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PARADISO CANTO 24
Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.		 NotesAnn. 

	"O fellowship that has been chosen for
the Blessed Lamb's great supper, where He feeds
you so as always to fulfill your need,

	"O COMPANY elect to the great supper
Of the Lamb benedight, who feedeth you
So that for ever full is your desire,








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	since by the grace of God, this man receives
foretaste of something fallen from your table
before death has assigned his time its limit,

	If by the grace of God this man foretaste
Something of that which falleth from your table,  
Or ever death prescribe to him the time,








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	direct your mind to his immense desire,
quench him somewhat: you who forever drink
from that Source which his thought and longing seek."

	Direct your mind to his immense desire,
And him somewhat bedew ; ye drinking are
For ever at the fount whence comes his thought."








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	So Beatrice; and these delighted souls
formed companies of spheres around fixed poles,
flaming as they revolved, as comets glow.

	Thus Beatrice; and those souls beatified  
Transformed themselves to spheres on steadfast poles,
Flaming intensely in the guise of comets.








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	And just as, in a clock's machinery,
to one who watches them, the wheels turn so
that, while the first wheel seems to rest, the last

	And as the wheels in works of horologes
Revolve so that the first to the beholder
Motionless seems, and the last one to fly,








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	wheel flies; so did those circling dancers-as
they danced to different measures, swift and slow-
make me a judge of what their riches were.

	So in like manner did those carols, dancing
In different measure, of their affluence
Give me the gauge, as they were swift or slow.








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	From that sphere which I noted as most precious,
I saw a flame come forth with so much gladness
that none it left behind had greater brightness;

	From that one which I noted of most beauty
Beheld I issue forth a fire so happy    
That none it left there of a greater brightness;








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	and that flame whirled three times round Beatrice
while singing so divine a song that my
imagination cannot shape it for me.

	And around Beatrice three several times
It whirled itself with so divine a song,
My fantasy repeats it not to me;








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	My pen leaps over it; I do not write:
our fantasy and, all the more so, speech
are far too gross for painting folds so deep.

	Therefore the pen skips, and I write it not,
Since our imagination for such folds,
Much more our speech, is of a tint too glaring.








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	"O you who pray to us with such devotion-
my holy sister-with your warm affection,
you have released me from that lovely sphere."

	"O holy sister mine, who us implorest
With such devotion, by thine ardent love
Thou dost unbind me from that beautiful sphere!"








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	So, after he had stopped his motion, did
the blessed flame breathe forth unto my lady;
and what he said I have reported here.

	Thereafter, having stopped, the blessed fire
Unto my Lady did direct its breath,
Which spake in fashion as I here have said.








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	She answered: "O eternal light of that
great man to whom our Lord bequeathed the keys
of this astonishing gladness-the keys

	And she: "O light eterne of the great man
To whom our Lord delivered up the keys
He carried down of this miraculous joy,








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	He bore to earth-do test this man concerning
the faith by which you walked upon the sea;
ask him points light and grave, just as you please.

	This one examine on points light and grave,
As good beseemeth thee, about the Faith
By means of which thou on the sea didst walk.








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	That he loves well and hopes well and has faith
is not concealed from you: you see that Place
where everything that happens is displayed.

	If he love well, and hope well, and believe
From thee 'tis hid not; for thou hast thy sight
There where depicted everything is seen.








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	But since this realm has gained its citizens
through the true faith, it rightly falls to him
to speak of faith, that he may glorify it."

	But since this kingdom has made citizens
By means of the true Faith, to glorify it
'Tis well he have the chance to speak thereof ."








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	Just as the bachelor candidate must arm
himself and does not speak until the master
submits the question for discussion-not

	As baccalaureate arms himself, and speaks not
Until the master doth propose the question,
To argue it, and not to terminate it,








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	for settlement-so while she spoke I armed
myself with all my arguments, preparing
for such a questioner and such professing.

	So did I arm myself with every reason,
While she was speaking, that I might be ready
For such a questioner and such profession.








