Canto XXXII
Canto XXXII
English Edition, translated by Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow
| 1 | ABSORBED in his deligllt, that contemplator |
| 2 | Assumed the willing office of a teacher |
| 3 | And gave beginning to these holy words: |
| 4 | The wound that Mary closed up and anointed, |
| 5 | She at her feet who is so beautiful, |
| 6 | She is the one who opened it and pierced it. |
| 7 | Within that order which the third seats make |
| 8 | Is seated Rachel, lower than the other, |
| 9 | With Beatrice, in manner as thou seest. |
| 10 | Sarah, Rebecca, Judith, and her who was |
| 11 | Ancestress of the Singei, who for dole |
| 12 | Of the misdeed said,'miserere mei,' |
| 13 | Canst thou behold from seat to seat descending |
| 14 | Down in gradation, as witll each one's name |
| 15 | I through the nose go down from leaf to leaf. |
| 16 | And downward from the seventh row, even as |
| 17 | Above the same, succeed the Hebrew women, |
| 18 | Dividing all the tresses of the flower |
| 19 | Because, according to the view which Faith |
| 20 | In Christ had taken, these are the partition |
| 21 | By which the sacred stairways are divided. |
| 22 | Upon this side, where perfect is the flower |
| 23 | With each one of its petals, seated are |
| 24 | Those who believed in Christ who was to come. |
| 25 | Upon the other side, where intersected |
| 26 | With vacant spaces are the semicircles, |
| 27 | Are those who looked to Christ already come. |
| 28 | And as, upon this side, the glorious seat |
| 29 | Of the Lady of Heaven, and the other seats |
| 30 | Below it, such a great division make, |
| 31 | So opposite doth that of the great John, |
| 32 | Who, ever holy, desert and martyrdom |
| 33 | Endured, and afterwards two years in Hell. |
| 34 | And under him thus to divide were chosen |
| 35 | Francis, and Belledict, and Augustine, |
| 36 | And down to us the rest from round to round; |
| 37 | Behold now the high providence divine; |
| 38 | For one and other aspect of the Faith |
| 39 | In equal measure shall this garden fill. |
| 40 | And know that downward from that rank which cleaves |
| 41 | Midway the sequence of the two divisions, |
| 42 | Not by their proper merit are they seated |
| 43 | But by another's under fixed conditions; |
| 44 | For these are spirits one and all assoiled |
| 45 | Before they any true election had. |
| 46 | Well canst thou recognise it in their faces, |
| 47 | And also in their voices puerile, |
| 48 | If thou regard them well and hearken to them. |
| 49 | Now doubtest thou, and doubting thou art silent; |
| 50 | But I will loosen for thee the strong bond |
| 51 | In which thy subtile fancies hold thee fast. |
| 52 | Within the amplitude of this domain |
| 53 | No casual point can possibly find place, |
| 54 | No more than sadness can, or thirst, or hunger; |
| 55 | For by eternal law has been established |
| 56 | Whatever thou beholdest, so that closely |
| 57 | The ring is fitted to the finger here. |
| 58 | And therefore are these people, festinate |
| 59 | Unto true life, not sine causa here |
| 60 | More and less excellent an.ong themselves. |
| 61 | The King, by means of whom this realm reposes |
| 62 | In so great love and in so great delight |
| 63 | That no will ventureth to ask for more, |
| 64 | In his own joyous aspect every mind |
| 65 | Creating, at his pleasure dowers with grace |
| 66 | Diversely; and let here the effect suffice. |
| 67 | And this is clearly and expressly noted |
| 68 | For you in Holy Scripture, in those twins |
| 69 | Who in their mother had their anger roused. |
| 70 | According to the colour of the hair, |
| 71 | Therefore, with such a grace the light supreme |
| 72 | Consenteth that they worthily be crowned. |
| 73 | Without, then, any merit of their deeds, |
| 74 | Stationed are they in different gradations, |
