And at that centre, with their wings expanded, A beauty smiling, which the gladness was Fixed and intent upon its fervid fervour, 130 139 140 CANTO XXXII. ABSORBED in his delight, that contemplator She is the one who opened it and pierced it. Down in gradation, as with each one's name Above the same, succeed the Hebrew women, 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 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, 30 33 And down to us the rest from round to round. Behold now the high providence divine; 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 Whatever thou beholdest, so that closely And therefore are these people, festinate More and less excellent among themselves. 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 10 45 55 Sa Es . 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 Rain down, borne onward in the holy minds Did not suspend me in such admiration, From every part the court beatified, To be below here, leaving the sweet place Into the eyes is looking of our Queen, Of that one who delighted him in Mary As doth the star of morning in the sun. And he to me: "Such gallantry and grace As there can be in Angel and in soul, All is in him; and thus we fain would have it; Because he is the one who bore the palm Down unto Mary, when the Son of God But now come onward with thine eyes, as I 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. 139 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. 140 149 CANTO XXXIII. "THOU Virgin Mother, daughter of thy Son, To human nature gave, that its Creator Of charity, and below there among mortals That he who wishes grace, nor runs to thee, To him who asketh it, but oftentimes In thee compassion is, in thee is pity, In thee magnificence; in thee unites Supplicate thee through grace for so much power That the Chief Pleasure be to him displayed. Whate'er thou wilt, that sound thou mayst prescrve Let thy protection conquer human movements; My prayers to second clasp their hands to thee!" |