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PARADISO CANTO 21
Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.		 NotesAnn. 

	By now my eyes were set again upon my
lady's face, and with my eyes, my mind:
from every other thought, it was withdrawn.

	ALREADY on my Lady's face mine eyes
Again were fastened, and with these my mind,
And from all other purpose was withdrawn;








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	She did not smile. Instead her speech to me
began: "Were I to smile, then you would be
like Semele when she was turned to ashes,

	And she smiled not; bu t"If I were to smile,"
She unto me began, "thou wouldst become
Like Semele, when she was turned to ashes.








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	because, as you have seen, my loveliness-
which, even as we climb the steps of this
eternal palace, blazes with more brightness-

	Because my beauty, that along the stairs
Of the eternal palace more enkindles,
As thou hast seen, the farther we ascend,








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	were it not tempered here, would be so brilliant
that, as it flashed, your mortal faculty
would seem a branch a lightning bolt has cracked.

	If it were tempered not, is so resplendent
That all thy mortal power in its effulgence
Would seem a leaflet that the thunder crushes.








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	We now are in the seventh splendor; this,
beneath the burning Lion's breast, transmits
to earth its rays, with which his force is mixed.

	We are uplifted to the seventh splendour,
That underneath the burning Lion's breast
Now radiates downward mingled with his power.








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	Let your mind follow where your eyes have led,
and let your eyes be mirrors for the figure
that will appear to you within this mirror."

	Fix in direction of thine eyes the mind,
And make of them a mirror for the figure
That in this mirror shall appear to thee."








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	That man who knows just how my vision pastured
upon her blessed face, might recognize
the joy I found when my celestial guide

	He who could know what was the pasturage
My sight had in that blessed countenance,
When I transferred me to another care,








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	had asked of me to turn my mind aside,
were he to weigh my joy when I obeyed
against my joy in contemplating her.

	Would recognize how grateful was to me
Obedience unto my celestial escort,
By counterpoising one side with the other.








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	Within the crystal that-as it revolves
around the earth-bears as its name the name
of that dear king whose rule undid all evil,

	Within the crystal which, around the world
Revolving, bears the name of its dear leader,
Under whom every wickedness lay dead,








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	I saw a ladder rising up so high
that it could not be followed by my sight:
its color, gold when gold is struck by sunlight.

	Coloured like gold, on which the sunshine gleams,
A stairway I beheld to such a height
Uplifted, that mine eye pursued it not.








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	I also saw so many flames descend
those steps that I thought every light displayed
in heaven had been poured out from that place.

	Likewise beheld I down the steps descending
So many splendours, that I thought each light
That in the heaven appears was there diffused.








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	And just as jackdaws, at the break of day,
together rise-such is their nature's way-
to warm their feathers chilled by night; then some

	And as accordant with their natural custom
The rooks together at the break of day
Bestir themselves to warm their feathers cold;








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	fly off and never do return, and some
wheel back to that point where they started from,
while others, though they wheel, remain at home;

	Then some of them fly off without return,
Others come back to where they started from,
And others, wheeling round, still keep at home;








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	such were the ways I saw those splendors take
as soon as they had struck a certain step,
where they had thronged as one in radiance.

	Such fashion it appeared to me was there
Within the sparkling that together came,
As soon as on a certain step it struck,








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	The flame that halted nearest us became
so bright that in my mind I said: "I see
you clearly signaling to me your love.

	And that which nearest unto us remained
Became so clear, that in my thought I said,
"Well I perceive the love thou showest me;  








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	But she from whom I wait for word on how
and when to speak and to be silent, pauses;
thus, though I would, I do well not to ask."

	But she, from whom I wait the how and when
Of speech and silence, standeth still; whence I
Against desire do well if I ask not."








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	And she who, seeing Him who sees all things,
had seen the reason for my silence, said
to me: "Do satisfy your burning longing."

	She thereupon, who saw my silentness
In the sight of Him who seeth everything,
Said unto me, "Let loose thy warm desire."








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	And I began: "My merit does not make
me worthy of reply, but for the sake
of her who gives me leave to question you-

	And I began: "No merit of my own
Renders me worthy of response from thee;
But for her sake who granteth me the asking,








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	a blessed living soul-who hide within
your joy, do let me know the reason why
you drew so near to me. And tell me, too,

	Thou blessed life that dost remain concealed
In thy beatitude, make known to me
The cause which draweth thee so near my side;








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	why the sweet symphony of Paradise
is silent in this heaven, while, below,
it sounds devoutly through the other spheres."

	And tell me why is silent in this wheel
The dulcet symphony of Paradise,
That through the rest below sounds so devoutly."








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	"Your hearing is as mortal as your sight;
thus, here there is no singing," he replied,
"and Beatrice, in like wise, did not smile.

	"Thou hast thy hearing mortal as thy sight,"
It answer made to me;"they sing not here,
For the same cause that Beatrice has not smiled.








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	When, down the sacred staircase, I descended,
I only came to welcome you with gladness-
with words and with the light that mantles me.

	Thus far adown the holy stairway's steps
Have I descended but to give thee welcome
With words, and with the light that mantles me;








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	The love that prompted me is not supreme;
above, is love that equals or exceeds
my own, as spirit-flames will let you see.

	Nor did more love cause me to be more ready,
For love as much and more up there is burning,
As doth the flaming manifest to thee.








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	But the deep charity, which makes us keen
to serve the Providence that rules the world,
allots our actions here, as you perceive."

