Paradiso: Canto XXVI

Whilst I was in suspense concerning my quenched sight, I was made heedful by a breath that issued from the glowing flame which quenched it,

saying: "Until thou hast again the sense of sight thou hast consumed on me, 'tis well thou compensate it by discourse.

Begin then, and declare whereon thy mind is focussed; and assure thee that thy sight within thee is confounded, not destroyed;

because the lady who through this divine region doth conduct thee hath in her look the power that was in Ananias' hand."

I said: "At her good pleasure, soon or late, let succour come to the eyes which were the gates when she did enter with the fire wherewith I ever burn.

The good which satisfieth this court is Alpha and Omega of all the scripture which love readeth to me with light or heavy stress."

That same voice which had removed my terror at the sudden dazzlement, set my concern again upon discourse,

and said: "Yea, through a closer sieve thou needs must strain; needs must thou tell me what it was that aimed thy bow at such a targe."

And I: "By philosophic arguments and by authority which down-cometh hence, such love must needs stamp itself on me;

for good, as good, so far as understood, kindleth love, and so much more by how much more of excellence it graspeth in itself.

Therefore to the Essence which hath such privilege that whatsoever good be found outside of it is nought else save a light of its own ray,

more than to any other must the mind needs move, in love, of whoso doth discern the truth whereon this proof is founded.

And this same truth is made level to my intellect by him who doth reveal to me the primal love of all the eternal beings.

It is made level to me by the voice of that veracious author who saith to Moses, speaking of himself: I will cause thee to see all worth.

It is made level to me by thee also, where thou openest the lofty proclamation which doth herald upon earth the secrets of this place above all other declaration."

And I heard: "As urged by human intellect and by authorities concordant with it, of thy loves keep for God the sovereign one.

But tell me yet if thou feel other cords draw thee to-wards him, so that thou utter forth with how many teeth this love doth grip thee."

Not hidden was the sacred purpose of Christ's eagle, but rather I perceived whither he willed to lead on my profession.

Wherefore I began again: "All those tooth-grips which have power to make the heart turn unto God co-work upon my love;

for the being of the world and my own being, the death that he sustained that I might live, and that which each believer hopeth, as do I,

together with the aforesaid living consciousness, have drawn me from the sea of the perverted and placed me on the shore of the right love.

The leaves wherewith all the garden of the eternal Gardener is leafed, I love in measure of the good that hath been borne to them from him."

Soon as I held my peace a sweetest song rang through the Heaven, and my Lady with the rest cried: "Holy, Holy, Holy!"

And as at a keen light one wakeneth from slumber by reason of the visual spirit which runneth to meet the glow that pierceth tunic after tunic,

and he thus awakened confoundeth what he seeth, so undiscerning is his sudden vigil until reflection cometh to its succour;

so from mine eyes did Beatrice dissipate every scale with the ray of hers that might cast their glow more than a thousand miles;

whence better than before I saw thereafter, and as one stupified, made question as to a fourth light which I perceived with us.

And my Lady: "Within those rays holdeth amorous converse with its maker the first soul that the first Power e'er created."

As the spray which bendeth down its head as the wind passeth over, and doth then uplift itself by its own power which doth raise it up,

did I, whilst she was speaking, all bemazed; and then was reassured by a desire to speak, wherewith I was a-burning;

and I began: "O fruit, who wast alone produced mature, O ancient father who hast both daughter and daughter-in-law in every bride;

devoutly as I may do I implore thee that thou speak to me; thou seest my will, and to hear thee the sooner I not utter it."

Sometimes an animal swayeth beneath a covering so that its impulse must needs be apparent, since what envelopeth it followeth its movements;

and in like manner that first soul made appear through its covering with what elation it advanced to do me pleasure.

And from it breathed: "Though not set forth to me by thee, I better do discern thy will than thou the thing which is most certain to thee,

because I see it in the veracious Mirror which doth make himself reflector of all other things, and nought doth make itself reflector unto him.

Thou wouldst know how long the time since God placed me in the uplifted garden wherein she there prepared thee for so long a stair,

and how long the delight endured unto my eyes, and the true cause of the great indignation, and the idiom which I used and which myself composed.

Now know, my son, that not the tasting of the tree was in itself the cause of so great exile, but only the transgressing of the mark.

From that place whence thy Lady dispatched Virgil, four thousand three hundred and two revolutions of the sun went out my longing for this gathering;

and I beheld him course through all the lights of his path nine hundred times and thirty whilst I abode on earth.

The tongue I spoke was all quenched long ere the work that ne'er might be completed was undertaken by the folk of Nimrod;

for never yet did product of the reason maintain itself for ever, because of human preference which doth change in sequence with the heaven.

That man should speak is nature's doing; but thus or thus nature permitteth to you as best seemeth you.

Ere I descended to the infernal anguish, J was the name on earth of that supreme good whence Cometh the gladness that doth swathe me;

El was he called thereafter; and this is fitting, for the use of mortals is as the leaf upon the branch which goeth and another followeth.

On the mount which most doth rise from out the wave was I, with life pure and disgraced, from the first hour to that which followeth, when the sun changeth quadrant, next on the sixth hour."