English Edition, translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| 1 | Osanna sanctus Deus Sabaoth, |
| 2 | Superillustrans claritate tua |
| 3 | Felices ignes horum malahoth! |
| 4 | ln this wise, to his melody returning, |
| 5 | This substance, upon which a double light |
| 6 | Doubles itself, was seen by me to sing, |
| 7 | And to their dance this and the others moved, |
| 8 | And in the manner of swift-hurrying sparks |
| 9 | Veiled themselves from me with a sudden distance. |
| 10 | Doubting was I, and saying,Tell her, tell her, |
| 11 | Within me, tell her, saying, tell my Lady, |
| 12 | Who slakes my thirst with her sweet effluences; |
| 13 | And yet that reverence which doth lord it over |
| 14 | The whole of me only by B and ICE, |
| 15 | Bowed me again like unto one who drowses. |
| 16 | Short while did Beatrice endure me thus; |
| 17 | And she began, lighting me with a smile |
| 18 | Such as would make one happy in the fire: |
| 19 | According to infallible advisement, |
| 20 | After what manner a just vengeance justly |
| 21 | Could be avenged has put thee upon thinking, |
| 22 | But I will speedily thy mind unloose; |
| 23 | And do thou listen, for these words of mine |
| 24 | Of a great doctrine will a present make thee. |
| 25 | By not enduring on the power that wills |
| 26 | Curb for his good, that man who ne’er was born, |
| 27 | Damning himself damned all his progeny; |
| 28 | Whereby the human species down below |
| 29 | Lay sick for many centuries in great error, |
| 30 | Till to descend it pleased the Word of God |
| 31 | To where the nature, which from its own Maker |
| 32 | Estranged itself, he joined to him in person |
| 33 | By the sole act of his eternal love. |
| 34 | Now unto what is said direct thy sight; |
| 35 | This nature when united to its Maker, |
| 36 | Such as created, was sincere and good; |
| 37 | But by itself alone was banished forth |
| 38 | From Paradise, because it turned aside |
| 39 | Out of the way of truth and of its life. |
| 40 | Therefore the penalty the cross held out, |
| 41 | If measured by the nature thus assumed, |
| 42 | None ever yet with so great justice stung, |
| 43 | And none was ever of so great injustice, |
| 44 | Considering who the Person was that suffered, |
| 45 | Within whom such a nature was contracted. |
| 46 | From one act therefore issued things diverse; |
| 47 | To God and to the Jews one death was pleasing; |
| 48 | Earth trembled at it and the Heaven was opened. |
| 49 | It should no longer now seem difficult |
| 50 | To thee, when it is said that a just vengeance |
| 51 | By a just court was afterward avenged. |
| 52 | But now do I behold thy mind entangled |
| 53 | From thought to thought within a knot, from which |
| 54 | With great desire it waits to free itself |
| 55 | Thou sayest, ‘Well discern I what I hear; |
| 56 | But it is hidden from me why God willed |
| 57 | For our redemption only this one mode.’ |
| 58 | Buried remaineth, brother, this decree |
| 59 | Unto the eyes of every one whose nature |
| 60 | Is in the flame of love not yet adult. |
| 61 | Verily, inasmuch as at this mark |
| 62 | One gazes long and little is discerned, |
| 63 | Wherefore this mode was worthiest will I say. |
| 64 | Goodness Divine, which from itself doth spurn |
| 65 | All envy, burning in itself so sparkles |
| 66 | That the eternal beauties it unfolds. |
| 67 | Whate’er from this immediately distils |
| 68 | Has afterwards no end, for ne’er removed |
| 69 | Is its impression when it sets its seal. |
| 70 | Whate’er from this immediately rains down |
| 71 | Is wholly free, because it is not subject |
| 72 | Unto the influences of novel things. |
| 73 | The more conformed thereto, the more it pleases; |
| 74 | For the blest ardour that irradiates all things |
| 75 | In that most like itself is most vivacious. |
| 76 | With all of these things has advantaged been |
| 77 | The human creature; and if one be wanting, |
| 78 | From his nobility he needs must fall. |
| 79 | ‘Tis sin alone which doth disfranchise him, |
| 80 | And render him unlike the Good Supreme, |
| 81 | So that he little with its light is blanched, |
| 82 | And to his dignity no more returns, |
| 83 | Unless he fill up where transgression empties |
| 84 | With righteous pains for criminal delights. |
| 85 | Your nature when it sinned so utterly |
| 86 | In its own seed. out of these dignities |
| 87 | Even as out of Paradise was driven, |
| 88 | Nor could itself recover, if thou notest |
| 89 | With nicest subtilty, by any way, |
| 90 | Except by passing one of these two fords: |
| 91 | Either that God through clemency alone |
| 92 | Had pardon granted, or that man himself |
| 93 | Had satisfaction for his folly made. |
| 94 | Fix now thine eye deep into the abyss |
| 95 | Of the eternal counsel, to my speech |
| 96 | As far as may be fastened steadfastly! |
| 97 | Man in his limitations had not power |
| 98 | To satisfy, not having power to sink |
| 99 | In his humility obeying then, |
| 100 | Far as he disobeying thought to rise; |
| 101 | And for this reason man has been from power |
| 102 | Of satisfying by himself excluded. |
| 103 | Therefore it God behoved in his own ways |
| 104 | Man to restore unto his perfect life |
| 105 | I say in one, or else in both of them. |
| 106 | But since the action of the doer is |
| 107 | So much more grateful, as it more presents |
| 108 | The goodness of the heart from which it issues, |
| 109 | Goodness Divine, that doth imprint the world, |
| 110 | Has been contented to proceed by each |
| 111 | And all its ways to lift you up again; |
| 112 | Nor ‘twixt the first day and the final night |
| 113 | Such high and such magnificent proceeding |
| 114 | By one or by the other was or shall be; |
| 115 | For God more bounteous was himself to give |
| 116 | To make man able to uplift himself, |
| 117 | Than if he only of himself had pardoned; |
| 118 | And all the other modes were insufficient |
| 119 | For justice, were it not the Son of God |
| 120 | Himself had humbled to become incarnate. |
| 121 | Now, to fill fully each desire of thine, |
| 122 | Return I to elucidate one place, |
| 123 | In order that thou there mayst see as I do. |
| 124 | Thou sayst:’I see the air, I see the fire, |
| 125 | The water, and the earth, and all their mixtures |
| 126 | Come to corruption, and short while endure; |
| 127 | And these things notwithstanding were created; |
| 128 | Therefore if that which I have said were true, |
| 129 | They should have been secure against corruption. |
| 130 | The Angels, brother, and the land sincere |
| 131 | In which thou art, created may be called |
| 132 | Just as they are in their entire existence; |
| 133 | But all the elements which thou hast named, |
| 134 | And all those things which out of them are made, |
| 135 | By a created virtue are informed. |
| 136 | Created was the matter which they have; |
| 137 | Created was the informing influence |
| 138 | Within these stars that round about them go. |
| 139 | The soul of every brute and of the plants |
| 140 | By its potential temperament attracts |
| 141 | The ray and motion of the holy lights; |
| 142 | But your own life immediately inspires |
| 143 | Supreme Beneficence, and enamours it |
| 144 | So with herself, it evermore desires her. |
| 145 | And thou from this mayst argue furthermore |
| 146 | Your resurrection, if thou think again |
| 147 | How human flesh was fashioned at that time |
| 148 | When the first parents both of them were made. |