And therefore are these people, festinate Unto true life, not sine causa here More and less excellent among themselves. Creating, at his pleasure dowers with grace Therefore, with such a grace the light supreme Without, then, any merit of their deeds, With innocence, to work out their salvation After the earlier ages were completed, 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 60 65 70 75 80 Created through that altitude to fly, Did not suspend me in such admiration, In front of her his wings expanded wide From every part the court beatified, To be below here, leaving the sweet place Into the eyes is looking of our Queen, 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 To take our burden on himself decreed. But now come onward with thine eyes, as I Speaking shall go, and note the great patricians Of this most just and merciful of empires. Those two that sit above there most enraptured, As being very near unto Augusta, Are as it were the two roots of this Rose. He who upon the left is near her placed The father is, by whose audacious taste Before his death, of her the beauteous bride That leader under whom on manna lived The people ingrate, fickle, and stiff-necked. 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 125 130 136 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 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 140 145 That from my words thy heart turn not aside." 150 And he began this holy orison. CANTO XXXIII "THOU Virgin Mother, daughter of thy Son, To human nature gave, that its Creator By heat of which in the eternal peace Of charity, and below there among mortals That he who wishes grace, nor runs to thee, To him who asketh it, but oftentimes Now doth this man, who from the lowest depth Supplicate thee through grace for so much power 5 ΙΟ 15 20 25 And I, who never burned for my own seeing Proffer to thee, and pray they come not short, 30 That the Chief Pleasure be to him displayed. Let thy protection conquer human movements; My prayers to second clasp their hands to thee!" The eyes beloved and revered of God, Fastened upon the speaker, showed to us How grateful unto her are prayers devout; Then unto the Eternal Light they turned, On which it is not credible could be By any creature bent an eye so clear. And I, who to the end of all desires Was now approaching, even as I ought, Was entering more and more into the ray 36 40 45 50 59 55 |