Canto XXXIII
Canto XXXIII
English Edition, translated by Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow
| 1 | THOU Virgin Mother, daughter of thy Son |
| 2 | Humble and high beyond all other creature, |
| 3 | The limit fixed of the eternal counsel, |
| 4 | Thou art the one who such nobility |
| 5 | To human nature gave, that its Creator |
| 6 | Did not disdain to make himself its creature. |
| 7 | Within thy womb rekindled was the love, |
| 8 | By heat of which in the eternal peace |
| 9 | After such wise this flower has germinated. |
| 10 | Here unto us thou art a noonday torch |
| 11 | Of charity, and below there among mortals |
| 12 | Thou art the living fountain-head of hope. |
| 13 | Lady thou art so great, and so prevailing, |
| 14 | That he who wishes grace, nor runs to thee |
| 15 | His aspirations without wings would fly. |
| 16 | Not only thy benignity gives succour |
| 17 | To him who asketh it, but oftentimes |
| 18 | Forerunneth of its own accord the asking |
| 19 | In thee compassion is, in thee is pity, |
| 20 | In thee magnificence, in thee unites |
| 21 | Whate'er of goodness is in any creature. |
| 22 | Now doth this man, who from the lowest depth |
| 23 | Of the universe as far as here has seen |
| 24 | One after one the spiritual lives, |
| 25 | Supplicate thee through grace for so much power |
| 26 | That with his eyes he may uplift himself |
| 27 | Higher towards the uttermost salvation. |
| 28 | And I, who never hurned for my own seeing |
| 29 | More than I do for his, all of my prayers |
| 30 | Proffer to thee, and pray they come not short, |
| 31 | That thou wouldst scatter from him every cloud |
| 32 | Of his mortality so with thy prayers, |
| 33 | That the Chief Pleasure be to him displayed. |
| 34 | Still farther do I pray thee, Queen, who canst |
| 35 | Whate'er thou wilt, that sound thou mayst preserve |
| 36 | After so great a vision his affections. |
| 37 | Let thy protection conquer human movements; |
| 38 | See Beatrice and all the blessed ones |
| 39 | My prayers to second clasp their hands to thee! |
| 40 | The eyes beloved and revered of God, |
| 41 | Fastened upon the speaker, showed to us |
| 42 | How grateful unto her are prayers devout; |
| 43 | Then unto the Eternal Light they turned, |
| 44 | On which it is not credible could be |
| 45 | By any creature bent an eye so clear. |
| 46 | And I, who to the end of all desires |
| 47 | Was now approaching, even as I ought |
| 48 | The ardour of desire within me ended. |
| 49 | Bernand was beckoning unto me, and smiling, |
| 50 | That I should upward look; but I already |
| 51 | Was of my own accord such as he wished |
| 52 | Because my sight, becoming purified, |
| 53 | Was entering more and more into the ray |
| 54 | Of the High Light which of itself is true. |
| 55 | From that time forward what I saw was greater |
| 56 | Than our discourse, that to such vision yields, |
| 57 | And yields the memory unto such excess. |
| 58 | Even as he is who seeth in a dream, |
| 59 | And after dreaming the imprinted passion |
| 60 | Remains, and to his mind the rest returns not, |
| 61 | Even such am I, for almost utterly |
| 62 | Ceases my vision, and distilleth yet |
| 63 | Within my heart the sweetness born of it; |
| 64 | Even thus the snow is in the sun unsealed, |
| 65 | Even thus upon the wind in the light leaves |
| 66 | Were the soothsayings of the Sibyl lost. |
| 67 | O Light Supreme, that dost so far uplift thee |
| 68 | From the conceits of mortals, to my mmd |
| 69 | Of what thou didst appear re-lend a little, |
| 70 | And make my tongue of so great puissance, |
| 71 | That but a single sparkle of thy glory |
| 72 | It may bequeath unto the future people; |
| 73 | For by returning to my memory somewhat, |
| 74 | And by a little sounding in these verses, |
| 75 | More of thy victory shall be conceived! |
| 76 | I think the keenness of the living ray |
| 77 | Which I endured would have bewildered me, |
| 78 | If but mine eyes had been averted from it; |
| 79 | And I remember that I was more bold |
| 80 | On this account to bear, so that I joined |
| 81 | My aspect with the Glory Infinite. |
| 82 | O grace abundant, by which I presumed |
| 83 | To fix my sight upon the Light Eternal, |
| 84 | So that the seeing I consumed therein! |
| 85 | I saw that in its depth far down is Iying |
| 86 | Bound. up with love together in one volume, |
| 87 | What through the universe in leaves is scattered; |
| 88 | Substance, and accident, and their operations, |
| 89 | All interfused together in such wise |
| 90 | That what I speak of is one simple light. |
| 91 | The universal fashion of this knot |
| 92 | Methinks I saw, since more abundantly |
| 93 | In saying this I feel that I rejoice. |
| 94 | One moment is more lethargy to me, |
| 95 | Than five and twenty centuries to the emprise |
| 96 | That startled Neptune with the shade of Argo |
| 97 | My mind in this wise wholly in suspense, |
| 98 | Steadfast, immovable, attentive gazed, |
| 99 | And evermore with gazing grew enkindled. |
| 100 | In presence of that light one such becomes, |
| 101 | That to withdraw therefrom for other prospect |
| 102 | It is impossible he e'er consent; |
| 103 | Because the good, which object is of will, |
| 104 | Is gathered all in this, and out of it |
| 105 | That is defective which is perfect there. |
| 106 | Shorter henceforward will my language fall |
| 107 | Of what I yet remember, than an infant's |
| 108 | Who still his tongue doth moisten at the breast |
| 109 | Not because more than one unmingled semblance |
| 110 | Was in the living light on which I looked, |
| 111 | For it is always what it was before; |
| 112 | But through the sight, that fortified itself |
| 113 | In me by looking, one appearance only |
| 114 | To me was ever changing as I changed. |
| 115 | Within the deep and luminous subsistence |
| 116 | Of the High Light appeared to me three circles, |
| 117 | Of threefold colour and of one dimension |
| 118 | And by the second seemed the first reflected |
| 119 | As Iris is by Iris, and the third |
| 120 | Seemed fire that equally from both is breathed. |
| 121 | O how all speech is feeble and falls short |
| 122 | Of my conceit, and this to what I saw |
| 123 | Is such, 'tis not enough to call it little! |
| 124 | O Light Eterne, sole in thyself that dwellest, |
| 125 | Sole knowest thyself, and, known unto thyself |
| 126 | And knowing, lovest and smilest on thyself! |
| 127 | That circulation, which being thus conceived |
| 128 | Appeared in thee as a reflected light, |
| 129 | When somewhat contemplated by mine eyes, |
| 130 | Within itself, of its own very colour |
| 131 | Seemed to me painted with our effigy, |
| 132 | Wherefore my sight was all absorbed therein. |
| 133 | As the geometrician, who endeavours |
| 134 | To square the circle, and discovers not. |
| 135 | By taking thought, the principle he wants, |
| 136 | Even such was I at that new apparitlon; |
| 137 | I wished to see how the image to the circle |
| 138 | Conformed itself, and how it there finds place; |
| 139 | But my own wings were not enough for this, |
| 140 | Had it not been that then my mind there smote |
| 141 | A flash of lightning, wherein came its wish. |
| 142 | Here vigour failed the lofty fantasy: |
| 143 | But now was turning my desire and will, |
| 144 | Even as a wheel that equally is moved, |
| 145 | The Love which moves the sun and the other stars. |