| 75 | Differing only in their first acuteness. |
| 76 | 'Tis true that in the early centuries, |
| 77 | With innocence, to work out their salvation |
| 78 | Sufficient was the faith of parents only. |
| 79 | After the earlier ages were completed, |
| 80 | Behoved it that the males by circumcision |
| 81 | Unto their innocent wings should virtue add; |
| 82 | But after that the time of grace had come |
| 83 | Wilhout the baptism absolute of Christ, |
| 84 | Such innocence below there was retained. |
| 85 | Look now into the face that unto Christ |
| 86 | Hath most resemblance j for its brightness only |
| 87 | Is able to prepare thee to see Christ. |
| 88 | On her did I behold so great a gladness |
| 89 | Rain down, borne onward in the holy minds |
| 90 | Created through that altihlde to fly, |
| 91 | That whatsoever I had seen before |
| 92 | Did not suspend me in such admiration, |
| 93 | Nor show me such similitude of God. |
| 94 | And the same Love that first descended there, |
| 95 | Ave Maria, gratia plena,singing, |
| 96 | In front of her his wings expanded wide. |
| 97 | Unto the canticle divine responded |
| 98 | From every part the court beatified, |
| 99 | So that each sight became serener for it. |
| 100 | O holy father, who for me endurest |
| 101 | To be below here, leaving the sweet place |
| 102 | In which thou sittest by eternal lot, |
| 103 | Who is the Angel that with so much joy |
| 104 | Into the eyes is looking of our Queen, |
| 105 | Enamoured so that he seems made of fire? |
| 106 | Thus I again recourse had to the teaching |
| 107 | Of that one who delighted him in Mary |
| 108 | As doth the star of morning in the sun. |
| 109 | And he to me: Such gallantry and grace |
| 110 | As there can be in Angel and in soul, |
| 111 | All is in him; and thus we fain would have it; |
| 112 | Because he is the one who bore the palm |
| 113 | Down unto Mary, when the Son of God |
| 114 | To take our burden on himself decreed. |
| 115 | But now come onward with thine eyes, as I |
| 116 | Speaking shall go, and note the great patricians |
| 117 | Of this most just and merciful of empires. |
| 118 | Those two that sit above there most enrapture |
| 119 | As being very near unto Augusta, |
| 120 | Are as it were the two roots of this Rose. |
| 121 | He who upon the left is near her placed |
| 122 | The father is, by whose audacious taste |
| 123 | The human species so much bitter tastes. |
| 124 | Upon the right thou seest that ancient father |
| 125 | Of Holy Church, into whose keeping Christ |
| 126 | The keys committed of this lovely flower. |
| 127 | And he who all the evil days beheld, |
| 128 | Before his death, of her the beauteous bride |
| 129 | Who with the spear and with the nails was won, |
| 130 | Beside him sits, and by the other rests |
| 131 | That leader under whom on manna lived |
| 132 | The people ingrate, fickle, and stiff-necked. |
| 133 | Opposite Peter seest thou Anna seated, |
| 134 | So well content to look upon her daughter, |
| 135 | Her eyes she moves not while she sings Hosanna. |
| 136 | And opposite the eldest household father |
| 137 | Luma sits, she who thy Lady moved |
| 138 | When to rush downward thou didst bend thy brows. |
| 139 | But since the moments of thy vision fly, |
| 140 | Here will we make full stop, as a good tailor |
| 141 | Who makes the gown according to his cloth, |
| 142 | And unto the first Love will turn our eyes, |
| 143 | That looking upon Him thou penetrate |
| 144 | As far as possible through his effulgence. |
| 145 | Truly, lest peradventure thou recede, |
| 146 | Moving thy wings believing to advance, |
| 147 | By prayer behoves it that grace be obtained; |
| 148 | Grace from that one who has the power to aid thee; |
| 149 | And thou shalt follow me with thy affection |
| 150 | That from my words thy heart turn not aside. |
| 151 | And he began this holy orison. |