Previous or Next Canto

 
PARADISO CANTO 25
Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.		 NotesAnn. 

	If it should happen . . . If this sacred poem-
this work so shared by heaven and by earth
that it has made me lean through these long years-

	IF e'er it happen that the Poem Sacred,
To which both heaven and earth have set their hand,
So that it many a year hath made me lean,








25.003
 






	can ever overcome the cruelty
that bars me from the fair fold where I slept,
a lamb opposed to wolves that war on it,

	O'ercome the cruelty that bars me out
From the fair sheepfold, where a lamb I slumbered
An enemy to the wolves that war upon it,








25.006
 






	by then with other voice, with other fleece,
I shall return as poet and put on,
at my baptismal font, the laurel crown;

	With other voice forthwith, with other fleece
Poet will I return, and at my font
Baptismal will I take the laurel crown;








25.009
 






	for there I first found entry to that faith
which makes souls welcome unto God, and then,
for that faith, Peter garlanded my brow.

	Because into the Faith that maketh known
All souls to God there entered I, and then
Peter for her sake thus my brow encircled.








25.012
 






	Then did a light move toward us from that sphere
from which emerged the first-the dear, the rare-
of those whom Christ had left to be His vicars;

	Thereafterward towards us moved a light
Out of that band whence issued the first-fruits
Which of his vicars Christ behind him left,








25.015
 






	and full of happiness, my lady said
to me: "Look, look-and see the baron whom,
below on earth, they visit in Galicia."

	And then my Lady, full of ecstasy,
Said unto me: "Look, look! behold the Baron
For whom below Galicia is frequented."








25.018
 






	As when a dove alights near its companion,
and each unto the other, murmuring
and circling, offers its affection, so

	In the same way as, when a dove alights
Near his companion, both of them pour forth,
Circling about and murmuring, their affection,








25.021
 






	did I see both those great and glorious
princes give greeting to each other, praising
the banquet that is offered them on high.

	So one beheld I by the other grand
Prince glorified to be with welcome greeted,
Lauding the food that there above is eaten.








25.024
 






	But when their salutations were complete,
each stopped in silence coram me, and each
was so aflame, my vision felt defeat.

	But when their gratulations were complete,
Silently coram  ne each one stood still,
So incandescent it o'ercame my sight.








25.027
 






	Then Beatrice said, smiling: "Famous life
by whom the generosity of our
basilica has been described, do let

	Smiling thereafterwards, said Beatrice:
"Illustrious life, by whom the benefactions
Of our Basilica have been described,








25.030
 






	matters of hope reecho at this height;
you can-for every time that Jesus favored
you three above the rest, you were the figure

	Make Hope resound within this altitude;
Thou knowest as oft thou dost personify it
As Jesus to the three gave greater clearness." --








25.033
 






	of hope." "Lift up your head, and be assured:
whatever comes here from the mortal world
has to be ripened in our radiance."

	"Lift up thy head, and make thyself assured;
For what comes hither from the mortal world
Must needs be ripened in our radiance."








25.036
 






	The second fire offered me this comfort;
at which my eyes were lifted to the mountains
whose weight of light before had kept me bent.

	This comfort came to me from the second fire;
Wherefore mine eyes I lifted to the hills,
Which bent them down before with too great weight.








25.039
 






	"Because our Emperor, out of His grace,
has willed that you, before your death, may face
His nobles in the inmost of His halls,

	"Since, through his grace, our Emperor wills that thou
Shouldst find thee face to face, before thy death,
In the most secret chamber, with his Counts,








25.042
 






	so that, when you have seen this court in truth,
hope-which, below, spurs love of the true good-
in you and others may be comforted,

	So that, the truth beholden of this court,
Hope, which below there rightfully enamours,
Thereby thou strengthen in thyself and others,








25.045
 






	do tell what hope is, tell how it has blossomed
within your mind, and from what source it came
to you"-so did the second flame continue.

	Say what it is, and how is flowering with it
Thy mind, and say from whence it came to thee."
Thus did the second light again continue.








25.048
 






	And she, compassionate, who was the guide
who led my feathered wings to such high flight,
did thus anticipate my own reply:

	And the Compassionate, who piloted
The plumage of my wings in such high flight,
Did in reply anticipate me thus:








25.051
 






	"There is no child of the Church Militant
who has more hope than he has, as is written
within the Sun whose rays reach all our ranks:

	"No child whatever the Church Militant
Of greater hope possesses, as is written
In that Sun which irradiates all our band;








25.054
 






	thus it is granted him to come from Egypt
into Jerusalem that he have vision
of it, before his term of warring ends.

	Therefore it is conceded him from Egypt
To come into Jerusalem to see,
Or ever yet his warfare be completed.








25.057
 






	The other two points of your question, which
were not asked so that you may know, but that
he may report how much you prize this virtue,

	The two remaining points, that not for knowledge
Have been demanded, but that he report
How much this virtue unto thee is pleasing,  








25.060
 






	I leave to him; he will not find them hard
or cause for arrogance; as you have asked,
let him reply, and God's grace help his task."

	To him I leave; for hard he will not find them,
Nor of self-praise; and let him answer them;
And may the grace of God in this assist him!"








25.063
 






	As a disciple answering his master,
prepared and willing in what he knows well,
that his proficiency may be revealed,

	As a disciple, who his teacher follows,
Ready and willing, where he is expert,
That his proficiency may be displayed,








25.066
 






	I said: "Hope is the certain expectation
of future glory; it is the result
of God's grace and of merit we have earned.

	"Hope," said I, "is the certain expectation
Of future glory, which is the effect
Of grace divine and merit precedent.








