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

	When the first heaven's Seven-Stars had halted
(those stars that never rise or set, that are
not veiled except when sin beclouds our vision;

	WHEN the Septentrion of the highest heaven
(Which never either setting knew or rising,
Nor veil of other cloud than that of sin,








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	those stars that, there, made everyone aware
of what his duty was, just as the Bear
below brings helmsmen home to harbor), then

	And which made every one therein aware
Of his own duty, as the lower makes
Whoever turns the helm to come to port)








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	the truthful band that had come first between
the griffin and the Seven-Stars turned toward
that chariot as toward their peace, and one

	Motionless halted, the veracious people,
That came at first between it and the Griffin,
Turned themselves to the car, as to their peace.








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	of them, as if sent down from Heaven, hymned
aloud, " Veni, sponsa, de Libano,"
three times, and all the others echoed him.

	And one of them, as if by Heaven commissioned,
Singing,"Veni, sponsa, de Libano"
Shouted three times, and all the others after.








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	Just as the blessed, at the Final Summons,
will rise up-ready-each out of his grave,
singing, with new-clothed voices, Alleluia,

	Even as the Blessed at the final summons
Shall rise up quickened each one from his cavern,
Uplifting light the reinvested flesh.








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	so, from the godly chariot, eternal
life's messengers and ministers arose:
one hundred stood ad vocem tanti senis.

	So upon that celestial chariot
A hundred rose ad vocem tanti senis,
Ministers and messengers of life eternal.








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	All of them cried: "Benedictus qui venis,''
and, scattering flowers upward and around,
"Manibus, oh, date lilia plenis."

	They all were saying, "Benedictus qui venis,"
And, scattering flowers above and round about,
"Manibus o date lilia plenis."








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	I have at times seen all the eastern sky
becoming rose as day began and seen,
adorned in lovely blue, the rest of heaven;

	Ere now have I beheld, as day began,
The eastern hemisphere all tinged with rose,
And the other heaven with fair serene adorned;








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	and seen the sun's face rise so veiled that it
was tempered by the mist and could permit
the eye to look at length upon it; so,

	And the sun's face, uprising, overshadowed
So that by tempering influence of vapours
For a long interval the eye sustained it;








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	within a cloud of flowers that were cast
by the angelic hands and then rose up
and then fell back, outside and in the chariot,

	Thus in the bosom of a cloud of flowers
Which from those hands angelical ascended,
And downward fell again inside and out,








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	a woman showed herself to me; above
a white veil, she was crowned with olive boughs;
her cape was green; her dress beneath, flame-red.

	Over her snow-white veil with olive cinct
Appeared a lady under a green mantle,
Vested in colour of the living flame.








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	Within her presence, I had once been used
to feeling-trembling-wonder, dissolution;
but that was long ago. Still, though my soul,

	And my own spirit, that already now
So long a time had been, that in her presence 
Trembling with awe it had not stood abashed,








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	now she was veiled, could not see her directly,
by way of hidden force that she could move,
I felt the mighty power of old love.

	Without more knowledge having by mine eyes,
Through occult virtue that from her proceeded
Of ancient love the mighty influence felt.








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	As soon as that deep force had struck my vision
(the power that, when I had not yet left
my boyhood, had already transfixed me),

	As soon as on my vision smote the power
Sublime, that had already pierced me through
Ere from my boyhood I had yet come forth,








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	I turned around and to my left-just as
a little child, afraid or in distress,
will hurry to his mother-anxiously,

	To the left hand I turned with that reliance
With which the little child runs to his mother,
When he has fear, or when he is afflicted,








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	to say to Virgil: "I am left with less
than one drop of my blood that does not tremble:
I recognize the signs of the old flame."

	To say unto Virgilius: "Not a drachm
Of blood remains in me, that does not tremble;
I know the traces of the ancient flame."








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	But Virgil had deprived us of himself,
Virgil, the gentlest father, Virgil, he
to whom I gave my self for my salvation;

	But us Virgilius of himself deprived
Had left, Virgilius, sweetest of all fathers,
Virgilius, to whom I for safety gave me:








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	and even all our ancient mother lost
was not enough to keep my cheeks, though washed
with dew, from darkening again with tears.

	Nor whatsoever lost the ancient mother
Availed my cheeks now purified from dew,
That weeping they should not again be darkened.








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	"Dante, though Virgil's leaving you, do not
yet weep, do not weep yet; you'll need your tears
for what another sword must yet inflict."

	"Dante, because Virgilius has departed
Do not weep yet, do not weep yet awhile;
For by another sword thou need'st must weep."








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	Just like an admiral who goes to stern
and prow to see the officers who guide
the other ships, encouraging their tasks;

	E'en as an admiral, who on poop and prow
Comes to behold the people that are working
In other ships. and cheers them to well-doing,  








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	so, on the left side of the chariot
(I'd turned around when I had heard my name-
which, of necessity, I transcribe here),

	Upon the left hand border of the car,
When at the sound I turned of my own name,
Which of necessity is here recorded,








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	I saw the lady who had first appeared
to me beneath the veils of the angelic
flowers look at me across the stream.

	I saw the Lady, who erewhile appeared
Veiled underneath the angelic festival,   
Direct her eyes to me across the river.








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	Although the veil she wore-down from her head,
which was encircled by Minerva's leaves-
did not allow her to be seen distinctly,

	Although the veil, that from her head descended,
Encircled with the foliage of Minerva,
Did not permit her to appear distinctly,








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	her stance still regal and disdainful, she
continued, just as one who speaks but keeps
until the end the fiercest parts of speech:

	In attitude still royal]y majestic      
Continued she, like unto one who speaks,
And keeps his warmest utterance in reserve:








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	"Look here! For I am Beatrice, I am!
How were you able to ascend the mountain?
Did you not know that man is happy here?"

