The Portable Dante (77 page)

If ever it happen that this sacred poem to which both Heaven and Earth have set their hand, and made me lean from laboring so long,

wins over those cruel hearts that exile me from my sweet fold where I grew up a lamb, foe to the wolves that war upon it now,

with a changed voice and with another fleece, I shall return, a poet, and at my own baptismal font assume the laurel wreath,

for it was there I entered in the faith that counts God’s souls for Him, the faith for which Peter just turned himself into my crown.

And then a light began to move toward us out of the sphere which had produced that rare first fruit of Christ’s own vicarage on earth;

whereat, my lady, radiant with joy, said to me: “Look, look there! You see the Baron who draws souls to Galicia down on earth. ”

As when a dove alights beside its mate, and it begins to coo and circle round the other in expression of its love,

even so did I behold one glorious and great lord greet the other as the two sang praises for the feast that Heaven serves.

Then, once the joyful greetings were exchanged they stopped and stood in silence
coram me
— their brilliance was too powerful for sight.

And then my Beatrice, smiling, said: “Illustrious life, the one chosen to write of the largesse of our celestial Court,

make hope resound throughout this heaven’s height: you can, you were its symbol all those times Jesus bestowed more light upon His three. ”

“Lift up your head and reassure yourself, for all that rises from the mortal world must ripen here in our own radiance. ”

These words of strength came from the second flame, whereby, up to those hills I raised my eyes, which had been lowered by excessive brilliance,

“Since of His grace our Emperor has willed that you before your death come face to face with His own Counts in His most secret hall,

that, having seen the truth of our Court here, you, in yourself and others, may give strength to Hope which makes men love the good on earth,

now tell me what is Hope, how much of it thrives in your mind, and where your Hope comes from. ” So spoke the second light a second time.

And that devout one who on my high flight had guided every feather of my wings anticipated my reply, and said:

“There is no son of the Church Militant with greater hope than his, as you can read in Him whose radiance lights all our host;

and this is why he is allowed to come from Egypt to behold Jerusalem before his fighting days on earth are done.

The two remaining questions you have asked not for your sake, but that he may report to men on earth how much you cherish Hope—

I leave to him: they are not difficult nor is self-praise involved. So let him speak, and may he answer with the grace of God. ”

As pupil answering his teacher would, ready and willing to display his worth, so well-versed in his subject, I said, “Hope

is sure expectancy of future bliss to be inherited—the holy fruit of God’s own grace and man’s precedent worth.

From many stars this light comes to my mind, but he who first instilled it in my heart was highest singer of the Highest Lord.

’Let them have hope in Thee who know Thy name, ’ so sings his sacred song. And who does not know of That Name if he has faith like mine?

And in your own epistle you instilled me with his dew, till now I overflow and pour again your shower upon others. ”

While I was saying this, within that living bosom of luminescence flashed a flame, repeating quick and bright as lightning strikes.

It breathed: “The love that always burns in me for Hope, that followed me even to the palm and the departure from the battlefield,

moves me to speak again to you who loves this virtue: give me joy by telling me what promise does your Hope make to your soul. ”

And I: “The Old and the New Testaments define the goal—which points me to the promise— of those souls that Our Lord has made His friends.

Isaiah testifies that every man in his homeland shall wear a double raiment, and his homeland is this sweet life of bliss.

There is also your brother, where he writes about the white robes—he makes manifest this revelation more explicitly. ”

And, on the sound of my last word I heard ring out “
Sperent in te
“above my head, and all the dancing spheres gave their response,

Then, one among those lights became so bright that if the Crab possessed just one such star, winter would have one month of one long day.

As a young girl rises and in her joy rushes to dance in honor of the bride without a thought of showing off herself,

so did I see that brilliant splendor rush to reach the two circles that whirled in dance whose rhythm was in tune with their great love.

It joined them in their dance and in their song; and all the while my lady, like a bride, stood gazing at them, motionless and quiet.

“This is the one who lay upon the breast of our own Pelican; he is the one who from the Cross assumed the great bequest. ”

These were the words my lady said to me, but no more after than before she spoke did she once take her eyes away from them.

As one who squints and strains his eyes to see a little of the sun in its eclipse, and who through looking can no longer look,

so did I stare at that last blaze of light until I heard the words: “Why blind yourself by looking for what has no place up here?”

My body is in earth as earth, and there it lies with others till our number is the predetermined total set by God.

Two Lights and no more, were allowed to rise straight to our cloister clad in double robes— explain this to your world when you go back. ”

His voice had stopped the flaming circle’s dance, and with it stopped the mingling of sweet sound breathed by that triune breath in harmony,

as oars, driven through water at a pace, stop all together when a whistle blows, to signal danger or prevent fatigue.

