THE glory of Him who moveth everything Our intellect ingulphs itself so far, mind I had the power to treasure in my O good Apollo, for this last emprise As giving the beloved laurel asks! One summit of Parnassus hitherto Has been enough for me, but now with both Enter into my bosom, thou, and breathe As at the time when Marsyas thou didst draw Thou 'lt see me come unto thy darling tree, And crown myself thereafter with those leaves 25 Of which the theme and thou shall make me worthy. So seldom, Father, do we gather them For triumph or of Cæsar or of Poet (The fault and shame of human inclinations), That the Peneian foliage should bring forth Joy to the joyous Delphic deity, When any one it makes to thirst for it. A little spark is followed by great flame; Perchance with better voices after me Shall prayer be made that Cyrrha may respond! To mortal men by passages diverse Uprises the world's lamp; but by that one Which circles four uniteth with three crosses, With better course and with a better star Conjoined it issues, and the mundane wax Tempers and stamps more after its own fashion. Almost that passage had made morning there And evening here, and there was wholly white I saw turned round, and gazing at the sun; And even as a second ray is wont To issue from the first and reascend, Like to a pilgrim who would fain return, Thus of her action, through the eyes infused In my imagination, mine I made, And sunward fixed mine eyes beyond our wont. There much is lawful which is here unlawful 30 35 40 45 50 55 Unto our powers, by virtue of the place With eyes upon the everlasting wheels Stood Beatrice all intent, and I, on her As Glaucus, tasting of the herb that made him Impossible were; the example, then, suffice Createdst, Love, who governest the heaven, 60 65 70 Thou knowest, who didst lift me with thy light! 75 When now the wheel, which thou dost make eternal, Desiring thee, made me attentive to it By harmony thou dost modulate and measure, 8a 85 And she began: "Thou makest thyself so dull What thou wouldst see if thou hadst shaken it off. If of 91 By these brief little words more smiled than spoken, I in a new one was the more ensnared; And said: "6 Already did I rest content From great amazement; but am now amazed. Her eyes directed tow'rds me with that look Have order among themselves, and this is form, This is in mortal hearts the motive power; This binds together and unites the earth. Nor only the created things that are Without intelligence this bow shoots forth, 96 100 105 115 |