Paradiso: Canto XXII

Oppressed with stupor to my guide I turned, as doth a little child who hath recourse ever where most he hath his confidence;

and she, like a mother who succoureth quick her pale and gasping child, with her own voice which still disposeth him aright,

said to me: Knowst thou not thou art in heaven? and knowst thou not heaven is all holy, and that which here is done cometh of righteous zeal?

How the song had transmuted thee, and I in smiling, now mayst thou think since the cry hath so moved thee;

wherein, hadst thou understood their prayers, already would be known to thee the vengeance which thou shalt see ere that thou die.

The sword from here above cleaveth not in haste nor tardy, save to his deeming who in longing or in fear awaiteth it.

But turn thee now to others; for many illustrious spirits shalt thou see, if thou again dost lead thy look accordant to my speaking."

As was her pleasure directed I mine eyes, and saw an hundred spherelets, which together were made more beauteous by their mutual rays.

I stood as one repressing in himself the prick of his desire, who doth not frame to ask, so feareth he to exceed.

And the greatest and most shining of these pearls came forward to make my will content concerning him.

Then there within I heard: "Didst thou see, as I, the love which burneth amongst us, thy thoughts had been expressed;

but, lest thou by waiting lag from the lofty goal, I will make answer only to the thought of which thou art thus circumspect.

That mount, upon whose slope Casino lieth, was erst thronged on its summit by the folk deceived and ill-disposed.

And I am he who first bore up there his name, who brought to earth that truth which doth lift us so high;

and so great grace shone o'er me, that I drew the places round about back from the impious cult which did seduce the world.

These other flames were all contemplatives kindled by that warmth which giveth birth to the holy flowers and fruits.

Here is Maccarius, here is Romoaldus, here are my brothers who within the cloisters stayed their feet and kept sound their heart."

And I to him: "The love thou showest, speaking with me, and the propitious semblance which I perceive and note in all your glows,

hath so outstretched my confidence as the sun doth the rose when it openeth to its utmost power;

wherefore, I pray thee, and do thou, father, give me assurance whether I may receive so great grace as to behold thee with uncovered image."

Whereat he: Brother, thy high desire shall be fulfilled in the last sphere, where all the rest have their fulfilment, and mine too.

There perfect, ripe, and whole is each desire; in it alone is every part there where it ever was,

for it is not in space, nor hath it poles; and our ladder even to it goeth, wherefore it thus doth steal it from thy sight.

Right up to there the patriarch Jacob saw it stretch its upper part, when it was seen by him so with angels laden.

But to ascend it now none severeth his feet from earth, and my rule abideth there for wasting of the parchments.

The walls which were wont to be a house of prayer, have become dens, and the hoods are sacks full of foul meal.

But heavy usury is not exacted so counter to God's pleasure as that fruit which doth so madden the monks' hearts.

For what the Church holdeth in her keeping, all pertaineth to the folk that make petition in God's name; not unto kindred, or other filthier thing.

The flesh of mortals is so blandishing that down on earth good beginning sufficeth not for all the space from the upspringing of the oak to acorn-bearing.

Peter began his gathering without gold or silver, and I mine with prayers and fast, and Francis his in humbleness.

And if thou scan the beginning of each one, and scan again whither it hath gone astray, thou shalt see the white turned dusky.

But Jordan back returning, and the sea fleeing when God willed, are more wondrous sights than were the rescue here."

So spake he to me, and then gathered him to his assembly; and the assembly drew close; then like a whirlwind was all gathered upward.

The sweet Lady thrust me after them, only with a sign, up by that ladder, so did her power overcome my nature;

nor ever here below, where we mount and descend by nature's law, was so swift motion as might compare unto my wing.

O reader, by my hopes of turning back to that devout triumph, for the which I many a time bewail my sins, and smite upon my breast,

thou hadst not drawn back and plunged thy finger in the flame in so short space as that wherein I saw the sign that followeth the Bull, and was within it.

O stars of glory, O light impregnated with mighty power, from which I recognise all, whatsoe'er it be, my genius;

with you was rising, and hiding him with you, he who is father of each mortal life, when I first felt the air of Tuscany;

and then when grace was bestowed on me to enter the lofty wheel that rolleth you, your region was assigned to me.

To you devoutly now my soul doth breathe, to gain the power for the hard passage that doth draw her to it.

"Thou art so nigh to the supreme weal," began Beatrice, "that thou shouldst have thine eyes clear and keen.

And therefore, ere thou further wend thereinto, look down and see how great a universe I have already put beneath thy feet;

so that thy heart, rejoicing to its utmost, may be presented to the throng triumphant which cometh glad through this sphered ether."

With my sight I turned back through all and every of the seven spheres, and saw this globe such that I smiled at its sorry semblance;

and that counsel I approve as best which holdeth it for least; and he whose thoughts are turned elsewhither may be called truly upright.

I saw the daughter of Latona kindled without that shade which erst gave me cause to deem her rare and dense.

The aspect of thy son, Hyperion, I there endured, and saw how Maia and Dione move about and near him.

Next appeared to me the tempering of Jove between his father and his son; and there was clear to me the varying they make in their position.

And all the seven were displayed to me, how great they are and swift, and how distant each from other in repair.

The thrashing-floor which maketh us wax so fierce, as I rolled with the eternal Twins, was all revealed to me from ridge to river-mouth; then to the beauteous eyes mine eyes again I turned.