English Edition, translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| 1 | SOON as the blessed flame had taken up |
| 2 | The final word to give it utterance, |
| 3 | Began the holy millstone to revolve, |
| 4 | And in its gyre had not turned wholly round, |
| 5 | Before another in a ring enclosed it, |
| 6 | And motion joined to motion, song to song; |
| 7 | Song that as greatly doth transcend our Muses, |
| 8 | Our Sirens, in those dulcet clarions, |
| 9 | As primal splendour that which is reflected. |
| 10 | And as are spanned athwart a tender cloud |
| 11 | Two rainbows parallel and like in colour, |
| 12 | When Juno to her handmaid gives command, |
| 13 | (The one without born of the one within, |
| 14 | Like to the speaking of that vagrant one |
| 15 | Whom love consumed as doth the sun the vapours,) |
| 16 | And make the people here, through covenant |
| 17 | God set with Noah, presageful of the world |
| 18 | That shall no more be covered with a flood, |
| 19 | In such wise of those sempiternal roses |
| 20 | The garlands twain encompassed us about, |
| 21 | And thus the outer to the inner answered. |
| 22 | After the dance, and other grand rejoicings, |
| 23 | Both of the singing, and the flaming forth |
| 24 | Effulgence with effulgence blithe and tender, |
| 25 | Together, at once, with one accord had stopped, |
| 26 | (Even as the eyes, that, as volition moves them, |
| 27 | Must needs together shut and lift themselves,) |
| 28 | Out of the heart of one of the new lights |
| 29 | There came a voice, that needle to the star |
| 30 | Made me appear in turning thitherward. |
| 31 | And it began: The love that makes me fair |
| 32 | Draws me to speak about the other leader, |
| 33 | By whom so well is spoken here of mine. |
| 34 | ‘Tis right, where one is, to bring in the other, |
| 35 | That, as they were united in their warfare, |
| 36 | Together likewise may their glory shine. |
| 37 | The soldiery of Christ, which it had cost |
| 38 | So dear to arm again, behind the standard |
| 39 | Moved slow and doubtful and in numbers few, |
| 40 | When the Emperor who reigneth evermore |
| 41 | Provided for the host that was in peril, |
| 42 | Through grace alone and not that it was worthy; |
| 43 | And, as was said, he to his Bride brought succour |
| 44 | With champions twain, at whose deed, at whose word |
| 45 | The straggling people were together drawn. |
| 46 | Within that region where the sweet west wind |
| 47 | Rises to open the new leaves, wherewith |
| 48 | Europe is seen to clothe herself afresh, |
| 49 | Not far off from the beating of the waves, |
| 50 | Behind which in his long career the sun |
| 51 | Sometimes conceals himself from every man, |
| 52 | Is situate the fortunate Calahorra, |
| 53 | Under protection of the mighty shield |
| 54 | In which the Lion subject is and sovereign. |
| 55 | Therein was born the amorous paramour |
| 56 | Of Christian Faith, the athlete consecrate, |
| 57 | Kind to his own and cruel to his foes; |
| 58 | And when it was created was his mind |
| 59 | Replete with such a living energy, |
| 60 | ‘That in his mother her it made prophetic. |
| 61 | As soon as the espousals were complete |
| 62 | Between him and the Faith at holy font, |
| 63 | Where they with mutual safety dowered each |
| 64 | The woman, who for him had given assent, |
| 65 | Saw in a dream the admirable fruit |
| 66 | That issue would from him and from his heirs; |
| 67 | And that he might be construed as he was, |
| 68 | A spirit from this place went forth to name him |
| 69 | With His possessive whose he wholly was. |
| 70 | ! Dominic was he called; and him I speak of |
| 71 | Even as of the husbandman whom Christ |
| 72 | Elected to his garden to assist him. |
| 73 | Envoy and servant sooth he seemed of Christ, |
| 74 | For the first love made manifest in him |
| 75 | Was the first counsel that was given by Christ. |
| 76 | Silent and wakeful many a time was he |
| 77 | Discovered by his nurse upon the ground, |
| 78 | As if he would have said, ‘For this I came.’ |
| 79 | O thou his father, Felix verily! |
| 80 | O thou his mother, verily Joanna, |
| 81 | If this, interpreted, means as is said! |
| 82 | Not for the world which people toil for now |
| 83 | In following Ostiense and Taddeo, |
| 84 | But through his longing after the true manna, |
| 85 | He in short time became so great a teacher, |
| 86 | That he began to go about the vineyard, |
| 87 | Which fadeth soon, if faithless be the dresser; |
| 88 | And of the See, (that once was more benignant |
| 89 | Unto the righteous poor, not through itself, |
| 90 | But him who sits there and degenerates,) |
| 91 | Not to dispense or two or three for six, |
| 92 | Not any fortune of first vacancy, |
| 93 | Non decimas quae sunt pauperum Dei, |
| 94 | He asked for, but against the errant world |
| 95 | Permission to do battle for the seed, |
| 96 | Of which these four and twenty plants surround |
| 97 | Then with the doctrine and the will together, |
| 98 | With office apostolical he moved, |
| 99 | Like torrent which some lofty vein out-presses; |
| 100 | And in among the shoots heretical |
| 101 | His impetus with greater fury smote, |
| 102 | Wherever the resistance was the greatest. |
| 103 | Of him were made thereafter divers runnels, |
| 104 | Whereby the garden catholic is watered, |
| 105 | So that more living its plantations stand. |
| 106 | If such the one wheel of the Biga was, |
| 107 | In which the Holy Church itself defended |
| 108 | And in the field its civic battle won, |
| 109 | Truly full manifest should be to thee |
| 110 | The excellence of the other, unto whom |
| 111 | Thomas so courteous was before my coming. |
| 112 | But still the orbit, which the highest part |
| 113 | Of its circumference made, is derelict, |
| 114 | So that the mould is where was once the crust. |
| 115 | His family, that had straight forward moved |
| 116 | With feet upon his footprints, are turned round |
| 117 | So that they set the point upon the heel. |
| 118 | And soon aware they will be of the harvest |
| 119 | Of this bad husbandry, when shall the tares |
| 120 | Complain the granary is taken from them. |
| 121 | Yet say I, he who searcheth leaf by leaf |
| 122 | Our volume through, would still some page discover |
| 123 | Where he could read, ‘ I am as I am wont.’ |
| 124 | ‘Twill not be from Casal nor Acquasparta, |
| 125 | From whence come such unto the written word |
| 126 | That one avoids it, and the other narrows. |
| 127 | Bonaventura of Bagnoregio’s life |
| 128 | Am I, who always in great offices |
| 129 | Postponed considerations sinister. |
| 130 | Here are Illuminato and Agostino, |
| 131 | Who of the first barefooted beggars were |
| 132 | That with the cord the friends of God became. |
| 133 | Hugh of Saint Victor is among them here, |
| 134 | And Peter Mangiador, and Peter of Spain, |
| 135 | Who down below in volumes twelve is shining; |
| 136 | Nathan the seer, and metropolitan |
| 137 | Chrysostom, and Anselmus, and Donatus |
| 138 | Who deigned to lay his hand to the first art; |
| 139 | Here is Rabanus, and beside me here |
| 140 | Shines the Calabrian Abbot Joachim, |
| 141 | He with the spirit of prophecy endowed. |
| 142 | To celebrate so great a paladin |
| 143 | Have moved me the impassioned courtesy |
| 144 | And the discreet discourses of Friar Thomas, |
| 145 | And with me they have moved this company. |