Ah, the strange feeling running through my mind when I turned then to look at Beatrice only to find I could not see, and she

so close to me, and we in Paradise!

While I stood there confounded by my blindness, from out the effulgent flame that took my sight, there came a breath of voice that made me heed

its words: “Until you have regained the sense of sight which your eyes have consumed in me, let discourse be a means of recompense.

Begin then, tell what is it that your soul is set upon—and you may rest assured your sight is only dazzled not destroyed:

the lady who guides you through the Divine spheres has that power in a single glance that rested in the hand of Ananias. ”

I said: “At her own pleasure, soon or late, let her restore my eyes that were the gates she entered with the fire that burns me still.

The Good, that full contentment of this Court, is Alpha and Omega of all texts Love reads to me in soft or louder tones. ”

The same voice that had just now calmed the fear I felt in sudden blind bewilderment once more encouraged me to speak. It said:

“But certainly, you need a finer sieve to sift this matter through: you must explain who made you aim your bow at such a mark?”

I said: “Through philosophic arguments and through authority which comes from here such love as this has stamped me with its seal;

for good perceived as good enkindles love, and makes that love more bright the more that we can comprehend the good which it contains.

So, toward that Essence where such goodness rests that any goodness found outside of It is only a reflection of its ray,

the mind of man, in love, is bound to move more than toward any other, once it sees the truth on which this loving proof is based.

Such truth is made plain to my mind by him who demonstrates to me the primal love of each and every endless entity.

Plain it was made by the True Author’s voice when He said, speaking of Himself, to Moses: “I shall show you all of my goodness now. ”

Made plain it also is from the first words of your great Gospel which cries out to men, loudest of all, the mysteries of Heaven. ”

And then I heard: “As human reason proves and revelation which concurs with it, of all your loves the highest looks to God.

But tell me, are there other ties you feel that draw you to Him? Let your words explain the many teeth with which your love can bite. ”

The sacred purpose in the questioning of Christ’s own eagle here was clear to me— I knew which way my answer had to go.

I spoke again: “All of those teeth with strength to move the heart of any man to God have bitten my heart into loving Him.

The being of the world and my own being, the death He died so that my soul might live, the hope of all the faithful, and mine too,

joined with the living truth mentioned before, from that deep sea of false love rescued me and set me on the right shore of true Love.

I love each leaf with which enleaved is all the garden of the Eternal Gardener in measure of the light he sheds on each. ”

The instant I stopped speaking all of Heaven filled with sweet singing, as my lady joined the others chanting: “Holy! Holy! Holy!”

As sleep is broken by a flash of light, the visual spirit rushing to the gleam which penetrates the eyes from lid to lid,

and the roused sleeper shrinks from what he sees, confounded by his sudden wakening, until his judgment comes to aid his sight,

so Beatrice drove out every speck clouding my vision with her splendid eyes whose radiance spread a thousand miles and more;

so I could see much better than before, and then, surprised with my new sight, I asked about a fourth light that was with us now.

My lady said: “Within that blaze of rays, in loving contemplation of his maker, is the first soul the First Power first made. ”

As tops of trees will bow to sweeping gusts of wind, only to straighten up again by force of their own natural resilience,

so I, amazed, was bent the while she spoke; but then I found my confidence restored, and burning with the wish to speak again,

I spoke these words: “O one and only fruit who was created ripe, first, oldest sire, father and father-in-law of every bride,

I beg of you devoutly, I implore you, speak to me. You see right through my wish; to hear you speak the sooner, I speak less. ”

Sometimes an animal will tremble in its skin and thus reveal its feelings from within as he moves his own cover from inside;

so, that first soul of souls revealed to me, stirring transparently in his own glow, how joyously it moved to bring me joy.

And then it breathed: “Without your telling me, I know your wish much better than you know whatever seems most evident to you;

I see it in that Mirror of the Truth, Itself perfect reflector of all things, yet no thing can reflect It perfectly.

You wish to know how long ago it was God placed me in the Earthly Paradise where she prepared you for this long ascent,

and how long did my eyes delight in it; and the true reason for the wrath of God; the language which I spoke and formed myself.

Know now, my son, the tasting of the tree was not itself the cause of such long exile, but only the transgression of God’s bounds.

Four thousand three hundred and two full suns I longed for this assembly from that place your lady summoned Virgil to your aid;

I saw the sun return to run the course of all its stars nine hundred thirty times while I was living as a man on earth.