PURGATORIO CANTO 18 Mandelbaum Tr. and Longfellow Tr.	Notes	Ann.
The subtle teacher had completed his discourse to me; attentively he watched my eyes to see if I seemed satisfied. AN end had put unto his reasoning The lofty Teacher, and attent was looking Into my face, if I appeared content;	18.003
And I, still goaded by new thirst, was silent without, although within I said: "Perhaps I have displeased him with too many questions." And I, whom a new thirst still goaded on, Without was mute, and said within: "Perchance The too much questioning I make annoys him."	18.006
But that true father, who had recognized the timid want I would not tell aloud, by speaking, gave me courage to speak out. But that true Father, who had comprehended The timid wish, that opened not itself, By speaking gave me hardihood to speak.	18.009
At which I said: "Master, my sight is so illumined by your light-I recognize all that your words declare or analyze. Whence I: "My sight is, Master, vivified So in thy light, that clearly I discern Whate'er thy speech importeth or describes	18.012
Therefore, I pray you, gentle father dear, to teach me what love is: you have reduced to love both each good and its opposite." Therefore I thee entreat, sweet Father dear, To teach me love, to which thou dost refer Every good action and its contrary."	18.015
He said: "Direct your intellect's sharp eyes toward me, and let the error of the blind who'd serve as guides be evident to you. "Direct," he said, "towards me the keen eyes Of intellect, and clear will be to thee The error,of the blind, who would be leaders	18.018
The soul, which is created quick to love, responds to everything that pleases, just as soon as beauty wakens it to act. The soul, which is created apt to love, Is mobile unto everything that pleases, Soon as by pleasure she is waked to action.	18.021
Your apprehension draws an image from a real object and expands upon that object until soul has turned toward it; Your apprehension from some real thing An image draws, and in yourselves displays it So that it makes the soul turn unto it.	18.024
and if, so turned, the soul tends steadfastly, then that propensity is love-it's nature that joins the soul in you, anew, through beauty. And if, when turned, towards it she incline, Love is that inclination; it is nature, Which is by pleasure bound in you anew	18.027
Then, just as flames ascend because the form of fire was fashioned to fly upward, toward the stuff of its own sphere, where it lasts longest, Then even as the fire doth upward move By its own form, which to ascend is born, Where longest in its matter it endures,	18.030
so does the soul, when seized, move into longing, a motion of the spirit, never resting till the beloved thing has made it joyous. So comes the captive soul into desire, Which is a motion spiritual, and ne'er rests Until she doth enjoy the thing beloved.	18.033
Now you can plainly see how deeply hidden truth is from scrutinists who would insist that every love is, in itself, praiseworthy; Now may apparent be to thee how hidden The truth is from those people, who aver All love is in itself a laudable thing,	18.036
and they are led to error by the matter of love, because it may seem-always-good; but not each seal is fine, although the wax is." Because its matter may perchance appear Aye to be good; but yet not each impression Is good, albeit good may be the wax."	18.039
"Your speech and my own wit that followed it," I answered him, "have shown me what love is; but that has filled me with still greater doubt; "Thy words, and my sequacious intellect," I answered him, "have love revealed to me; But that has made me more impregned with doubt;	18.042
for if love's offered to us from without and is the only foot with which soul walks, soul-going straight or crooked-has no merit." For if love from without be offered us, And with another foot the soul go not, If right or wrong she go, 'tis not her merit."	18.045
And he to me: "What reason can see here, I can impart; past that, for truth of faith, it's Beatrice alone you must await. And he to me: "What reason seeth here, Myself can tell thee; beyond that await For Beatrice since 'tis a work of faith.	18.048
Every substantial form, at once distinct from matter and conjoined to it, ingathers the force that is distinctively its own, Every substantial form, that segregate From matter is, and with it is united, Specific power has in itself collected,	18.051
a force unknown to us until it acts- it's never shown except in its effects, just as green boughs display the life in plants. Which without act is not perceptible, Nor shows itself except by its effect, As life does in a plant by the green leaves.	18.054
And thus man does not know the source of his intelligence of primal notions and his tending toward desire's primal objects: But still, whence cometh the intelligence Of the first notions, man is ignorant, And the affection for the first allurements,	18.057
both are in you just as in bees there is the honey-making urge; such primal will deserves no praise, and it deserves no blame. Which are in you as instinct in the bee To make its honey; and this first desire Merit of praise or blame containeth not.	18.060
Now, that all other longings may conform to this first will, there is in you, inborn, the power that counsels, keeper of the threshold Now, that to this all others may be gathered, Innate within you is the power that counsels, And it should keep the threshold of assent.	18.063
of your assent: this is the principle on which your merit may be judged, for it garners and winnows good and evil longings. This is the principle, from which is taken Occasion of desert in you, according As good and guilty loves it takes and winnows.	18.066
Those reasoners who reached the roots of things learned of this inborn freedom; the bequest that, thus, they left unto the world is ethics. Those who,. in reasoning, to the bottom went, Were of this innate liberty aware, Therefore bequeathed they Ethics to the world.	18.069
Even if we allow necessity as source for every love that flames in you, the power to curb that love is still your own. Supposing, then, that from necessity Springs every love that is within you kindled, Within yourselves the power is to restrain it.	18.072
