Into the yellow of the Rose Eternal
That spreads, and multiplies, and breathes an odourOf praise unto the ever-vernal Sun,
As one who silent is and fain would speak,Me Beatrice drew on, and said: “BeholdOf the white stoles how vast the convent is!
Behold how vast the circuit of our city!Behold our seats so filled to overflowing,That here henceforward are few people wanting!
On that great throne whereon thine eyes are fixedFor the crown’s sake already placed upon it,Before thou suppest at this wedding feast
Shall sit the soul (that is to be AugustusOn earth) of noble Henry, who shall comeTo redress Italy ere she be ready.
Blind covetousness, that casts its spell upon you,Has made you like unto the little child,Who dies of hunger and drives off the nurse.
And in the sacred forum then shall beA Prefect such, that openly or covertOn the same road he will not walk with him.
But long of God he will not be enduredIn holy office; he shall be thrust downWhere Simon Magus is for his deserts,
And make him of Alagna lower go!”
Paradiso: Canto XXXI
In fashion then as of a snow-white roseDisplayed itself to me the saintly host,Whom Christ in his own blood had made his bride,
But the other host, that flying sees and singsThe glory of Him who doth enamour it,And the goodness that created it so noble,
Even as a swarm of bees, that sinks in flowersOne moment, and the next returns againTo where its labour is to sweetness turned,
Sank into the great flower, that is adornedWith leaves so many, and thence reascendedTo where its love abideth evermore.
Their faces had they all of living flame,And wings of gold, and all the rest so whiteNo snow unto that limit doth attain.
From bench to bench, into the flower descending,They carried something of the peace and ardourWhich by the fanning of their flanks they won.
Nor did the interposing ’twixt the flowerAnd what was o’er it of such plenitudeOf flying shapes impede the sight and splendour;
Because the light divine so penetratesThe universe, according to its merit,That naught can be an obstacle against it.
This realm secure and full of gladsomeness,Crowded with ancient people and with modern,Unto one mark had all its look and love.
O Trinal Light, that in a single starSparkling upon their sight so satisfies them,Look down upon our tempest here below!
If the barbarians, coming from some regionThat every day by Helice is covered,Revolving with her son whom she delights in,
Beholding Rome and all her noble works,Were wonder-struck, what time the LateranAbove all mortal things was eminent,—
I who to the divine had from the human,From time unto eternity, had come,From Florence to a people just and sane,
With what amazement must I have been filled!Truly between this and the joy, it wasMy pleasure not to hear, and to be mute.
And as a pilgrim who delighteth himIn gazing round the temple of his vow,And hopes some day to retell how it was,
So through the living light my way pursuingDirected I mine eyes o’er all the ranks,Now up, now down, and now all round about.
Faces I saw of charity persuasive,Embellished by His light and their own smile,And attitudes adorned with every grace.
The general form of Paradise alreadyMy glance had comprehended as a whole,In no part hitherto remaining fixed,
And round I turned me with rekindled wishMy Lady to interrogate of thingsConcerning which my mind was in suspense.
One thing I meant, another answered me;I thought I should see Beatrice, and sawAn Old Man habited like the glorious people.
O’erflowing was he in his eyes and cheeksWith joy benign, in attitude of pityAs to a tender father is becoming.
And “She, where is she?” instantly I said;Whence he: “To put an end to thy desire,Me Beatrice hath sent from mine own place.
And if thou lookest up to the third roundOf the first rank, again shalt thou behold herUpon the throne her merits have assigned her.”
Without reply I lifted up mine eyes,And saw her, as she made herself a crownReflecting from herself the eternal rays.
Not from that region which the highest thundersIs any mortal eye so far removed,In whatsoever sea it deepest sinks,
As there from Beatrice my sight; but thisWas nothing unto me; because her imageDescended not to me by medium blurred.
“O Lady, thou in whom my hope is strong,And who for my salvation didst endureIn Hell to leave the imprint of thy feet,
Of whatsoever things I have beheld,As coming from thy power and from thy goodnessI recognise the virtue and the grace.
Thou from a slave hast brought me unto freedom,By all those ways, by all the expedients,Whereby thou hadst the power of doing it.
Preserve towards me thy magnificence,So that this soul of mine, which thou hast healed,Pleasing to thee be loosened from the body.”
Thus I implored; and she, so far away,Smiled, as it seemed, and looked once more at me;Then unto the eternal fountain turned.
And said the Old Man holy: “That thou maystAccomplish perfectly thy journeying,Whereunto prayer and holy love have sent me,
Fly with thine eyes all round about this garden;For seeing it will discipline thy sightFarther to mount along the ray divine.
And she, the Queen of Heaven, for whom I burnWholly with love, will grant us every grace,Because that I her faithful Bernard am.”
As he who peradventure from CroatiaCometh to gaze at our Veronica,Who through its ancient fame is never sated,
But says in thought, the while it is displayed,“My Lord, Christ Jesus, God of very God,Now was your semblance made like unto this?”
Even such was I while gazing at the livingCharity of the man, who in this worldBy contemplation tasted of that peace.
“Thou son of grace, this jocund life,” began he,“Will not be known to thee by keeping everThine eyes below here on the lowest place;
But mark the circles to the most remote,Until thou shalt behold enthroned the QueenTo whom this realm is subject and devoted.”
I lifted up mine eyes, and as at mornThe oriental part of the horizonSurpasses that wherein the sun goes down,
Thus, as if going with mine eyes from valeTo mount, I saw a part in the remotenessSurpass in splendour all the other front.
And even as there where we await the poleThat Phaeton drove badly, blazes moreThe light, and is on either side diminished,