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	On hearing that light breathe, "Good Christian, speak,
show yourself clearly: what is faith?" I raised
my brow, then turned to Beatrice, whose glance

	"Say, thou good Christian; manifest thyself;
What is the Faith ?" Whereat I raised my brow
Unto that light wherefrom was this breathed forth.








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	immediately signaled me to let
the waters of my inner source pour forth.
Then I: "So may the Grace that grants to me

	Then turned I round to Beatrice, and she  
Prompt signals made to me that I should pour
The water forth from my internal fountain.








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	to make confession to the Chief Centurion
permit my thoughts to find their fit expression";
and followed, "Father, as the truthful pen

	"May grace, that suffers me to make confession,"
Began I, "to the great centurion,
Cause my conceptions all to be explicit!"








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	of your dear brother wrote-that brother who,
with you, set Rome upon the righteous road-
faith is the substance of the things we hope for

	And I continued: "As the truthful pen,
Father, of thy dear brother wrote of it,
Who put with thee Rome into the good way,








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	and is the evidence of things not seen;
and this I take to be its quiddity."
And then I heard: "You understand precisely,

	Faith is the substance of the things we hope for,
And evidence of those that are not seen; 
And this appears to me its quiddity."








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	if it is fully clear to you why he
has first placed faith among the substances
and then defines it as an evidence."

	Then heard I: "Very rightly thou perceivest,
If well thou understandest why he placed it
With substances and then with evidences."








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	I next: "The deep things that on me bestow
their image here, are hid from sight below,
so that their being lies in faith alone,

	And I thereafterward: "The things profound,
That here vouchsafe to me their apparition,
Unto all eyes below are so concealed,








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	and on that faith the highest hope is founded;
and thus it is that faith is called a substance.
And it is from this faith that we must reason,

	That they exist there only in belief,
Upon the which is founded the high hope,
And hence it takes the nature of a substance.








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	deducing what we can from syllogisms,
without our being able to see more:
thus faith is also called an evidence."

	And it behoveth us from this belief
To reason without having other sight,
And hence it has the nature of evidence."








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	And then I heard: "If all one learns below
as doctrine were so understood, there would
be no place for the sophist's cleverness."

	Then heard I: "If whatever is acquired
Below by doctrine were thus understood,
No sophist's subtlety would there find place."








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	This speech was breathed from that enkindled love.
He added: "Now this coin is well-examined,
and now we know its alloy and its weight.

	Thus was breathed forth from that enkindled love;
Then added: "Very well has been gone over
Already of this coin the alloy and weight;








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	But tell me: do you have it in your purse?"
And I: "Indeed I do-so bright and round
that nothing in its stamp leads me to doubt."

	But tell me if thou hast it in thy purse ?"
And I: "Yes, both so shining and so round
That in its stamp there is no peradventure."








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	Next, from the deep light gleaming there, I heard:
"What is the origin of the dear gem
that comes to you, the gem on which all virtues

	Thereafter issued from the light profound
That there resplendent was: "This precious jewel,
Upon the which is every virtue founded,  








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	are founded?" I: "The Holy Ghost's abundant
rain poured upon the parchments old and new;
that is the syllogism that has proved

	Whence hadst thou it ?"And I: "The large outpouring
Of Holy Spirit, which has been diffused
Upon the ancient parchments and the new,








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	with such persuasiveness that faith has truth-
when set beside that argument, all other
demonstrations seem to me obtuse."

	A syllogism is, which proved it to me
With such acuteness, that, compared therewith,  
All demonstration seems to me obtuse."








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	I heard: "The premises of old and new
impelling your conclusion-why do you
hold these to be the speech of God?" And I:

	And then I heard: "The ancient and the new
Postulates, that to thee are so conclusive,
Why dost thou take them for the word divine ?"








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	"The proof revealing truth to me relies
on acts that happened; for such miracles,
nature can heat no iron, beat no anvil."

	And I: "The proofs, which show the truth to me,
Are the works subsequent, whereunto Nature
Ne'er heated iron yet, nor anvil beat."








