Then to the wheels the maidens turned themselves,
And the Griffin moved his burden benedight,
But so that not a feather of him fluttered.
The lady fair who drew me through the ford

Followed with Statius and myself the wheel
Which made its orbit with the lesser arc.
So passing through the lofty forest, vacant

By fault of her who in the serpent trusted,
Angelic music made our steps keep time.
Perchance as great a space had in three flights

An arrow loosened from the string o'erpassed,
As we had moved when Beatrice descended.
I heard them murmur altogether, "Adam!"

Then circled they about a tree despoiled
Of blooms and other leafage on each bough.
Its tresses, which so much the more dilate

As higher they ascend, had been by Indians Among their forests marvelled at for height. "Blessed art thou, O Griffin, who dost not

Pluck with thy beak these branches sweet to taste.
Since appetite by this was turned to evil."

After this fashion round the tree robust

The others shouted; and the twofold creature: "Thus is preserved the seed of all the just." And turning to the pole which he had dragged,

He drew it close beneath the widowed bough,
And what was of it unto it left bound.
In the same manner as our trees (when downward
Falls the great light, with that together mingled
Which after the celestial Lasca shines)
Begin to swell, and then renew themselves,

Each one with its own colour, ere the Sun
Harness his steeds beneath another star:
Less than of rose and more than violet

A hue disclosing, was renewed the tree
That had erewhile its boughs so desolate.

I never heard, nor here below is sung,

The hymn which afterward that people sang,
Nor did I bear the melody throughout.

Had I the power to paint how fell asleep

Those eyes compassionless, of Syrinx hearing,
Those eyes to which more watching cost so dear,

Even as a painter who from model paints

I would portray how I was lulled asleep;
He may, who well can picture drowsihood.

Therefore I pass to what time I awoke,

And say a splendour rent from me the veil

Of slumber, and a calling: "Rise, what dost thou ?"
As to behold the apple-tree in blossom

Which makes the Angels greedy for its fruit,
And keeps perpetual bridals in the Heaven,

Peter and John and James conducted were,
And, overcome, recovered at the word

By which still greater slumbers have been broken,

And saw their school diminished by the loss
Not only of Elias, but of Moses,

And the apparel of their Master changed;

So I revived, and saw that piteous one

Above me standing, who had been conductress
Aforetime of my steps beside the river,
And all in doubt I said, "Where's Beatrice ?"
And she: "Behold her seated underneath.
The leafage new, upon the root of it.

Behold the company that circles her;

The rest behind the Griffin are ascending

With more melodious song, and more profound."

And if her speech were more diffuse I know not,
Because already in my sight was she

Who from the hearing of aught else had shut ne.

A

Alone she sat upon the very earth,

Left there as guardian of the chariot

Which I had seen the biform monster fasten.

Encircling her, a cloister made themselves

The seven Nymphs, with those lights in their hands
Which are secure from Aquilon and Auster.

"Short while shalt thou be here a forester,

And thou shalt be with me for evermore

A citizen of that Rome where Christ is Roman. Therefore, for that world's good which liveth ill,

Fix on the car thine eyes, and what thou seest,
Having returned to earth, take heed thou write."
Thus Beatrice; and I, who at the feet

Of her commandments all devoted was,
My mind and eyes directed where she willed.
Never descended with so swift a motion

Fire from a heavy cloud, when it is raining
From out the region which is most remote,

As I beheld the bird of Jove descend

Down through the tree, rending away the bark,
As well as blossoms and the foliage new,

And he with all his might the chariot smote,

Whereat it reeled, like vessel in a tempest

Tossed by the waves, now starboard and now larboard.

Thereafter saw I leap into the body

Of the triumphal vehicle a Fox,

That seemed unfed with any wholesome food.

But for his hideous sins upbraiding him,

My Lady put him to as swift a flight
As such a fleshless skeleton could bear.
Then by the way that it before had come,

Into the chariot's chest I saw the Eagle
Descend, and leave it feathered with his plumes.

