart, and in that dialect
Which is the same in all, such holocaust
To God I made as the new grace beseemed;








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	Though in my breast that burning sacrifice
was not completed yet, I was aware
that it had been accepted and auspicious;

	And not yet from my bosom was exhausted
The ardour of sacrifice, before I knew
This offering was accepted and auspicious;








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	for splendors, in two rays, appeared to me,
so radiant and fiery that I said:
"O Helios, you who adorn them thus!"

	For with so great a lustre and so red
Splendours appeared to me in twofold rays,
I said: "O Helios who dost so adorn them!"








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	As, graced with lesser and with larger lights
between the poles of the world, the Galaxy
gleams so that even sages are perplexed;

	Even as distinct with less and greater lights
Glimmers between the two poles of the world
The Galaxy that maketh wise men doubt,








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	so, constellated in the depth of Mars,
those rays described the venerable sign
a circle's quadrants form where they are joined.

	Thus constellated in the depths of Mars,
Those rays described the venerable sign
That quadrants joining in a circle make.








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	And here my memory defeats my wit:
Christ's flaming from that cross was such that I
can find no fit similitude for it.

	Here doth my memory overcome my genius;
For on that cross as levin gleamed forth Christ,
So that I cannot find ensample worthy;








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	But he who takes his cross and follows Christ
will pardon me again for my omission-
my seeing Christ flash forth undid my force.

	But he who takes his cross and follows Christ
Again will pardon me what I omit,
Seeing in that aurora lighten Christ.








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	Lights moved along that cross from horn to horn
and from the summit to the base, and as
they met and passed, they sparkled, radiant:

	From horn to horn, and 'twixt the top and base,
Lights were in motion, brightly scintillating
As they together met and passed each other;








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	so, straight and slant and quick and slow, one sees
on earth the particles of bodies, long
and short, in shifting shapes, that move along

	Thus level and aslant and swift and slow
We here behold, renewing still the sight,
The particles of bodies long and short,








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	the ray of light that sometimes streaks across
the shade that men devise with skill and art
to serve as their defense against the sun.

	Across the sunbeam move, wherewith is listed
Sometimes the shade, which for their own defence
People with cunning and with art contrive.








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	And just as harp and viol, whose many chords
are tempered, taut, produce sweet harmony
although each single note is not distinct,

	And as a lute and harp, accordant strung
With many strings, a dulcet tinkling make
To him by whom the notes are not distinguished,  








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	so, from the lights that then appeared to me,
out from that cross there spread a melody
that held me rapt, although I could not tell

	So from the lights that there to me appeared
Upgathered through the cross a melody,
Which rapt me, not distinguishing the hymn.








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	what hymn it was. I knew it sang high praise,
since I heard "Rise" and "Conquer," but I was
as one who hears but cannot seize the sense.

	Well was I ware it was of lofty laud,
Because there came to me, "Arise and conquer!" 
As unto him who hears and comprehends not.








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	Yet I was so enchanted by the sound
that until then no thing had ever bound
me with such gentle bonds. My words may seem

	So much enamoured I became therewith,
That until then there was not anything
That e'er had fettered me with such sweet bonds.








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	presumptuous, as though I dared to deem
a lesser thing the lovely eyes that bring
to my desire, as it gazes, peace.

	Perhaps my word appears somewhat too bold,
Postponing the delight of those fair eyes,
Into which gazing my desire has rest;








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	But he who notes that, in ascent, her eyes-
all beauty's living seals-gain force, and notes
that I had not yet turned to them in Mars,

	But who bethinks him that the living seals
Of every beauty grow in power ascending,
And that I there had not turned round to those, 








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	can then excuse me-just as I accuse
myself, thus to excuse myself-and see
that I speak truly: here her holy beauty

	Can me excuse, if I myself accuse
To excuse myself, and see that I speak truly:
For here the holy joy is not disclosed,








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	is not denied-ascent makes it more perfect.

	Because ascending it becomes more pure.




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