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PARADISO CANTO 15
Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.		 NotesAnn. 

	Generous will-in which is manifest
always the love that breathes toward righteousness,
as in contorted will is greediness-

	A WILL benign, in which reveals itself
Ever the love that righteously inspires,
As in the iniquitous, cupidity,








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	imposing silence on that gentle lyre,
brought quiet to the consecrated chords
that Heaven's right hand slackens and draws taut.

	Silence imposed upon that dulcet lyre,
And quieted the consecrated chords,
That Heaven's right hand doth tighten and relax








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	Can souls who prompted me to pray to them,
by falling silent all in unison,
be deaf to men's just prayers? Then he may grieve

	How unto just entreaties shall be deaf
Those substances, which, to give me desire
Of praying them, with one accord grew silent ?








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	indeed and endlessly-the man who leaves
behind such love and turns instead to seek
things that do not endure eternally.

	'Tis well that without end he should lament,
Who for the love of thing that doth not last
Eternally despoils him of that love!








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	As, through the pure and tranquil skies of night,
at times a sudden fire shoots, and moves
eyes that were motionless-a fire that seems

	As through the pure and tranquil evening air
There shoots from time to time a sudden fire,
Moving the eyes that steadfast were before,








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	a star that shifts its place, except that in
that portion of the heavens where it flared,
nothing is lost, and its own course is short-

	And seems to be a star that changeth place,
Except that in the part where it is kindled
Nothing is missed, and this endureth little;








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	so, from the horn that stretches on the right,
down to the foot of that cross, a star ran
out of the constellation glowing there;

	So from the horn that to the right extends
Unto that cross's foot there ran a star
Out of the constellation shining there;








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	nor did that gem desert the cross's track,
but coursed along the radii, and seemed
just like a flame that alabaster screens.

	Nor was the gem dissevered from its ribbon,
But down the radiant fillet ran along,
So that fire seemed it behind alabaster.








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	With such affection did Anchises' shade
reach out (if we may trust our greatest muse)
when in Elysium he saw his son.

	Thus piteous did Anchises' shade reach forward,
If any faith our greatest Muse deserve,
When in Elysium he his son perceived.








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	"O blood of mine-o the celestial grace
bestowed beyond all measure-unto whom
as unto you was Heaven's gate twice opened?"

	"O sanguis meus, O super infusa
Gratia Dei, sicut tibi, cui
Bis unquam Coeli janua reclusa?"








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	That light said this; at which, I stared at him.
Then, looking back to see my lady, I,
on this side and on that, was stupefied;

	Thus that effulgence; whence I gave it heed;
Then round unto my Lady turned my sight,
And on this side and that was stupefied;








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	for in the smile that glowed within her eyes,
I thought that I-with mine-had touched the height
of both my blessedness and paradise.

	For in her eyes was burning such a smile
That with mine own methought I touched the bottom 
Both of my grace and of my Paradise!








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	Then-and he was a joy to hear and see-
that spirit added to his first words things
that were too deep to meet my understanding.

	Then, pleasant to the hearing and the sight,
The spirit joined to its beginning things
I understood not, so profound it spake;








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	Not that he chose to hide his sense from me;
necessity compelled him; he conceived
beyond the mark a mortal mind can reach.

	Nor did it hide itself from me by choice,
But by necessity; for its conception
Above the mark of mortals set itself








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	And when his bow of burning sympathy
was slack enough to let his speech descend
to meet the limit of our intellect,

	And when the bow of burning sympathy
Was so far slackened, that its speech descended
Towards the mark of our intelligence,








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	these were the first words where I caught the sense:
"Blessed be you, both Three and One, who show
such favor to my seed." And he continued:

	The first thing that was understood by me
Was"Benedight be Thou, O Trine and One,
Who hast unto my seed so courteous been!"








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	"The long and happy hungering I drew
from reading that great volume where both black
and white are never changed, you-son-have now

	And it continued: "Hunger long and grateful,
Drawn from the reading of the mighty volume
Wherein is never changed the white nor dark,








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	appeased within this light in which I speak
to you; for this, I owe my gratitude
to her who gave you wings for your high flight.

	Thou hast appeased, my son, within this light
In which I speak to thee, by grace of her
Who to this lofty flight with plumage clothed thee.








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	You think your thoughts flow into me from Him
who is the First-as from the number one,
the five and six derive, if one is known-

	Thou thinkest that to me thy thought doth pass
From Him who is the first, as from the unit,
If that be known, ray out the five and six;








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	and so you do not ask me who I am
and why I seem more joyous to you than
all other spirits in this festive throng.

	And therefore who I am thou askest not,
And why I seem more joyous unto thee
Than any other of this gladsome crowd.








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	Your thought is true, for both the small and great
of this life gaze into that mirror where,
before you think, your thoughts have been displayed.

	Thou think'st the truth; because the small and great
Of this existence look into the mirror
Wherein, before thou think'st, thy thought thou showest.








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	But that the sacred love in which I keep
my vigil with unending watchfulness,
the love that makes me thirst with sweet desire,

	But that the sacred love, in which I watch
With sight perpetual, and which makes me thirst 
With sweet desire, may better be fulfilled,








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	be better satisfied, let your voice-bold,
assured, and glad-proclaim your will and longing,
to which my answer is decreed already."

	Now let thy voice secure and frank and glad
Proclaim the wishes, the desire proclaim,
To which my answer is decreed already."








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	I turned to Beatrice, but she heard me
before I spoke; her smile to me was signal
that made the wings of my desire grow.

