From the first day that I beheld her face In this life, to the moment of this look, The sequence of my song has ne'er been severed; But now perforce this sequence must desist From following her beauty with my verse, As every artist at his uttermost. Such as I leave her to a greater fame Than any of my trumpet, which is bringing With voice and gesture of a perfect leader She recommenced: "We from the greatest body Have issued to the heaven that is pure light; Light intellectual replete with love, Love of true good replete with ecstasy, Ecstasy that transcendeth every sweetness. Here shalt thou see the one host and the other Of Paradise, and one in the same aspects Which at the final judgment thou shalt see.” Even as a sudden lightning that disperses The visual spirits, so that it deprives The eye of impress from the strongest objects, And left me swathed around with such a veil And I with vision new rekindled me, 31 35 40 45 50 55 But that mine eyes were fortified against it. Fulvid with its effulgence, 'twixt two banks And on all sides sank down into the flowers, They plunged again into the wondrous torrent, 60 65 "The high desire, that now inflames and moves thee To have intelligence of what thou seest, Pleaseth me all the more, the more it swells. But of this water it behoves thee drink Before so great a thirst in thee be slaked.” And added: "The river and the topazes 71 75 Going in and out, and the laughing of the herbage, Are of their truth foreshadowing prefaces; Not that these things are difficult in themselves, But the deficiency is on thy side, For yet thou hast not vision so exalted." There is no babe that leaps so suddenly With face towards the milk, if he awake Much later than his usual custom is, As I did, that I might make better mirrors Still of mine eyes, down stooping to the wave Drank of it, it forthwith appeared to me 80 85 90 Seem other than before, if they divest The semblance not their own they disappeared in, Thus into greater pomp were changed for me The flowerets and the sparks, so that I saw Both of the Courts of Heaven made manifest. O splendor of God! by means of which I saw The lofty triumph of the realm veracious, Give me the power to say how it I saw ! There is a light above, which visible Makes the Creator unto every creature, Who only in beholding Him has peace, And it expands itself in circular form To such extent, that its circumference Would be too large a girdle for the sun. The semblance of it is all made of rays Reflected from the top of Primal Motion, Which takes therefrom vitality and power. And as a hill in water at its base Mirrors itself, as if to see its beauty When affluent most in verdure and in flowers, So, ranged aloft all round about the light, Mirrored I saw in more ranks than a thousand And if the lowest row collect within it So great a light, how vast the amplitude away; 95 105 115 120 Into the yellow of the Rose Eternal That spreads, and multiplies, and breathes an odor Of praise unto the ever-vernal Sun, As one who silent is and fain would speak, Me Beatrice drew on, and said: "Behold Of the white stoles how vast the convent is! Behold how vast the circuit of our city! Behold our seats so filled to overflowing, On earth) of noble Henry, who shall come Blind covetousness, that casts its spell upon you, A Prefect such, that openly or covert In holy office; he shall be thrust down 126 130 135 140 145 CANTO XXXI IN fashion then as of a snow-white rose Displayed itself to me the saintly host, Whom Christ in his own blood had made his bride. With leaves so many, and thence reascended And wings of gold, and all the rest so white From bench to bench, into the flower descending, They carried something of the peace and ardor Which by the fanning of their flanks they won. Nor did the interposing 'twixt the flower And what was o'er it of such plenitude Of flying shapes impede the sight and splendor; Because the light divine so penetrates The universe, according to its merit, Crowded with ancient people and with modern, 5 IC 20 25 |