	But the high charity, that makes us servants
Prompt to the counsel which controls the world,
Allotteth here, even as thou dost observe."








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	"O holy lamp," I said, "I do indeed
see how, within this court, it is your free
love that fulfills eternal Providence;

	"I see full well," said I, "O sacred lamp!
How love unfettered in this court sufficeth
To follow the eternal Providence;








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	but this seems difficult for me to grasp:
why you alone, of those who form these ranks,
were he who was predestined to this task."

	But this is what seems hard for me to see,
Wherefore predestinate wast thou alone
Unto this office from among thy consorts."








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	And I had yet to reach the final word
when that light made a pivot of its midpoint
and spun around as would a swift millstone.

	No sooner had I come to the last word,
Than of its middle made the light a centre,
Whirling itself about like a swift millstone.








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	Then, from within its light, that love replied:
"Light from the Deity descends on me;
it penetrates the light that enwombs me;

	When answer made the love that was therein:
"On me directed is a light divine,
Piercing through this in which I am embosomed,








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	its power, as it joins my power of sight,
lifts me so far beyond myself that I
see the High Source from which that light derives.

	Of which the virtue with my sight conjoined
Lifts me above myself so far, I see
The supreme essence from which this is drawn.








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	From this there comes the joy with which I am
aflame; I match the clearness of my light
with equal measure of my clear insight.

	Hence comes the joyfulness with which I flame,
For to my sight, as far as it is clear,
The clearness of the flame I equal make.








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	But even Heaven's most enlightened soul,
that Seraph with his eye most set on God,
could not provide the why, not satisfy

	But that soul in the heaven which is most pure,
That seraph which his eye on God most fixes,
Could this demand of thine not satisfy;








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	what you have asked; for deep in the abyss
of the Eternal Ordinance, it is
cut off from all created beings' vision.

	Because so deeply sinks in the abyss
Of the eternal statute what thou askest,
From all created sight it is cut off.








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	And to the mortal world, when you return,
tell this, lest men continue to trespass
and set their steps toward such a reachless goal.

	And to the mortal world, when thou returnest,
This carry back, that it may not presume
Longer tow'rd such a goal to move its feet.








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	The mind, bright here, on earth is dulled and smoky.
Think: how, below, can mind see that which hides
even when mind is raised to Heaven's height?"

	The mind, that shineth here, on earth doth smoke;
From this observe how can it do below
That which it cannot though the heaven assume it ?"








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	His words so curbed my query that I left
behind my questioning; and I drew back
and humbly asked that spirit who he was.

	Such limit did its words prescribe to me,
The question I relinquished, and restricted
Myself to ask it humbly who it was.








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	"Not far from your homeland, between two shores
of Italy, the stony ridges rise
so high that, far below them, thunder roars.

	"Between two shores of Italy rise cliffs,
And not far distant from thy native place,
So high, the thunders far below them sound,








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	These ridges form a hump called Catria;
a consecrated hermitage beneath
that peak was once devoted just to worship."

	And form a ridge that Catria is called,
'Neath which is consecrate a hermitage
Wont to be dedicate to worship only."








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	So his third speech to me began; then he
continued: "There, within that monastery,
in serving God, I gained tenacity:

	Thus unto me the third speech recommenced,
And then, continuing, it said: "Therein
Unto God's service I became so steadfast,








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	with food that only olive juice had seasoned,
I could sustain with ease both heat and frost,
content within my contemplative thoughts.

	That feeding only on the juice of olives
Lightly I passed away the heats and frosts,
Contented in my thoughts contemplative.








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	That cloister used to offer souls to Heaven,
a fertile harvest, but it now is barren-
as Heaven's punishment will soon make plain.

	That cloister used to render to these heavens
Abundantly, and now is empty grown,
So that perforce it soon must be revealed.








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	There I was known as Peter Damian
and, on the Adriatic shore, was Peter
the Sinner when I served Our Lady's House.

	I in that place was Peter Damiano;
And Peter the Sinner was I in the house
Of Our Lady on the Adriatic shore.








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	Not much of mortal life was left to me
when I was sought for, dragged to take that hat
which always passes down from bad to worse.

	Little of mortal life remained to me,
When I was called and dragged forth to the hat
Which shifteth evermore from bad to worse.








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	Once there were Cephas and the Holy Ghost's
great vessel: they were barefoot, they were lean,
they took their food at any inn they found.

	Came Cephas, and the mighty Vessel came
Of the Holy Spirit, meagre and barefooted,
Taking the food of any hostelry.








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	But now the modern pastors are so plump
that they have need of one to prop them up
on this side, one on that, and one in front,

	Now some one to support them on each side
The modern shepherds need, and some to lead them,
So heavy are they, and to hold their trains.








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	and one to hoist them saddleward. Their cloaks
cover their steeds, two beasts beneath one skin:
o patience, you who must endure so much!"

	They cover up their palfreys with their cloaks,
So that two beasts go underneath one skin;
O Patience, that dost tolerate so much!"








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	These words, I saw, had summoned many flames,
descending step by step; I saw them wheel
and, at each turn, become more beautiful.

	At this voice saw I many little flames
From step to step descending and revolving,
And every revolution made them fairer.








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	They joined around him, and they stopped, and raised
a cry so deep that nothing here can be
its likeness; but the words they cried I could

	Round about this one came they and stood still,
And a cry uttered of so loud a sound,
It here could find no parallel, nor I








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	not understand-their thunder overcame me.

	Distinguished it, the thunder so o'ercame me.




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