And such as issues from a heart that mourns,

A voice from Heaven there issued, and it said : "My little bark, how badly art thou freighted!" Methought, then, that the earth did yawn between

Both wheels, and I saw rise from it a Dragon,
Who through the chariot upward fixed his tail,
And as a wasp that draweth back its sting,

Drawing unto himself his tail malign,
Drew out the floor, and went his way rejoicing.
That which remained behind, even as with grass
A fertile region, with the feathers, offered
Perhaps with pure intention and benign,
Reclothed itself, and with them were reclothed
The pole and both the wheels so speedily,
A sigh doth longer keep the lips apart.
Transfigured thus the holy edifice

Thrust forward heads upon the parts of it,
Three on the pole and one at either corner.
The first were horned like oxen; but the four
Had but a single horn upon the forehead;
A monster such had never yet been seen!

Firm as a rock upon a mountain high,

Seated upon it, there appeared to me

A shameless whore, with eyes swift glancing round,

And, as if not to have her taken from him,

Upright beside her I beheld a giant;

And ever and anon they kissed each other.

But because she her wanton, roving eye

Turned upon me, her angry paramour
Did scourge her from her head unto her feet.
Then full of jealousy, and fierce with wrath,

He loosed the monster, and across the forest
Dragged it so far, he made of that alone
A shield unto the whore and the strange beast.

CANTO XXXIII.

"DEUS, venerunt gentes," alternating

Now three, now four, melodious psalmody
The maidens in the midst of tears began ;
And Beatrice, compassionate and sighing,

Listened to them with such a countenance,
That scarce more changed was Mary at the cross.
But when the other virgins place had given
For her to speak, uprisen to her feet

With colour as of fire, she made response: "Modicum, et non videbitis me;

Et iterum, my sisters predilect,
Modicum, et vos videbitis me."

Then all the seven in front of her she placed;
And after her, by beckoning only, moved
Me and the lady and the sage who stayed.
So she moved onward; and I do not think

That her tenth step was placed upon the ground,
When with her eyes upon mine eyes she smote,
And with a tranquil aspect, "Come more quickly,"
To me she said, "that, if I speak with thee,
To listen to me thou mayst be well placed."
As soon as I was with her as I should be,

She said to me: "Why, brother, dost thou not
Venture to question now, in coming with me?"

As unto those who are too reverential,

Speaking in presence of superiors,

Who drag no living utterance to their teeth, It me befell, that without perfect sound

Began I: "My necessity, Madonna,

You know, and that which thereunto is good."

And she to me: "Of fear and bashfulness

Henceforward I will have thee strip thyself,
So that thou speak no more as one who dreams.
Know that the vessel which the serpent broke

Was, and is not; but let him who is guilty
Think that God's vengeance does not fear a sop.
Without an heir shall not for ever be

The Eagle that left his plumes upon the car,
Whence it became a monster, then a prev;

For verily I see, and hence narrate it,

The stars already near to bring the time,
From every hindrance safe, and every bar,
Within which a Five-hundred, Ten, and Five,

One sent from God, shall slay the thievish woman
And that same giant who is sinning with her.

And peradventure my dark utterance,

Like Themis and the Sphinx, may less persuade thee,
Since, in their mode, it clouds the intellect;

But soon the facts shall be the Naiades

Who shall this difficult enigma solve,

Without destruction of the flocks and harvests.
Note thou; and even as by me are uttered

These words, so teach them unto those who live
That life which is a running unto death;
And bear in mind, whene'er thou writest them,

Not to conceal what thou hast seen the plant,
That twice already has been pillaged here.

Whoever pillages or shatters it,

With blasphemy of deed offendeth God,
Who made it holy for his use alone.

For biting that, in pain and in desire

Five thousand years and more the first-born soul
Craved Him, who punished in himself the bite.

Thy genius slumbers, if it deem it not
For special reason so pre-eminent

In height, and so inverted in its summit.

And if thy vain imaginings had not been
Water of Elsa round about thy mind,

And Pyramus to the mulberry, their pleasure,

Thou by so many circumstances only
The justice of the interdict of God
Morally in the tree wouldst recognize.

But since I see thee in thine intellect

Converted into stone and stained with sin,

So that the light of my discourse doth daze thee,

I will too, if not written, at least painted,

Thou bear it back within thee, for the reason
That cinct with palm the pilgrim's staff is borne."
And I: "As by a signet is the wax

Which does not charge the figure stamped upon it,
My brain is now imprinted by yourself.

But wherefore so beyond my power of sight
Soars your desirable discourse, that aye

The more I strive, so much the more I lose it ?"