	"Look at me well; in sooth I'm Beatrice!
How didst thou deign to come unto the Mountain ?
Didst thou not know that man is happy here ?"








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	My lowered eyes caught sight of the clear stream,
but when I saw myself reflected there,
such shame weighed on my brow, my eyes drew back

	Mine eyes fell downward into the clear fountain,
But, seeing myself therein, I sought the grass,
So great a shame did weigh my forehead down.








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	and toward the grass; just as a mother seems
harsh to her child, so did she seem to me-
how bitter is the savor of stern pity!

	As to the son the mother seems superb,
So she appeared to me; for somewhat bitter  
Tasteth the savour of severe compassion.








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	Her words were done. The angels-suddenly-
sang, "In te, Domine, speravi"; but
their singing did not go past "pedes meos."

	Silent became she, and the Angels sang
Suddenly, "In te, Domine, speravi: "
But beyond pedes meos did not pass.








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	Even as snow among the sap-filled trees
along the spine of Italy will freeze
when gripped by gusts of the Slavonian winds,

	Even as the snow among the living rafters  
Upon the back of Italy congeals,
Blown on and drifted by Sclavonian winds,








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	then, as it melts, will trickle through itself-
that is, if winds breathe north from shade-less lands-
just as, beneath the flame, the candle melts;

	And then, dissolving, trickles through itself
Whene'er the land that loses shadow breathes,
So that it seems a fire that melts a taper;








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	so I, before I'd heard the song of those
whose notes always accompany the notes
of the eternal spheres, was without tears

	E'en thus was I without a tear or sigh,
Before the song of those who sing for ever
After the music of the eternal spheres.








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	and sighs; but when I heard the sympathy
for me within their gentle harmonies,
as if they'd said: "Lady, why shame him so?"-

	But when I heard in their sweet melodies
Compassion for me, more than had they said,  
"O wherefore, lady, dost thou thus upbraid him ?"








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	then did the ice that had restrained my heart
become water and breath; and from my breast
and through my lips and eyes they issued-anguished.

	The ice, that was about my heart congealed,
To air and water changed, and in my anguish
Through mouth and eyes came gushing from my breast.








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	Still standing motionless upon the left
side of the chariot, she then addressed
the angels who had been compassionate:

	She, on the right-hand border of the car   
Still firmly standing, to those holy beings
Thus her discourse directed afterwards:








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	"You are awake in never-ending day,
and neither night nor sleep can steal from you
one step the world would take along its way;

	"Ye keep your watch in the eternal day,
So that nor night nor sleep can steal from you
One step the ages make upon their path; 








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	therefore, I'm more concerned that my reply
be understood by him who weeps beyond,
so that his sorrow's measure match his sin.

	Therefore my answer is with greater care,
That he may hear me who is weeping yonder,
So that the sin and dole be of one measure.








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	Not only through the work of the great spheres-
which guide each seed to a determined end,
depending on what stars are its companions-

	Not only by the work of those great wheels,
That destine every seed unto some end,
According as the stars are in conjunction,








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	but through the bounty of the godly graces,
which shower down from clouds so high that we
cannot approach them with our vision, he,

	But by the largess of celestial graces,
Which have such lofty vapours for their rain
That near to them our sight approaches not,








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	when young, was such-potentially-that any
propensity innate in him would have
prodigiously succeeded, had he acted.

	Such had this man become in his new life
Potentially, that every righteous habit
Would have made admirable proof in him;








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	But where the soil has finer vigor, there
precisely-when untilled or badly seeded-
will that terrain grow wilder and more noxious.

	But so much more malignant and more savage
Becomes the land untilled and with bad seed,
The more good earthly vigour it possesses.








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	My countenance sustained him for a while;
showing my youthful eyes to him, I led
him with me toward the way of righteousness.

	Some time did I sustain him with my look;
Revealing unto him my youthful eyes,
I led him with me turned in the right way.








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	As soon as I, upon the threshold of
my second age, had changed my life, he took
himself away from me and followed after

	As soon as ever of my second age
I was upon the threshold and changed life,  
Himself from me he took and gave to others.








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	another; when, from flesh to spirit, I
had risen, and my goodness and my beauty
had grown, I was less dear to him, less welcome:

	When from the flesh to spirit I ascended,
And beauty and virtue were in me increased,
I was to him less dear and less delightful;








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	he turned his footsteps toward an untrue path;
he followed counterfeits of goodness, which
will never pay in full what they have promised.

	And into ways untrue he turned his steps,
Pursuing the false images of good,
That never any promises fulfil;








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	Nor did the inspirations I received-
with which, in dream and otherwise, I called
him back-help me; he paid so little heed!

	Nor prayer for inspiration me availed,
By means of which in dreams and otherwise
I called him back, so little did he heed them.








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	He fell so far there were no other means
to lead him to salvation, except this:
to let him see the people who were lost.

	So low he fell, that all appliances
For his salvation were already short,
Save showing him the people of perdition.








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	For this I visited the gateway of
the dead; to him who guided him above
my prayers were offered even as I wept.

	For this I visited the gates of death,
And unto him, who so far up has led him,
My intercessions were with weeping borne.








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	The deep design of God would have been broken
if Lethe had been crossed and he had drunk
such waters but had not discharged the debt

	God's lofty fiat would be violated,
If Lethe should be passed, and if such viands
Should tasted be, withouten any scot








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	of penitence that's paid when tears are shed."

	Of penitence, that gushes forth in tears."




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