Paradiso (42 page)
Authors: Dante
In form, then, of a luminous white rose
→
→
I saw the saintly soldiery that Christ,
→
3
with His own blood, took as His bride.
But the others—who, even as they fly, behold
→
and sing the glory of Him who stirs their love,
→
6
and sing His goodness that raised them up so high,
these descended to the splendid flower,
adorned with many petals, and then flew up
Their faces were of living flame,
→
their wings were gold, the rest
15
was of a whiteness never matched by snow.
When they descended to the flower, they bestowed
the peace and love acquired with their beating wings
→
18
upon the petals, row on row.
Nor did so vast a flying throng,
→
coming between the flower and the light above,
21
obstruct the looking up or shining down,
for the light of God so penetrates the universe,
→
according to the fitness of its parts to take it in,
24
that there is nothing can withstand its beam.
This sure and joyful kingdom,
→
thronged with souls from both the old times and the new,
27
aimed sight and love upon a single goal.
O threefold Light, which, in a single star
→
sparkling in their sight, contents them so!
If the barbarians, coming from that region
→
which Helice covers every day,
→
33
wheeling with her son, in whom she takes delight,
were dumbstruck at the sight of Rome
and her majestic monuments,
36
when the Lateran surpassed all other works of man,
I, who had come to things divine from man’s estate,
→
to eternity from time,
with what amazement must I have been filled!
Indeed, between the wonder and my joy, I was content
42
neither to hear nor speak a word.
And, as a pilgrim, in the temple of his vow,
→
content within himself, looks lovingly about
45
and expects to tell his tale when he gets home,
so, through the living light I let my eyes
range freely through the ranks, now up, now down,
I saw visages informed by heavenly love, resplendent
→
with Another’s light and their own smiles,
My gaze by now had taken in
→
the general form of Paradise
54
but not yet fixed on any single part of it,
and I turned, with newly kindled eagerness
→
to ask my lady many things
→
57
that kept my mind yet in suspense.
I expected one thing but found another:
→
instead of Beatrice, an old man, adorned
→
60
as were the rest of those in glory, met my eyes.
His eyes and cheeks were quite suffused
with kindly joy, and from his whole appearance shone
Then ‘Where is she?’ I asked at once
→
and he replied: ‘To lead your longing to its goal
→
66
Beatrice called me from my place.
‘If you raise your eyes to the third circle
below the highest tier, you shall see her again,
69
now on the throne her merits have assigned.’
Without a word, I lifted up my eyes
→
and saw that she, reflecting the eternal rays,
→
72
appeared to be encircled by a crown.
From the highest region where the thunder breaks
→
down to the bottom of the deepest sea,
75
no mortal eye is ever quite so far
as was my sight removed from Beatrice.
Yet to me that mattered not, because her image
→
78
came down undimmed by anything between.
‘O lady who give strength to all my hope
→
→
and who allowed yourself, for my salvation,
81
to leave your footprints there in Hell,
‘of all the many things that I have seen,
I know the grace and virtue I’ve been shown
84
come from your goodness and your power.
‘It is you who, on no matter what the path,
→
have drawn me forth from servitude to freedom
87
by every means that you had in your power.
‘Keep your munificence alive in me, so that
→
my soul, which you have healed,
90
may please you when it leaves its mortal frame.’
This was my prayer. And she, however far away
→
she seemed, smiled and looked down at me,
93
then turned again to the eternal fountain.
‘Let your sight fly through this garden,
→
for seeing it will help prepare your eyes
99
to rise, along the beam of holy light.
‘And Heaven’s queen, for whom I burn
with love, will grant us every grace,
As the man who, perhaps from Croatia, has come
→
→
to set his gaze on our Veronica,
105
his ancient craving still not satisfied,
and who thinks to himself while it is shown:
‘My Lord Jesus Christ, God Himself,
108
was this then how you really looked?’,
just so was I, gazing on the living love
→
of him who, still within the confines of this world,
111
in contemplation tasted of that peace.
‘Child of grace,’ he said, ‘you will not know
→
this joyful state if you maintain your gaze,
114
instead of upward, fixed down here.
‘Rather to the highest circles raise your eyes
→
so that you may behold the queen enthroned,
117
her to whom this realm is subject and devout.’
I raised my eyes. As, at break of day,
→
→
the eastern part of the horizon shines
120
with a brighter glow than where the sun goes down,
so, as though my eyes were moving from a valley
up a mountain, I saw that one far crest
123
surpassed in brightness all the others.
Where we await the shaft of Phaeton’s
→
→
poorly guided car, there, where it is most aflame,
→
126
while on this side and on that the light shades off,
just so that peaceful oriflamme showed brightest
→
in the middle, while on either side
129
the flame was dimmed in equal measure.
Around that point I saw more than a thousand angels,
→
their wings outspread, in joyful festival,
132
each distinct in brightness and in motion.
I saw there, smiling at their games and songs,
beauty that brought pleasure to the gaze
135
of all the other gathered saints.