English Edition, translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
| 1 | APPEARED before me with its wings outspread |
| 2 | The beautiful image that in sweet fruition |
| 3 | Made jubilant the interwoven souls; |
| 4 | Appeared a little ruby each, wherein |
| 5 | Ray of the sun was burning so enkindled |
| 6 | That each into mine eyes refracted it. |
| 7 | And what it now behoves me to retrace |
| 8 | Nor voice has e’er reported, nor ink written, |
| 9 | Nor was by fantasy e’er comprehended; |
| 10 | For speak I saw, and likewise heard, the beak, |
| 11 | And utter with its voice both I and My, |
| 12 | When in conception it was We and Our. |
| 13 | And it began: Being just and merciful |
| 14 | Am I exalted here unto that glory |
| 15 | Which cannot be exceeded by desire; |
| 16 | And upon earth I left my memory |
| 17 | Such, that the evil-minded people there |
| 18 | Commend it, but continue not the story. |
| 19 | So doth a single heat from many embers |
| 20 | Make itself felt, even as from many loves |
| 21 | Issued a single sound from out that image. |
| 22 | Whence I thereafter: O perpetual flowers |
| 23 | Of the eternal joy, that only one |
| 24 | Make me perceive your odours manifold, |
| 25 | Exhaling, break within me the great fast |
| 26 | Which a long season has in hunger held me, |
| 27 | Not finding for it any food on earth. |
| 28 | Well do I know, that if in heaven its mirror |
| 29 | Justice Divine another realm doth make, |
| 30 | Yours apprehends it not through any veil. |
| 31 | You know how I attentively address me |
| 32 | To listen; and you know what is the doubt |
| 33 | That is in me so very old a fast. |
| 34 | Even as a falcon issuing from his hood, |
| 35 | Doth move his head, and with his wings applaud him |
| 36 | Showing desire, and making himself fine, |
| 37 | Saw I become that standard, which of lauds |
| 38 | Was interwoven of the grace divine, |
| 39 | With such songs as he knows who there rejoices. |
| 40 | Then it began: He who a compass turned |
| 41 | On the world’s outer verge, and who within it |
| 42 | Devised so much occult and manifest, |
| 43 | Could not the impress of his power so make |
| 44 | On all the universe, as that his Word |
| 45 | Should not remain in infinite excess. |
| 46 | And this makes certain that the first proud being, |
| 47 | Who was the paragon of every creature, |
| 48 | By not awaiting light fell immature. |
| 49 | And hence appears it, that each minor nature |
| 50 | Is scant receptacle unto that good |
| 51 | Which has no end, and by itself is measured. |
| 52 | In consequence our vision, which perforce |
| 53 | Must be some ray of that intelligence |
| 54 | With which all things whatever are replete, |
| 55 | Cannot in its own nature be so potent, |
| 56 | That it shall not its origin discern |
| 57 | Far beyond that which is apparent to it. |
| 58 | Therefore into the justice sempiternal |
| 59 | The power of vision that y our world receives, |
| 60 | As eye into the ocean, penetrates; |
| 61 | Which, though it see the bottom near the shore, |
| 62 | Upon the deep perceives it not, and yet |
| 63 | ‘Tis there, but it is hidden by the depth. |
| 64 | There is no light but comes from the serene |
| 65 | That never is o’ercast, nay, it is darkness |
| 66 | Or shadow of the flesh, or else its poison. |
| 67 | Amply to thee is opened now the cavern |
| 68 | Which has concealed from thee the living justice |
| 69 | Of which thou mad’st such frequent questioning. |
| 70 | For saidst thou:’Born a man is on the shore |
| 71 | Of Indus, and is none who there can speak |
| 72 | Of Christ, nor who can read, nor who can write; |
| 73 | And all his inclinations and his actions |
| 74 | Are good, so far as human reason sees, |
