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PARADISO CANTO 19
Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.		 NotesAnn. 

	The handsome image those united souls,
happy within their blessedness, were shaping,
appeared before me now with open wings.

	APPEARED before me with its wings outspread
The beautiful image that in sweet fruition
Made jubilant the interwoven souls;








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	Each soul seemed like a ruby-one in which
a ray of sun burned so, that in my eyes,
it was the total sun that seemed reflected.

	Appeared a little ruby each, wherein
Ray of the sun was burning so enkindled
That each into mine eyes refracted it.








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	And what I now must tell has never been
reported by a voice, inscribed by ink,
never conceived by the imagination;

	And what it now behoves me to retrace
Nor voice has e'er reported, nor ink written,
Nor was by fantasy e'er comprehended;








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	for I did see the beak, did hear it speak
and utter with its voice both I and mine
when we and ours were what, in thought, was meant.

	For speak I saw, and likewise heard, the beak,
And utter with its voice both  I and My,
When in conception it was We and Our.








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	And it began: "Because I was both just
and merciful, I am exalted here
to glory no desire can surpass;

	And it began: "Being just and merciful
Am I exalted here unto that glory
Which cannot be exceeded by desire;








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	the memory I left on earth is such
that even the malicious praise it there,
although they do not follow its example."

	And upon earth I left my memory
Such, that the evil-minded people there
Commend it, but continue not the story."








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	Thus one sole warmth is felt from many embers,
even as from a multitude of loves
one voice alone rose from the Eagle's image.

	So doth a single heat from many embers
Make itself felt, even as from many loves
Issued a single sound from out that image.








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	To which I said: "O everlasting flowers
of the eternal gladness, who make all
your fragrances appear to me as one,

	Whence I thereafter: "O perpetual flowers
Of the eternal joy, that only one
Make me perceive your odours manifold,








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	do let your breath deliver me from that
great fast which kept me hungering so long,
not finding any food for it on earth.

	Exhaling, break within me the great fast
Which a long season has in hunger held me,
Not finding for it any food on earth.








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	I know indeed that, though God's Justice has
another realm in Heaven as Its mirror,
you here do not perceive it through a veil.

	Well do I know, that if in heaven its mirror
Justice Divine another realm doth make,
Yours apprehends it not through any veil.








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	You know how keenly I prepare myself
to listen, and you know what is that doubt
which caused so old a hungering in me."

	You know how I attentively address me
To listen; and you know what is the doubt
That is in me so very old a fast."








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	Just like a falcon set free from its hood,
which moves its head and flaps its wings, displaying
its eagerness and proud appearance, so

	Even as a falcon  issuing from his hood,
Doth move his head, and with his wings applaud him
Showing desire, and making himself fine,








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	I saw that ensign do, that Eagle woven
of praises of God's grace, accompanied
by songs whose sense those up above enjoy.

	Saw I become that standard, which of lauds
Was interwoven of the grace divine,
With such songs as he knows who there rejoices.








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	Then it began: "The One who turned His compass
to mark the world's confines, and in them set
so many things concealed and things revealed,

	Then it began: "He who a compass turned
On the world's outer verge, and who within it
Devised so much occult and manifest,








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	could not imprint His Power into all
the universe without His Word remaining
in infinite excess of such a vessel.

	Could not the impress of his power so make
On all the universe, as that his Word
Should not remain in infinite excess.








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	In proof of this, the first proud being, he
who was the highest of all creatures, fell-
unripe because he did not wait for light.

	And this makes certain that the first proud being,
Who was the paragon of every creature,
By not awaiting light fell immature.








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	Thus it is clear that every lesser nature
is-all the more-too meager a container
for endless Good, which is Its own sole measure.

	And hence appears it, that each minor nature
Is scant receptacle unto that good
Which has no end, and by itself is measured.








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	In consequence of this, your vision-which
must be a ray of that Intelligence
with which all beings are infused-cannot

	In consequence our vision, which perforce
Must be some ray of that intelligence
With which all things whatever are replete,








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	of its own nature find sufficient force
to see into its origin beyond
what God himself makes manifest to man;

	Cannot in its own nature be so potent,
That it shall not its origin discern
Far beyond that which is apparent to it.








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	therefore, the vision that your world receives
can penetrate into Eternal Justice
no more than eye can penetrate the sea;

	Therefore into the justice sempiternal
The power of vision that your world receives,
As eye into the ocean, penetrates ;








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	for though, near shore, sight reaches the sea floor,
you cannot reach it in the open sea;
yet it is there, but hidden by the deep.

	Which, though it see the bottom near the shore,
Upon the deep perceives it not, and yet
'Tis there, but it is hidden by the depth.








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	Only the light that shines from the clear heaven
can never be obscured-all else is darkness
or shadow of the flesh or fleshly poison.

	There is no light but comes from the serene
That never is o'ercast, nay, it is darkness
Or shadow of the flesh, or else its poison.








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	Now is the hiding place of living Justice
laid open to you-where it had been hidden
while you addressed it with insistent questions.

	Amply to thee is opened now the cavern
Which has concealed from thee the living justice
Of which thou mad'st such frequent questioning.








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	For you would say: 'A man is born along
the shoreline of the Indus River; none
is there to speak or teach or write of Christ.

	For saidst thou: 'Born a man is on the shore
Of Indus, and is none who there can speak
Of Christ, nor who can read, nor who can write;








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	And he, as far as human reason sees,
in all he seeks and all he does is good:
there is no sin within his life or speech.

	And all his inclinations and his actions
Are good, so far as human reason sees,
Without a sin in life or in discourse:








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	And that man dies unbaptized, without faith.
Where is this justice then that would condemn him?
Where is his sin if he does not believe?'