25.069
 






	This light has come to me from many stars;
but he who first instilled it in my heart
was the chief singer of the Sovereign Guide.

	From many stars this light comes unto me;
But he instilled it first into my heart
Who was chief singer unto the chief captain.








25.072
 






	'May those'-he says within his theody-
'who know Your name, put hope in You'; and if
one has my faith, can he not know God's name?

	' Sperent in te,' in the high Theody
He sayeth, ' those who know thy name; ' and who
Knoweth it not, if he my faith possess ?








25.075
 






	And just as he instilled, you then instilled
with your Epistle, so that I am full
and rain again your rain on other souls."

	Thou didst instil me, then, with his instilling
In the Epistle, so that I am full,
And upon others rain again your rain."








25.078
 






	While I was speaking, in the living heart
of that soul-flame there came a trembling flash,
sudden, repeated, just as lightning cracks.

	While I was speaking, in the living bosom
Of that combustion quivered an efflugence, 
Sudden and frequent, in the guise of lightning;








25.081
 






	Then it breathed forth: "The love with which I still
burn for the virtue that was mine until
the palm and my departure from the field,

	Then breathed: "The love wherewith I am inflamed
Towards the virtue still which followed me
Unto the palm and issue of the field.








25.084
 






	would have me breathe again to you who take
such joy in hope; and I should welcome words
that tell what hope has promised unto you."

	Wills that I breathe to thee that thou delight
In her; and grateful to me is thy telling
Whatever things Hope promises to thee."








25.087
 






	And I: "The new and ancient Scriptures set
the mark for souls whom God befriends; for me,
that mark means what is promised us by hope.

	And I: "The ancient Scriptures and the new
The mark establish, and this shows it me,
Of all the souls whom God hath made his friends.








25.090
 






	Isaiah says that all of the elect
shall wear a double garment in their land:
and their land is this sweet life of the blessed.

	Isaiah saith, that each one garmented
In his own land shall be with twofold garments
And his own land is this delightful life.








25.093
 






	And where your brother treats of those white robes,
he has-with words direct and evident-
made clear to us Isaiah's revelation."

	Thy brother, too, far more explicitly,
There where he treateth of the robes of white,  
This revelation manifests to us."








25.096
 






	At first, as soon as I had finished speaking,
"Sperent in te" was heard above us, all
the circling garlands answering this call.

	And first, and near the ending of these words,
"Sperent in te" from over us was heard,
To which responsive answered all the carols.








25.099
 






	And then, among those souls, one light became
so bright that, if the Crab had one such crystal,
winter would have a month of one long day.

	Thereafterward a light among them brightened,
So that, if Cancer one such crystal had,
Winter would have a month of one sole day.








25.102
 






	And as a happy maiden rises and
enters the dance to honor the new bride-
and not through vanity or other failing-

	And as uprises, goes, and enters the dance
A winsome maiden, only to do honour
To the new bride, and not from any failing,








25.105
 






	so did I see that splendor, brightening,
approach those two flames dancing in a ring
to music suited to their burning love.

	Even thus did I behold the brightened splendour
Approach the two, who in a wheel revolved
As was beseeming to their ardent love.








25.108
 






	And there it joined the singing and the circling,
on which my lady kept her eyes intent,
just like a bride, silent and motionless.

	Into the song and music there it entered;
And fixed on them my Lady kept her look,
Even as a bride silent and motionless.








25.111
 






	"This soul is he who lay upon the breast
of Christ our Pelican, and he was asked
from on the Cross to serve in the great task."

	"This is the one who lay upon the breast
Of him our Pelican; and this is he
To the great office from the cross elected."








25.114
 






	So spoke my lady; but her gaze was not
to be diverted from its steadfastness,
not after or before her words were said.

	My Lady thus; but therefore none the more
Did move her sight from its attentive gaze
Before or afterward these words of hers.








25.117
 






	Even as he who squints and strains to see
the sun somewhat eclipsed and, as he tries
to see, becomes sightless, just so did I

	Even as a man who gazes, and endeavours
To see the eclipsing of the sun a little,
And who, by seeing, sightless doth become,








25.120
 






	in my attempt to watch the latest flame,
until these words were said: "Why do you daze
yourself to see what here can have no place?

	So I became before that latest fire,
While it was said, "Why dost thou daze thyself
To see a thing which here hath no existence ?








25.123
 






	On earth my body now is earth and shall
be there together with the rest until
our number equals the eternal purpose.

	Earth in the earth my body is, and shall be
With all the others there, until our number
With the eternal proposition tallies.








25.126
 






	Only those two lights that ascended wear
their double garment in this blessed cloister.
And carry this report back to your world."

	With the two garments in the blessed cloister
Are the two lights alone that have ascended:
And this shalt thou take back into your world."








25.129
 






	When he began to speak, the flaming circle
had stopped its dance; so, too, its song had ceased-
that gentle mingling of their threefold breath-

	And at this utterance the flaming circle
Grew quiet, with the dulcet intermingling
Of sound that by the trinal breath was made,








25.132
 






	even as when, avoiding danger or
simply to rest, the oars that strike the water,
together halt when rowers hear a whistle.

	As to escape from danger or fatigue
The oars that erst were in the water beaten
Are all suspended at a whistle's sound.








25.135
 






	Ah, how disturbed I was within my mind,
when I turned round to look at Beatrice,
on finding that I could not see, though I

	Ah, how much in my mind was I disturbed,
When I turned round to look on Beatrice,
That her I could not see, although I was








25.138
 






	was close to her, and in the world of gladness!

	Close at her side and in the Happy World!




25.139

Previous or Next Canto