| 75 | Without a sin in life or in discourse: |
| 76 | He dieth unbaptised and without faith; |
| 77 | Where is this justice that condemneth him? |
| 78 | Where is his fault, if he do not believe?’ |
| 79 | Now who art thou, that on the bench wouldst sit |
| 80 | In judgment at a thousand miles away, |
| 81 | With the short vision of a single span? |
| 82 | Truly to him who with me subtilizes, |
| 83 | If so the Scripture were not over you, |
| 84 | For doubting there were marvellous occasion. |
| 85 | O animals terrene, O stolid minds, |
| 86 | The primal will, that in itself is good, |
| 87 | Ne’er from itself, the Good Supreme, has moved. |
| 88 | So much is just as is accordant with it; |
| 89 | No good created draws it to itself, |
| 90 | But it, by raying forth, occasions that. |
| 91 | Even as above her nest goes circling round |
| 92 | The stork when she has fed her little ones, |
| 93 | And he who has been fed looks up at her, |
| 94 | So lifted I my brows, and even such |
| 95 | Became the blessed image, which its wings |
| 96 | Was moving, by so many counsels urged. |
| 97 | Circling around it sang, and said: As are |
| 98 | My notes to thee, who dost not comprehend them, |
| 99 | Such is the eternal judgment to you mortals. |
| 100 | Those lucent splendours of the Holy Spirit |
| 101 | Grew quiet then, but still within the standard |
| 102 | That made the Romans reverend to the world. |
| 103 | It recommenced: Unto this kingdom never |
| 104 | Ascended one who had not faith in Christ, |
| 105 | Before or since he to the tree was nailed. |
| 106 | But look thou, many crying are, ‘Christ, Christ!’ |
| 107 | Who at the judgment shall be far less near |
| 108 | To him than some shall be who knew not Christ. |
| 109 | Such Christians shall the Ethiop condemn |
| 110 | When the two companies shall be divided, |
| 111 | The one for ever rich, the other poor. |
| 112 | What to your kings may not the Persians say, |
| 113 | When they that volume opened shall behold |
| 114 | In which are written down all their dispraises? |
| 115 | There shall be seen, among the deeds of Albert, |
| 116 | That which ere long shall set the pen in motion, |
| 117 | For which the realm of Prague shall be deserted. |
| 118 | There shall be seen the woe that on the Seine |
| 119 | He brings by falsifying of the coin, |
| 120 | Who by the blow of a wild boar shall die. |
| 121 | There shall be seen the pride that causes thirst, |
| 122 | Which makes the Scot and Englishman so mad |
| 123 | That they within their boundaries cannot rest; |
| 124 | Be seen the luxury and effeminate life |
| 125 | Of him of Spain, and the Bohemian, |
| 126 | Who valour never knew and never wished; |
| 127 | Be seen the Cripple of Jerusalem, |
| 128 | His goodness represented by an I, |
| 129 | While the reverse an M shall represent; |
| 130 | Be seen the avarice and poltroonery |
| 131 | Of him who guards the Island of the Fire, |
| 132 | Wherein Anchises finished his long life; |
| 133 | And to declare how pitiful he is |
| 134 | Shall be his record in contracted letters |
| 135 | Which shall make note of much in little space. |
| 136 | And shall appear to each one the foul deeds |
| 137 | Of uncle and of brother who a nation |
| 138 | So famous have dishonoured, and two crowns. |
| 139 | And he of Portugal and he of Norway |
| 140 | Shall there be known, and he of Rascia too, |
| 141 | Who saw in evil hour the coin of Venice. |
| 142 | O happy Hungary, if she let herself |
| 143 | Be wronged no farther ! and Navarre the happy, |
| 144 | If with the hills that gird her she be armed! |
| 145 | And each one may believe that now, as hansel |
| 146 | Thereof, do Nicosia and Famagosta |
| 147 | Lament and rage because of their own beast, |
| 148 | Who from the others’ flank departeth not. |