	He dieth unbaptised and without faith;
Where is this justice that condemneth him ?
Where is his fault, if he do not believe ? '








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	Now who are you to sit upon the bench,
to judge events a thousand miles away,
when your own vision spans so brief a space?

	Now who art thou, that on the bench wouldst sit
In judgment at a thousand miles away,
With the short vision of a single span ?








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	Of course, for him who would be subtle with me,
were there no Scriptures to instruct you, then
there would be place for an array of questions.

	Truly to him who with me subtilizes,
If so the Scripture were not over you,
For doubting there were marvellous occasion.








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	O earthly animals, o minds obtuse!
The Primal Will, which of Itself is good,
from the Supreme Good-Its Self-never moved.

	O animals terrene, O stolid minds,
The primal will, that in itself is good,
Ne'er from itself, the Good Supreme, has moved.








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	So much is just as does accord with It;
and so, created good can draw It to
itself-but It, rayed forth, causes such goods."

	So much is just as is accordant with it;
No good created draws it to itself,
But it, by raying forth, occasions that."








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	Just as, above the nest, the stork will circle
when she has fed her fledglings, and as he
whom she has fed looks up at her, so did

	Even as above her nest goes circling round
The stork when she has fed her little ones,
And he who has been fed looks up at her,








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	the blessed image do, and so did I,
the fledgling, while the Eagle moved its wings,
spurred on by many wills in unison.

	So lifted I my brows, and even such
Became the blessed image, which its wings
Was moving, by so many counsels urged.








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	Wheeling, the Eagle sang, then said: "Even
as are my songs to you-past understanding-
such is Eternal Judgment to you mortals."

	Circling around it sang, and said: "As are
My notes to thee, who dost not comprehend them,
Such is the eternal judgment to you mortals."








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	After the Holy Ghost's bright flames fell silent
while still within the sign that made the Romans
revered throughout the world, again the Eagle

	Those lucent splendours of the Holy Spirit
Grew quiet then, but still within the standard
That made the Romans reverend to the world.








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	began: "No one without belief in Christ
has ever risen to this kingdom-either
before or after He was crucified.

	It recommenced: "Unto this kingdom never
Ascended one who had not faith in Christ,
Before or since he to the tree was nailed.








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	But there are many who now cry 'Christ! Christ!'
who at the Final Judgment shall be far
less close to Him than one who knows not Christ;

	But look thou, many crying are, 'Christ, Christ! '
Who at the judgment shall be far less near
To him than some shall be who knew not Christ.








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	the Ethiopian will shame such Christians
when the two companies are separated,
the one forever rich, the other poor.

	Such Christians shall the Ethiop condemn
When the two companies shall be divided,
The one for ever rich, the other poor.








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	What shall the Persians, when they come to see
that open volume in which they shall read
the misdeeds of your rulers, say to them?

	What to your kings may not the Persians say,
When they that volume opened shall behold
In which are written down all their dispraises ?








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	There one shall see, among the deeds of Albert,
that which is soon to set the pen in motion,
his making of a desert of Prague's kingdom.

	There shall be seen, among the deeds of Albert,
That which ere long shall set the pen in motion,
For which the realm of Prague shall be deserted.








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	There one shall see the grief inflicted on
the Seine by him who falsifies his coins,
one who shall die beneath a wild boar's blow.

	There shall be seen the woe that on the Seine
He brings by falsifying of the coin,
Who by the blow of a wild boar shall die.








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	There one shall see the thirst of arrogance
that drives the Scot and Englishman insane-
unable to remain within their borders.

	There shall be seen the pride that causes thirst,
Which makes the Scot and Englishman so mad
That they within their boundaries cannot rest;








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	That book will show the life of Lechery
and ease the Spaniard led-and the Bohemian,
who never knew and never wished for valor.

	Be seen the luxury and effeminate life
Of him of Spain, and the Bohemian,
Who valour never knew and never wished;








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	That book will show the Cripple of Jerusalem-
his good deeds labeled with an I alone,
whereas his evils will be under M.

	Be seen the Cripple of Jerusalem,
His goodness represented by an I,
While the reverse an M shall represent;








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	That book will show the greed and cowardice
of him who oversees the Isle of Fire,
on which Anchises ended his long life;

	Be seen the avarice and poltroonery
Of him who guards the Island of the Fire,
Wherein Anchises finished his long life;








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	and to make plain his paltriness, the letters
that register his deeds will be contracted,
to note much pettiness in little space.

	And to declare how pitiful he is
Shall be his record in contracted letters
Which shall make note of much in little space.








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	And all shall see the filthiness of both
his uncle and his brother, who dishonored
a family so famous-and two crowns.

	And shall appear to each one the foul deeds
Of uncle and of brother who a nation
So famous have dishonoured, and two crowns.








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	And he of Portugal and he of Norway
shall be known in that book, and he of Rascia,
who saw-unluckily-the coin of Venice.

	And he of Portugal and he of Norway
Shall there be known, and he of Rascia too, 
Who saw in evil hour the coin of Venice.








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	O happy Hungary, if she would let
herself be wronged no more! Happy Navarre,
if mountains that surround her served as armor!

	O happy Hungary, if she let herself
Be wronged no farther! and Navarre the happy,
If with the hills that gird her she be armed!








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	And if Navarre needs token of her future,
now Nicosia and Famagosta offer-
as men must see-lament and anger over

	And each one may believe that now, as hansel
Thereof, do Nicosìa and Famagosta
Lament and rage because of their own beast,








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	their own beast, with his place beside the others."

	Who from the others' flank departeth not."




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