Paradiso: Canto XXX

Six thousand miles away perchance doth lie
A point where noon glows, and this world doth throw
Its shadow all but horizontally.

When the high vault of Heaven to us below
So deep becomes, that here and there a star
Hides from our ken, in this our depth, its glow;

And as the sun's fair handmaid comes from far
Advancing, Heaven is closed to mortal eye,
Orb after orb, e'en those that brightest are.

Not otherwise did that great Triumph high,
That plays around the point for me too bright.
Which, all-enclosing, seems enclosed to lie.

Little by little now withdraw its light;
Whence I to turn to Beatrice was led
Both by my love and loss of that great sight.

If all that I of her till now have said
Were brought together in one word of praise,
For what came then 'twere all too feebly sped.

The beauty that I saw surpassed all ways,
Not of our ken alone, but well I trow,
Its Maker only can that joy appraise.

At such a pass my failure is, I know.
Far worse than poets, wrestling with their theme.
Tragic or comic, e'er are wont to show.

For as our sight is dazed by sunlight beam,
So e'en to recollect that smile of grace
Makes all my mind bewildered as in dream.

From the first day I looked upon her face,
In this our life, to this my vision clear.
In line unbroken I my song might trace;

But now perforce I may not persevere.
To follow all her beauty with my song,
E'en as each artist knows his limit near.

Such as I leave to some more worthy tongue
Than speaketh through my trumpet, which doth lead
To speedy close its arduous task and long,

With mien and voice of one well skilled to speed
In guidance she began: " Now far above.
From widest orb we reach Heaven's light indeed —

Light of the intellect replete with love,
Love of true good replete with perfect bliss,
Bliss that doth far above all sweetness prove.

Here shalt thou see both armies, that and this.
Of Paradise, and in the self-same guise
As thou shalt see when the last Judgment is."

As sudden lightning-flash upon our eyes
Scatters the visual spirits, so that sight
Is gone, though clearest forms before us rise

So round about me shone a living light
And left me so enswathed in its veil
Of brightness, that nought met my gaze aright.

The love which doth to calm this heaven prevail
Such welcome ever gives to spirit new.
That for its flame meet candle may not fail."

No sooner had within me those words few
Found entrance, than I felt that I arose
Above all virtue that before I knew.

And a new power of vision in me glows,
So that no light can boast such purity,
But that mine eyes would meet it with repose.

I saw a glory like a stream flow by,
In brightness rushing, and on either shore
Were banks that with spring's wondrous hues might vie.

And from that river living sparks did soar,
And sank on all sides in the flowerets' bloom,
Like precious rubies set in golden ore.

Then, as if drunk with all the rich perfume,
Back to the wondrous torrent did they roll.
And as one sank another filled its room.

The high desire that burns within thy soul
To gain full knowledge of the wondrous sight,
More joy gives me the more it spurns control.

But of this water thou must drink aright.
Ere thou canst slake thy strong desire to know."
So spake the Sun that filled mine eyes with light,

And then: " The stream, and topazes that go
Now in, now out, and smile of pleasant flowers.
Of their true essence but dim preludes show:

Not that the things are hard, but that thy powers
Of vision are defective found, and weak,
And ne'er have looked on glory such as ours."

There is no babe who dost so quickly seek
His mother's breast, if he should wake, perchance,
At hour so late it doth his custom break,

As I did, that mine eyes might gaze with glance
That better mirrored, bending to the wave,
Which flows that we in goodness may advance.

Soon as I did with its clear waters lave
Mine eyelid's edge, to me it did appear
As though instead of length, a round it gave.

Then, as a crowd who masks of revel wear,
Seemeth quite other than 'twas wont to be
When they have laid aside their alien gear,

So for me changed to nobler revelry
The flowers and the sparks, and so I saw
Both of Heaven's cohorts manifest to me.

O glory of our God, through which I saw
The triumph high of that His kingdom true.
Grant me the power to tell what then I saw!

A Light, there is on high which brings to view
Him who creates to those that creatures are,
Who only in that vision peace ensue;

And then it spreads in figure circular
So far and wide, that its circumference
To gird the sun would be too wide by far.

All that it shows is one ray's effluence.
Reflected from the Primum Mobile,
Which all its life and power deriveth thence.

And as a cliff itself doth mirrored see
In lake that lies below, as if it found
Joy in its wealth of flowers and many a tree,

So, standing o'er that light, all round and round,
Thousands I mirrored saw of every grade,
All who from us their way have thither wound.

And if the lowest rank such glory made,
Think what must be the magnitude immense
Of that bright Rose in furthest petals rayed;

Nor in the height nor depth was visual sense
Astray, but took. the whole wide circuit in.
The measure and the mode of joy intense.

There Far or Near doth neither lose nor win;
For where God rules in full immediate power.
The laws of Nature find no place therein.

And in the gold of that Eternal Flower,
Which spreads, dilates, and pours its rich perfume
To that Sun, ever in its springtide hour,

As one who fain would speak, and yet is dumb.
Me Beatrice drew, and said: Behold
How all the white-robed host have here found room

See what wide space our city doth enfold;
See how each seat is furnished with its guest,
That few are lacking now within our fold

On that high seat whereon thy glances rest,
Because above it shines a radiant crown.
Before thou sup at this our marriage feast.

Shall sit th' imperial soul, on earth well known,
Henry the Great, whose guidance Italy
Shall know ere she be ready to bow down.

Blind greed of gain, that casts its evil eye
Upon you, this hath made you like a child"
Who spurns his nurse and will of hunger die.

And in the Court divine shall one be styled
Its Prefect, who to tread with him one way.
Open or secret, is unreconciled;

But little time will God endure his stay
In that high office; then shall he be thrown
Where Simon Magus doth his forfeit pay.

And thrust the Alagnian one step lower down."