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PARADISO CANTO 30
Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.		 NotesAnn. 

	Perhaps six thousand miles away from us, 
the sixth hour burns, and now our world inclines
its shadow to an almost level bed,

	PERCHANCE six thousand miles remote from us
Is glowing the sixth hour, and now this world
Inclines its shadow almost to a level,








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	so that the span of heaven high above
begins to alter so, that some stars are
no longer to be seen from our deep earth;

	When the mid-heaven begins to make itself
So deep to us, that here and there a star
Ceases to shine so far down as this depth,








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	and as the brightest handmaid of the sun
advances, heaven shuts off, one by one,
its lights, until the loveliest is gone.

	And as advances bright exceedingly
The handmaid of the sun, the heaven is closed
Light after light to the most beautiful;








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	So did the triumph that forever plays
around the Point that overcame me (Point
that seems enclosed by that which It encloses)

	Not otherwise the Triumph, which for ever
Plays round about the point that vanquished me,
Seeming enclosed by what itself encloses,








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	fade gradually from my sight, so that
my seeing nothing else-and love-compelled
my eyes to turn again to Beatrice.

	Little by little from my vision faded;
Whereat to turn mine eyes on Beatrice
My seeing nothing and my love constrained me. 








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	If that which has been said of her so far
were all contained within a single praise,
it would be much too scant to serve me now.

	If what has hitherto been said of her
Were all concluded in a single praise,
Scant would it be to serve the present turn.








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	The loveliness I saw surpassed not only
our human measure-and I think that, surely,
only its Maker can enjoy it fully.

	Not only does the beauty I beheld
Transcend ourselves, but truly I believe
Its Maker only may enjoy it all.








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	I yield: I am defeated at this passage
more than a comic or a tragic poet
has ever been by a barrier in his theme;

	Vanquished do I confess me by this passage
More than by problem of his theme was ever
O'ercome the comic or the tragic poet;








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	for like the sun that strikes the frailest eyes,
so does the memory of her sweet smile
deprive me of the use of my own mind.

	For as the sun the sight that trembles most,
Even so the memory of that sweet smile
My mind depriveth of its very self.








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	From that first day when, in this life, I saw
her face, until I had this vision, no
thing ever cut the sequence of my song,

	From the first day that I beheld her face
In this life, to the moment of this look,
The sequence of my song has ne'er been severed;








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	but now I must desist from this pursuit,
in verses, of her loveliness, just as
each artist who has reached his limit must.

	But now perforce this sequence must desist
From following her beauty with my verse,
As every artist at his uttermost.








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	So she, in beauty (as I leave her to
a herald that is greater than my trumpet,
which nears the end of its hard theme), with voice

	Such as I leave her to a greater fame
Than any of my trumpet, which is bringing
Its arduous matter to a final close,








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	and bearing of a guide whose work is done,
began again: "From matter's largest sphere,
we now have reached the heaven of pure light,

	With voice and gesture of a perfect leader
She recommenced: "We from the greatest body
Have issued to the heaven that is pure light;








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	light of the intellect, light filled with love,
love of true good, love filled with happiness,
a happiness surpassing every sweetness.

	Light intellectual replete with love,
Love of true good replete with ecstasy,
Ecstasy that transcendeth every sweetness.








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	Here you will see both ranks of Paradise
and see one of them wearing that same aspect
which you will see again at Judgment Day."

	Here shalt thou see the one host and the other
Of Paradise, and one in the same aspects
Which at the final judgment thou shalt see."








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	Like sudden lightning scattering the spirits
of sight so that the eye is then too weak
to act on other things it would perceive,

	Even as a sudden lightning that disperses
The visual spirits, so that it deprives
The eye of impress from the strongest objects








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	such was the living light encircling me,
leaving me so enveloped by its veil
of radiance that I could see no thing.

	Thus round about me flashed a living light,
And left me swathed around with such a veil  
Of its effulgence, that I nothing saw.








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	"The Love that calms this heaven always welcomes
into Itself with such a salutation,
to make the candle ready for its flame."

	' Ever the Love which quieteth this heaven
Welcomes into itself with such salute,
To make the candle ready for its flame."








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	No sooner had these few words entered me
than I became aware that I was rising
beyond the power that was mine; and such

	No sooner had within me these brief words
An entrance found, than I perceived myself
To be uplifted over my own power,








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	new vision kindled me again, that even
the purest light would not have been so bright
as to defeat my eyes, deny my sight;

	And I with vision new rekindled me,
Such that no light whatever is so pure
But that mine eyes were fortified against it.








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	and I saw light that took a river's form-
light flashing, reddish-gold, between two banks
painted with wonderful spring flowerings.

	And light I saw in fashion of a river
Fulvid with its effulgence, 'twixt two banks
Depicted with an admirable Spring.








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	Out of that stream there issued living sparks,
which settled on the flowers on all sides,
like rubies set in gold; and then, as if

	Out of this river issued living sparks,
And on all sides sank down into the flowers,
Like unto rubies that are set in gold;








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	intoxicated with the odors, they
again plunged into the amazing flood:
as one spark sank, another spark emerged.

	And then, as if inebriate with the odours,
They plunged again into the wondrous torrent,
And as one entered issued forth another.








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	"The high desire that now inflames, incites,
you to grasp mentally the things you see,
pleases me more as it swells more; but first,

	"The high desire, that now inflames and moves thee
To have intelligence of what thou seest,
Pleaseth me all the more, the more it swells.








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	that you may satisfy your mighty thirst,
you must drink of these waters." So did she
who is the sun of my eyes speak to me.

