Purgatorio: Canto XXXI

“O thou that art yon side the sacred stream,” her speech directing with the point towards me, which even with the edge had seemed sharp to me,

she began again, continuing without delay,” say, say, if this is true; to such accusation thy confession must be joined.“

My virtue was so confounded that the voice stirred and was spent ere it was set free from its organs.

Short time she forebore, then said: “What thinkest thou? Answer me, for the sad memories in thee are not yet destroyed by the water.

Confusion and fear, together mingled, drove forth from my mouth a “Yea” such that to understand it the eyes were needed.

As a cross-bow breaks, when shot at too great tension, both its string and bow, and with less force the bolt hits the mark,

so burst I under this heavy charge, pouring forth a torrent of tears and sighs, and my voice died away in its passage.

Wherefore she to me: “Within thy desires of me which led thee to love the good beyond which is nought that may be aspired to,

what pits didst find athwart thy path, or what chains that thou needs must strip thee of the hope of passing onward?

And what allurements or what advantages were displayed to thee in the aspect of the others, that thou must needs wander before them?”

After the heaving of a bitter sigh, scarce had I voice that answered, and my lips with labour gave it form.

Weeping I said: “Present things with their false pleasure turned away my steps soon as your face was hidden.”

And she: “If thou wert silent, or if thou hadst denied what thou confessest, not less noted were thy fault; by such a judge ’tis known.

But when self-accusation of sin bursts from the cheeks in our Court, the grindstone is turned back against the edge.

Howbeit in order that now thou mayst bear shame for thy transgression, and that other time hearing the Sirens thou be of stouter heart,

put away the seed of weeping, and hearken; so shalt thou hear how my buried flesh should have moved thee towards a contrary goal.

Ne’er did nature and art present to thee pleasure so great as the fair members wherein I was enclosed, and are scattered to dust;

and if the highest pleasure thus failed thee by my death, what mortal thing ought then to have drawn thee to desire it?

Truly oughtest thou, at the first arrow of deceitful things, to rise up after me who was such no longer.

Young damsel or other vain thing with so brief enjoyment, should not have weighed down thy wings to await more shots.

The young bird waits two or three, but before the eyes of the full-fledged in vain the net is spread or arrow shot.”

As children, dumb with shame, stand listening with eyes to earth, self-confessing, and repentant,

such stood I. And she said: “Since through hearing thou art grieving, lift up thy beard and more grief shalt thou receive by looking.”

With less resistance is uprooted the sturdy oak, whether by wind of ours, or that which blows from Iarbas’ land,

than at her command I lifted up my chin; and when by the beard she asked for my face, well I knew the venom of the argument.

And when my face was stretched forth, my sight perceived those primal creatures resting from their strewing,

and mine eyes, as yet hardly steadfast, saw Beatrice turned towards the beast, which is one sole person in two natures.

Under her veil and beyond the stream, to me she seemed to surpass more her ancient self, than she surpassed the others here when she was with us.

The nettle of repentance here so did sting me, that of all other things, that which turned me most to love of it became most hateful to me

So much remorse gnawed at my heart that I fell vanquished, and what I then became, she knoweth who gave me the cause.

Then when my heart restored to me the sense of outward things, the lady whom I had found alone I saw above me; and she said: “Hold me! Hold me!”

She had drawn me into the river up to my neck, and, pulling me after her, went along over the water light as a shuttle.

When I was nigh unto the blessed bank “Asperges me” so sweetly I heard that I cannot remember it much less describe it.

The fair lady opened her arms, clasped my head, and dipped me where I must needs swallow of the water;

then drew me forth, and led me bathed within the dance of the four fair ones, and each did cover me with her arm.

“Here we are nymphs and in heaven are stars; ere Beatrice descended to the world we were ordained to her for her handmaids.

We will lead thee to her eyes; but the three on the other side who deeper gaze, will sharpen thine eyes to the joyous light that is within.”

Thus singing they began; and then did lead me with them up to the breast of the grifon, where Beatrice stood turned towards us.

They said: “Look that thou spare not thine eyes; we have placed thee before the emeralds whence Love once drew his shafts at thee.”

A thousand desires hotter than flame held mine eyes bound to the shining eyes, which remained ever fixed upon the grifon.

As the sun in a mirror, not otherwise the twofold beast was beaming within them, now with the attributes of one, now of the other nature.

Think, reader, if I marvelled within me when I saw the thing itself remain motionless, and in its image it was changing.

While my soul, filled with wonderment and glad, was tasting of that food which, satisfying of itself, causes thirst of itself,

the other three, showing them to be of the chiefest order in their bearing, drew forward, dancing to their angelic roundelay.

“Turn, Beatrice, turn thy holy eyes,” was their song, “to thy faithful one, who to see thee hath moved so many steps.

Of thy grace do us the grace that thou unveil thy mouth to him, that he may discern the second beauty which thou hidest.”

O glory of living light eternal, who that so pale hath grown beneath the shade of Parnassus, or hath drunk at its well,

that would not seem to have mind encumbered, on trying to render thee as thou appearedest, when in the free air thou didst disclose thee, where heaven in its harmony shadows thee forth?