Canto XXIX

English Edition, translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

1	AT what time both the children of Latona,
2	Surmounted by the Ram and by the Scales,
3	Together make a zone of the horizon,

4	As long as from the time the zenith holds them
5	In equipoise, till from that girdle both
6	Changing their hemisphere disturb the balance,

7	So long, her face depicted with a smile,
8	Did Beatrice keep silence while she gazed
9	Fixedly at the point which had o'ercome me.

10	Then she began: I say, and I ask not
11	What thou dost wish to hear, for I have seen it
12	Where centres every When and every Ubi.

13	Not to acquire some good unto himself,
14	Which is impossible, but that his splendour
15	In its resplendency may say, ' Subsisto,'

16	In his eternity outside of time,
17	Outside all other limits, as it pleased him,
18	Into new Loves the Eternal Love unfolded.

19	Nor as if torpid did he lie before;
20	For neither after nor before proceeded
21	The going forth of God upon these waters.

22	Matter and Form unmingled and conjoined
23	Came into being that had no defect,
24	E'en as three arrows from a three-stringed bow.

25	And as in glass, m amber, or in crystal
26	A sunbeam flashes so, that from its coming
27	To its full being is no interval

28	So from its Lord did the triform effect
29	Ray forth into its being all together,
30	Without discrimination of beginning.

31	Order was con-created and constructed
32	In substances, and summit of the world
33	Were those wherein the pure act was produced.

34	Pure potentiality held the lowest part;
35	Midway bound potentiality with act
36	Such bond that it shall never be unbound.

37	Jerome has written unto you of angels
38	Created a long lapse of centuries
39	Or ever yet the other world was made;

40	But written is this truth in many places
41	By writers of the Holy Ghost, and thou
42	Shalt see it. if thou lookest well thereat

43	And even reason seeth it somewhat,
44	For it would not concede that for so long
45	Could be the motors without their perfection.

46	Now dost thou know both where and when these Loves
47	Created were, and how; so that extinct
48	In thy desire already are three fires.

49	Nor could one reach, in counting, unto twenty
50	So swiftly, as a portion of these angelsso
51	Disturbed the subject of your elements.

52	The rest remained, and they began this art
53	Which thou discernest, with so great delight
54	That never from their circling do they cease.

55	The occasion of the fall was the accursed
56	Presumption of that One, whom thou hast seen
57	By all the burden of the world constrained.

58	Those whom thou here beholdest modest were
59	To recognise themselves as of that goodness
60	Which made them apt for so much understanding;

61	On which account their vision was exalted
62	By the enlightening grace and their own merit,
63	So that they have a full and steadfast will.

64	I would not have thee doubt, but certain be,
65	'Tis meritorious to receive this grace,
66	According as the affection opens to it.

67	Now round about in this consistory
68	Much mayst thou contemplate, if these my words
69	Be gathered up, without all further aid.

70	But since upon the earth, throughout your schools,
71	They teach that such is the angelic nature
72	That it doth hear, and recollect, and will,

73	More will I say, th,at thou mayst see unmixed
74	The truth that is confounded there below,
75	Equivocating in such like prelections.

76	These substances, since in God's countenance
77	They jocund were, turned not away their sight
78	From that wherefrom not anything is hidden;

79	Hence they have not their vision intercepted
80	By object new, and hence they do not need
81	To recollect, through interrupted thought.

82	So that below, not sleeping, people dream,
83	Believing they speak truth, and not believing;
84	And in the last is greater sin and shame.

85	Below you do not journey by one path
86	Philosophising; so transporteth you
87	Love of appearance and the thought thereof.

88	And even this above here is endured
89	With less disdain, than when is set aside
90	The Holy Writ, or when it is distorted.

91	They think not there how much of blood it costs
92	To sow it in the world, and how he pleases
93	Who in humility keeps close to it.

94	Each striveth for appearance, and doth make
95	His own inventions; and these treated are
96	By preachers, and the Evangel holds its peace.

97	One sayeth that the moon did backward turn,
98	In the Passion of Christ, and interpose herself
99	So that the sunlight reached not down below;

100	And lies; for of its own accord the light
101	Hid itself; whence to Spaniards and to Indians,
102	As to the Jews, did such eclipse respond.

103	Florence has not so many Lapi and Bindi
104	As fables such as these, that every year
105	Are shouted from the pulpit back and forth,

106	In such wise that the lambs, who do not know,
107	Come back from pasture fed upon the wind,
108	And not to see the harm doth not excuse them.

109	Christ did not to his first disciples say,
110	'Go forth, and to the world preach idle tales,'
111	But unto them a true foundation gave;

112	And this so loudly sounded from their lips,
113	That, in the warfare to enkindle Faith,
114	They made of the Evangel shields and lances.

115	Now men go forth with jests and drolleries
116	To preach, and if but well the people laugh,
117	The hood puffs out, and nothing more is asked.

118	But in the cowl there nestles such a bird,
119	That, if the common people were to see it,
120	They would perceive what pardons they confide in.

121	For which so great on earth has grown the folly,
122	That, without proof of any testimony,
123	To each indulgence they would flock together.

124	By this Saint Anthony his pig doth fatten,
125	And many others, who are worse than pigs,
126	Paying in money without mark of coinage.

127	But since we have digressed abundantly,
128	Turn back thine eyes forthwith to the right path,
129	So that the way be shortened with the time.

130	This nature doth so multiply itself
131	ln numbers, that there never yet was speech
132	Nor mortal fancy that can go so far.

133	And if thou notest that which is revealed
134	By Daniel, thou wilt see that in his thousands
135	Number determinate is kept concealed.

136	The primal light, that all irradiates it,
137	By modes as many is received therein
138	As are the splendours wherewith it is mated.

139	Hence, inasmuch as on the act conceptive
140	The affection followeth, of love the sweetness
141	Therein diversely fervid is or tepid.

142	The height behold now and the amplitude
143	Of the eternal power, since it hath made
144	Itself so many mirrors, where 'tis broken,

145	One in itself remaining as before.

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Canto XXIX