Thou from a slave hast brought me unto freedom, So that this soul of mine, which thou hast healed, Smiled, as it seemed, and looked once more at me; And said the Old Man holy: "That thou mayst Whereunto prayer and holy love have sent me, And she, the Queen of Heaven, for whom I burn As he who peradventure from Croatia Cometh to gaze at our Veronica, Who through its ancient fame is never sated, But says in thought, the while it is displayed, "My Lord, Christ Jesus, God of very God, Now was your semblance made like unto this?" Even such was I while gazing at the living Charity of the man, who in this world By contemplation tasted of that peace. "Thou son of grace, this jocund life," began he, "Will not be known to thee by keeping ever Thine eyes below here on the lowest place; But mark the circles to the most remote, Until thou shalt behold enthroned the Queen The oriental part of the horizon To mount, I saw a part in the remoteness That Phaeton drove badly, blazes more Gleamed brightest in the centre, and each side And at that centre, with their wings expanded, A beauty smiling, which the gladness was Fixed and intent upon its fervid fervour, CANTO XXXII. ABSORBED in his delight, that contemplator She is the one who opened it and pierced it. In Christ had taken, these are the partition With each one of its petals, seated are Those who believed in Christ who was to come. Upon the other side, where intersected 23 With vacant spaces are the semicircles, Are those who looked to Christ already come. And as, upon this side, the glorious seat Of the Lady of Heaven, and the other seats Who, ever holy, desert and martyrdom Francis, and Benedict, and Augustine, And down to us the rest from round to round. Behold now the high providence divine; 30 35 For one and other aspect of the Faith And know that downward from that rank which cleaves But by another's under fixed conditions; For these are spirits one and all assoiled Well canst thou recognise it in their faces, If thou regard them well and hearken to them. Now doubtest thou, and doubting thou art silent; Within the amplitude of this domain No casual point can possibly find place, No more than sadness can, or thirst, or hunger; For by eternal law has been established And therefore are these people, festinate The King, by means of whom this realm reposes In his own joyous aspect every mind Creating, at his pleasure dowers with grace And this is clearly and expressly noted For you in Holy Scripture, in those twins Therefore, with such a grace the light supreme Without, then, any merit of their deeds, With innocence, to work out their salvation Behoved it that the males by circumcision Unto their innocent wings should virtue add; But after that the time of grace had come Without the baptism absolute of Christ, Hath most resemblance; for its brightness only On her did I behold so great a gladness Rain down, borne onward in the holy minds Did not suspend me in such admiration, In front of her his wings expanded wide. Unto the canticle divine responded From every part the court beatified, So that each sight became serener for it. "O holy father, who for me endurest To be below here, leaving the sweet place Into the eyes is looking of our Queen, Of that one who delighted him in Mary And he to me: As there can be in Angel and in soul, Down unto Mary, when the Son of God Speaking shall go, and note the great patricians Those two that sit above there most enraptured, Are as it were the two roots of this Rose. The father is, by whose audacious taste The human species so much bitter tastes. Upon the right thou seest that ancient father Of Holy Church, into whose keeping Christ Before his death, of her the beauteous bride Beside him sits, and by the other rests That leader under whom on manna lived Opposite Peter seest thou Anna seated, So well content to look upon her daughter, Her eyes she moves not while she sings Hosanna. And opposite the eldest household father Lucia sits, she who thy Lady moved When to rush downward thou didst bend thy brows. But since the moments of thy vision fly, Here will we make full stop, as a good tailor And unto the first Love will turn our eyes, That looking upon Him thou penetrate As far as possible through his effulgence. Truly, lest peradventure thou recede, Moving thy wings believing to advance, By prayer behoves it that grace be obtained; Grace from that one who has the power to aid thee; And thou shalt follow me with thy affection That from my words thy heart turn not aside." And he began this holy orison. 135 140 145 |