	But of this water it behoves thee drink
Before so great a thirst in thee be slaked."
Thus said to me the sunshine of mine eyes;








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	She added this: "The river and the gems
of topaz entering and leaving, and
the grasses' laughter-these are shadowy

	And added: "The river and the topazes
Going in and out, and the laughing of the herbage.
Are of their truth foreshadowing prefaces;








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	prefaces of their truth; not that these things
are lacking in themselves; the defect lies
in you, whose sight is not yet that sublime."

	Not that these things are difficult in themselves,
But the deficiency is on thy side,
For yet thou hast not vision so exalted."








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	No infant who awakes long after his
usual hour would turn his face toward milk
as quickly as I hurried toward that stream;

	There is no babe that leaps so suddenly
With face towards the milk, if he awake
Much later than his usual custom is,








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	to make still finer mirrors of my eyes,
I bent down toward the waters which flow there
that we, in them, may find our betterment.

	As I did, that I might make better mirrors
Still of mine eyes, down stooping to the wave
Which flows that we therein be better made.








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	But as my eyelids' eaves drank of that wave,
it seemed to me that it had changed its shape:
no longer straight, that flow now formed a round.

	And even as''the penthouse of mine eyelids
Drank of it, it forthwith appeared to me
Out of its length to be transformed to round.








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	Then, just as maskers, when they set aside
the borrowed likenesses in which they hide,
seem to be other than they were before,

	Then as a folk who have been under masks
Seem other than before, if they divest
The semblance not their own they disappeared in,








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	so were the flowers and the sparks transformed,
changing to such festivity before me
that I saw-clearly-both of Heaven's courts.

	Thus into greater pomp were changed for me
The flowerets and the sparks, so that I saw
Both of the Courts of Heaven made manifest.








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	O radiance of God, through which I saw
the noble triumph of the true realm, give
to me the power to speak of what I saw!

	O splendour of God! by means of which I saw
The lofty triumph of the realm veracious,
Give me the power to say how it I saw!








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	Above, on high, there is a light that makes
apparent the Creator to the creature
whose only peace lies in his seeing Him.

	There is a light above, which visible
Makes the Creator unto every creature,
Who only in beholding Him has peace,








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	The shape which that light takes as it expands
is circular, and its circumference
would be too great a girdle for the sun.

	And it expands itself in circular form
To such extent, that its circumference
Would be too large a girdle for the sun.








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	All that one sees of it derives from one
light-ray reflected from the summit of
the Primum Mobile, which from it draws

	The semblance of it is all made of rays
Reflected from the top of Primal Motion,
Which takes therefrom vitality and power








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	power and life. And as a hill is mirrored
in waters at its base, as if to see
itself-when rich with grass and flowers-graced,

	And as a hill in water at its base
Mirrors itself, as if to see its beauty
When affluent most in verdure and in flowers,








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	so, in a thousand tiers that towered above
the light, encircling it, I saw, mirrored,
all of us who have won return above.

	So, ranged aloft all round about the light,
Mirrored I saw in more ranks than a thousand
All who above there have from us returned








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	And if the lowest rank ingathers such
vast light, then what must be the measure of
this Rose where it has reached its highest leaves!

	And if the lowest row collect within it
So great a light, how vast the amplitude
Is of this Rose in its extremest leaves!








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	Within that breadth and height I did not find
my vision gone astray, for it took in
that joy in all its quality and kind.

	My vision in the vastness and the height
Lost not itself, but comprehended all
The quantity and quality of that gladness.








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	There, near and far do not subtract or add;
for where God governs with no mediator,
no thing depends upon the laws of nature.

	There near and far nor ad.d nor take away;
For there where God immediately doth govern,
The natural law in naught is relevant.








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	Into the yellow of the eternal Rose
that slopes and stretches and diffuses fragrance
of praise unto the Sun of endless spring,

	Into the yellow of the Rose Eternal
That spreads, and multiplies, and breathes an odour 
Of praise unto the ever-vernal Sun








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	now Beatrice drew me as one who, though
he would speak out, is silent. And she said:
"See how great is this council of white robes!

	As one who silent is and fain would speak,
Me Beatrice drew on, and said: "Behold
Of the white stoles how vast the convent is!








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	See how much space our city's circuit spans!
See how our seated ranks are now so full
that little room is left for any more!

	Behold how vast the circuit of our city! 
Behold our seats so filled to overflowing,
That here henceforward are few people wanting!








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	And in that seat on which your eyes are fixed
because a crown already waits above it,
before you join this wedding feast, shall sit

	On that great throne whereon thine eyes are fixed
For the crown's sake already placed upon it,
Before thou suppest at this wedding feast








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	the soul of noble Henry, he who is,
on earth, to be imperial; he shall
show Italy the righteous way-but when

	Shall sit the soul (that is to be Augustus
On earth) of noble Henry, who shall come
To redress Italy ere she be ready.








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	she is unready. The blind greediness
bewitching you, has made you like the child
who dies of hunger and drives off his nurse.

	Blind covetousness, that casts its spell upon you,
Has made you like unto the little child,
Who dies of hunger and drives off the nurse.








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	And in the holy forum such shall be
the Prefect then, that either openly
or secretly he will not walk with Henry.

	And in the sacred forum then shall be
A Prefect such, that openly or covert
On the same road he will not walk with him.








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	But God will not endure him long within
the holy ministry: he shall be cast
down there, where Simon Magus pays; he shall

	But long of God he will not be endured
In holy office; he shall be thrust down
Where Simon Magus is for his deserts,








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	force the Anagnine deeper in his hole."

	And make him of Alagna lower go!"




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