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	"Say, who assures you that those works were real?"
came the reply. "The very thing that needs
proof-no thing else-attests these works to you."

	'Twas answered me: "Say, who assureth thee
That those works ever were ? the thing itself
That must be proved, nought else to thee affirms it."








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	I said: "If without miracles the world
was turned to Christianity, that is
so great a miracle that all the rest

	"Were the world to Christianity converted,"
I said, "withouten miracles, this one
Is such, the rest are not its hundredth part;








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	are not its hundredth part: for you were poor
and hungry when you found the field and sowed
the good plant-once a vine and now a thorn."

	Because that poor and fasting thou didst enter
Into the field to sow there the good plant,  
Which was a vine and has become a thorn!"








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	This done, the high and holy court resounded
throughout its spheres with "Te Deum laudamus,"
sung with the melody they use on high.

	This being finished, the high, holy Court
Resounded through the spheres, "One God we praise!"
In melody that there above is chanted.








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	Then he who had examined me, that baron
who led me on from branch to branch so that
we now were drawing close to the last leaves,

	And then that Baron, who from branch to branch,
Examining, had thus conducted me,
Till the extremest leaves we were approaching,








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	began again: "That Grace which-lovingly-
directs your mind, until this point has taught
you how to find the seemly words for thought,

	Again began: "The Grace that dallying
Plays with thine intellect thy mouth has opened,
Up to this point, as it should opened be,








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	so that I do approve what you brought forth;
but now you must declare what you believe
and what gave you the faith that you receive."

	So that I do approve what forth emerged;
But now thou must express what thou believest,
And whence to thy belief it was presented."








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	"O holy father, soul who now can see
what you believed with such intensity
that, to His tomb, you outran younger feet,"

	"O holy father, spirit who beholdest
What thou believedst so that thou o'ercamest,
Towards the sepulchre, more youthful feet,"








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	I then began, "you would have me tell plainly
the form of my unhesitating faith,
and also ask me to declare its source.

	Began I, "thou dost wish me in this place
The form to manifest of my prompt belief,
And likewise thou the cause thereof demandest.








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	I answer: I believe in one God-sole,
eternal-He who, motionless, moves all
the heavens with His love and love for Him;

	And I respond: In one God I believe,
Sole and eterne, who moveth all the heavens
With love and with desire, himself unmoved;








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	for this belief I have not only proofs
both physical and metaphysical;
I also have the truth that here rains down

	And of such faith not only have I proofs
Physical and metaphysical, but gives them
Likewise the truth that from this place rains down  








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	through Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms
and through the Gospels and through you who wrote
words given to you by the Holy Ghost.

	Through Moses, through the Prophets and the Psalms,
Through the Evangel, and through you, who wrote
After the fiery Spirit sanctified you;








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	And I believe in three Eternal Persons,
and these I do believe to be one essence,
so single and threefold as to allow

	In Persons three eterne believe, and these
One essence I believe, so one and trine
They bear conjunction both with sunt and est.








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	both is and are. Of this profound condition
of God that I have touched on, Gospel teaching
has often set the imprint on my mind.

	With the profound condition and divine
Which now I touch upon, doth stamp my mind
Ofttimes the doctrine evangelical.








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	This is the origin, this is the spark
that then extends into a vivid flame
and, like a star in heaven, glows in me."

	This the beginning is, this is the spark
Which afterwards dilates to vivid flame,
And, like a star in heaven, is sparkling in me."








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	Just as the lord who listens to his servant's
announcement, then, as soon as he is silent,
embraces him, both glad with the good news,

	Even as a lord who hears what pleaseth him
His servant straight embraces, gratulating
For the good news as soon as he is silent;








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	so did the apostolic light at whose
command I had replied, while blessing me
and singing, then encircle me three times:

	So, giving me its benediction, singing,
Three times encircled me, when I was silent,
The apostolic light, at whose command








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	the speech I spoke had brought him such delight.

	I spoken had, in speaking I so pleased him.




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