This noble power is what Beatrice means by free will; therefore, remember it, if she should ever speak of it to you." The noble virtue Beatrice understands By the free will; and therefore see that thou Bear it in mind, if she should speak of it."	18.075
The moon, with midnight now behind us, made the stars seem scarcer to us; it was shaped just like a copper basin, gleaming, new; The moon, belated almost unto midnight, Now made the stars appear to us more rare, Formed like a bucket, that is all ablaze,	18.078
and countercourse, it crossed those paths the sun ignites when those in Rome can see it set between the Corsicans and the Sardinians. And counter to the heavens ran through those paths Which the sun sets aflame, when he of Rome Sees it 'twixt Sardes and Corsicans go down;	18.081
That gracious shade for whom Pietola won more renown than any Mantuan town, had freed me from the weight of doubt I bore; And that patrician shade, for whom is named Pietola more than any Mantuan town, Had laid aside the burden of my lading;	18.084
so that I, having harvested his clear and open answers to my questions, stood like one who, nearing sleep, has random visions. Whence I, who reason manifest and plain In answer to my questions had received, Stood like a my in drowsy reverie.	18.087
But readiness for sleep was suddenly taken from me by people who, behind our backs, already turned in our direction. But taken from me was this drowsiness Suddenly by a people, that behind Our backs already had come round to us.	18.090
Just as-of old-Ismenus and Asopus, at night, along their banks, saw crowds and clamor whenever Thebans had to summon Bacchus, And as, of old, Ismenus and Asopus Beside them saw at night the rush and throng, If but the Thebans were in need of Bacchus,	18.093
such was the arching crowd that curved around that circle, driven on, as I made out, by righteous will as well as by just love. So they along that circle curve their step, From what I saw of those approaching us, Who by good-will and righteous love are ridden.	18.096
Soon all that mighty throng drew near us, for they ran and ran; and two, in front of them, who wept, were crying: "In her journey, Mary Full soon they were upon us, because running Moved onward all that mighty multitude, And two in the advance cried out, lamenting,	18.099
made haste to reach the mountain, and, in order to conquer Lerida, first Caesar thrust against Marseilles, and then to Spain he rushed." "Mary in haste unto the mountain ran, And Caesar, that he might subdue Ilerda, Thrust at Marseilles, and then ran into Spain."	18.102
Following them, the others cried: "Quick, quick, lest time be lost through insufficient love; where urge for good is keen, grace finds new green." "Quick! quick! so that the time may not be lost By little love!" forthwith the others cried, "For ardour in well-doing freshens grace!"	18.105
"O people in whom eager fervor now may compensate for sloth and negligence you showed in doing good half-heartedly, "O folk, in whom an eager fervour now Supplies perhaps delay and negligence, Put by you in well-doing, through lukewarmness,	18.108
he-who's alive, and surely I don't lie to you-would climb above as soon as he has seen the sun shed light on us again; This one who lives, and truly I lie not, Would fain go up, if but the sun relight us; So tell us where the passage nearest is."	18.111
then, tell us where the passage lies at hand." My guide said this. One of the souls replied: "Come, follow us, and you will find the gap. These were the words of him who was my Guide; And some one of those spirits said: "Come on Behind us, and the opening shalt thou find;	18.114
We are so fully anxious to advance- we cannot halt; and do forgive us, should you take our penance for discourtesy. So full of longing are we to move onward, That stay we cannot; therefore pardon us, If thou for churlishness our justice take.	18.117
I was St. Zeno's abbot in Verona under the rule of valiant Barbarossa, of whom Milan still speaks with so much sorrow. I was San Zeno's Abbot at Verona, Under the empire of good Barbarossa, Of whom still sorrowing Milan holds discourse	18.120
And there is one with one foot in the grave, who soon will weep over that monastery, lamenting that he once had power there, And he has one foot in the grave already, Who shall erelong lament that monastery, And sorry be of having there had power,	18.123
because, in place of its true shepherd, he put one who was unsound of body and, still more, of mind, and born in sin-his son. Because his son, in his whole body sick, And worse in mind, and who was evil-born, He put into the place of its true pastor."	18.126
I don't know if he said more or was silent- he had already raced so far beyond us; but I heard this much and was pleased to hear it. If more he said, or silent was, I know not He had already passed so far beyond us; But this I heard, and to retain it pleased me.	18.129
And he who was my help in every need said: "Turn around: see those two coming-they whose words mock sloth." And I heard those two say And he who was in every need my succour Said: "Turn thee hitherward; See two of them Come fastening upon slothfulness their teeth."	18.132
behind all of the rest: "The ones for whom the sea parted were dead before the Jordan saw those who had inherited its lands; In rear of all they shouted: "Sooner were The people dead to whom the sea was opened, Than their inheritors the Jordan saw;	18.135
and those who did not suffer trials until the end together with Anchises' son gave themselves up to life without renown." And those who the fatigue did not endure Unto the issue, with Anchises' son, Themselves to life withouten glory offered."	18.138
Then, when those shades were so far off from us that seeing them became impossible, a new thought rose inside of me and, from Then When from us so separated were Those shades, that they no longer could be seen, Within me a new thought did entrance find,	18.141
that thought, still others-many and diverse- were born: I was so drawn from random thought to thought that, wandering in mind, I shut Whence others many and diverse were born And so I lapsed from one into another That in a reverie mine eyes I closed,	18.144
my eyes, transforming thought on thought to dream. And meditation into dream transmuted.	18.145

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