	To Beatrice I turned me, and she heard
Before I spake, and smiled to me a sign,
That made the wings of my desire increase;








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	Then I began: "As soon as you beheld
the First Equality, both intellect
and love weighed equally for each of you,

	Then in this wise began I: "Love and knowledge,
When on you dawned the first Equality,
Of the same weight for each of you became;  








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	because the Sun that brought you light and heat
possesses heat and light so equally
that no thing matches His equality;

	For in the Sun, which lighted you and burned
With heat and radiance, they so equal are,
That all similitudes are insufficient.








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	whereas in mortals, word and sentiment-
to you, the cause of this is evident-
are wings whose featherings are disparate.

	But among mortals will and argument,
For reason that to you is manifest,   
Diversely feathered in their pinions are.








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	I-mortal-feel this inequality;
thus, it is only with my heart that I
can offer thanks for your paternal greeting

	Whence I, who mortal am, feel in myself
This inequality; so give not thanks
Save in my heart, for this paternal welcome.








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	Indeed I do beseech you, living topaz,
set in this precious jewel as a gem:
fulfill my longing-let me know your name."

	Truly do I entreat thee, living topaz!  
Set in this precious jewel as a gem,
That thou wilt satisfy me with thy name."








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	"O you, my branch in whom I took delight
even awaiting you, I am your root,"
so he, in his reply to me, began,

	"O leaf of mine, in whom I pleasure took
E'en while awaiting, I was thine own root!"
Such a beginning he in answer made me








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	then said:"The man who gave your family
its name, who for a century and more
has circled the first ledge of Purgatory,

	Then said to me: "That one from whom is named
Thy race, and who a hundred years and more
Has circled round the mount on the first cornice,








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	was son to me and was your great-grandfather;
it is indeed appropriate for you
to shorten his long toil with your good works.

	A son of mine and thy great-grandsire was;
Well it behoves thee that the long fatigue 
Thou shouldst for him make shorter with thy works.








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	Florence, within her ancient ring of walls-
that ring from which she still draws tierce and nones-
sober and chaste, lived in tranquillity.

	Florence, within the ancient boundary
From which she taketh still her tierce and nones,
Abode in quiet, temperate and chaste.








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	No necklace and no coronal were there,
and no embroidered gowns; there was no girdle
that caught the eye more than the one who wore it.

	No golden chain she had, nor coronal,
Nor ladies shod with sandal shoon, nor girdle
That caught the eye more than the person did.








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	No daughter's birth brought fear unto her father,
for age and dowry then did not imbalance-
to this side and to that-the proper measure.

	Not yet the daughter at her birth struck fear
Into the father, for the time and dower
Did not o'errun this side or that the measure.








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	There were no families that bore no children;
and Sardanapalus was still a stranger-
not come as yet to teach in the bedchamber.

	No houses had she void of families,
Not yet had thither come Sardanapalus
To show what in a chamber can be done;








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	Not yet had your Uccellatoio's rise
outdone the rise of Monte Mario,
which, too, will be outdone in its decline.

	Not yet surpassed had Montemalo been
By your Uccellatojo, which surpassed
Shall in its downfall be as in its rise.








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	I saw Bellincione Berti girt
with leather and with bone, and saw his wife
come from her mirror with her face unpainted.

	Bellincion Berti saw I go begirt
With leather and with bone, and from the mirror
His dame depart without a painted face;








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	I saw dei Nerli and del Vecchio
content to wear their suits of unlined skins,
and saw their wives at spindle and at spool.

	And him of Nerli saw, and him of Vecchio,
Contented with their simple suits of buff
And with the spindle and the flax their dames








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	O happy wives! Each one was sure of her
own burial place, and none-for France's sake-
as yet was left deserted in her bed.

	O fortunate women! and each one was certain
Of her own burial-place, and none as yet
For sake of France was in her bed deserted.








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	One woman watched with loving care the cradle
and, as she soothed her infant, used the way
of speech with which fathers and mothers play;

	One o'er the cradle kept her studious watch,
And in her lullaby the language used
That first delights the fathers and the mothers;








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	another, as she drew threads from the distaff,
would tell, among her household, tales of Trojans,
and tales of Fiesole, and tales of Rome.

	Another, drawing tresses from her distaff,
Told o'er among her family the tales
Of Trojans and of Fesole and Rome.








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	A Lapo Salterello, a Cianghella,
would then have stirred as much dismay as now
a Cincinnatus and Cornelia would.

	As great a marvel then would have been held
A Lapo Salterello, a Cianghella,
As Cincinnatus or Cornelia now.








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	To such a life-so tranquil and so lovely-
of citizens in true community,
into so sweet a dwelling place did Mary,

	To such a quiet, such a beautiful
Life of the citizen, to such a safe
Community, and to so sweet an inn,








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	invoked in pains of birth, deliver me;
and I, within your ancient Baptistery,
at once became Christian and Cacciaguida.

	Did Mary give me, with loud cries invoked,
And in your ancient Baptistery at once
Christian and Cacciaguida I became.








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	Moronto was my brother, and Eliseo;
my wife came from the valley of the Po-
the surname that you bear was brought by her.

	Moronto was my brother, and Eliseo;
From Val di Pado came to me my wife,
And from that place thy surname was derived.








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	In later years I served the Emperor
Conrad-and my good works so gained his favor
that he gave me the girdle of his knighthood.

	r followed afterward the Emperor Conrad,
And he begirt me of his chivalry,
So much I pleased him with my noble deeds.








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	I followed him to war against the evil
of that law whose adherents have usurped-
this, through your Pastors' fault-your just possessions.

	I followed in his train against that law's
Iniquity, whose people doth usurp
Your just possession, through your Pastor's fault








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	There, by that execrable race, I was
set free from fetters of the erring world,
the love of which defiles so many souls.

	There by that execrable race was I
Released from bonds of the fallacious world,
The love of which defileth many souls,








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	From martyrdom I came unto this peace."

	And came from martyrdom unto this peace."




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