Canto XXXIII
Canto XXXIII
English Edition, translated by Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow
| 1 | Deus venerunt gentes, alternating |
| 2 | Now three, now four, melodious psalmody |
| 3 | The maidens in the midst of tears began; |
| 4 | And Beatrice, compassionate and sighing, |
| 5 | Listened to them with such a countenance, |
| 6 | That scarce more changed was Mary at the cross. |
| 7 | But when the other virgins place had given |
| 8 | For her to speak, uprisen to her feet |
| 9 | With colour as of fire, she made response: |
| 10 | Modicum, et non videbitis me; |
| 11 | Et iterum, my sisters predilect, |
| 12 | Modicum, et vos videbitis me. |
| 13 | Then all the seven in front of her she placed; |
| 14 | And after her, by beckoning only, moved |
| 15 | Me and the lady and the sage who stayed. |
| 16 | So she moved onward; and I do not think |
| 17 | That her tenth step was placed upon the ground, |
| 18 | When with her eyes upon mine eyes she smote, |
| 19 | And with a tranquil aspect,Come more quickly, |
| 20 | To me she said, that, if I speak with thee, |
| 21 | To listen to me thou mayst be well placed. |
| 22 | As soon as I was with her as I should be, |
| 23 | She said to me: Why, brother, dost thou not |
| 24 | Venture to question now, in coming with me? |
| 25 | As unto those who are too reverential, |
| 26 | Speaking in presence of superiors, |
| 27 | Who drag no living utterance to their teeth, |
| 28 | It me befell, that without perfect sound |
| 29 | Began I: My necessity, Madonna, |
| 30 | You know, and that which thereunto is good. |
| 31 | And she to me: Of fear and bashfulness |
| 32 | Henceforward I will have thee strip thyself, |
| 33 | So that thou speak no more as one who dreams. |
| 34 | Know that the vessel which the serpent broke |
| 35 | Was, and is not; but let him who is guilty |
| 36 | Think that God's vengeance does not fear a sop. |
| 37 | Without an heir shall not for ever be |
| 38 | The Eagle that left his plumes upon the car, |
| 39 | Whence it became a monster, then a prey; |
| 40 | For verily I see, and hence narrate it, |
| 41 | The stars already near to bring the time, |
| 42 | From every hindrance safe, and every bar, |
| 43 | Within which a Five-hundred, Ten, and Five, |
| 44 | One sent from God, shall slay the thievish woman |
| 45 | And that same giant who is sinning with her. |
| 46 | And peradventure my dark utterance, |
| 47 | Like Themis and the Sphinx, may less persuade thee, |
| 48 | Since, in their mode, it clouds the intellect; |
| 49 | But soon the facts shall be the Naiades |
| 50 | Who shall this difficult enigma solve, |
| 51 | Without destruction of the flocks and harvests. |
| 52 | Note thou; and even as by me are uttered |
| 53 | These words, so teach them unto those who live |
| 54 | That life which is a running unto death; |
| 55 | And bear in mind, whene'er thou writest them, |
| 56 | Not to conceal what thou hast seen the plant, |
| 57 | That twice already has been pillaged here. |
| 58 | Whoever pillages or shatters it, |
| 59 | With blasphemy of deed offendeth God, |
| 60 | Who made it holy for his use alone. |
| 61 | For biting that, in pain and in desire |
| 62 | Five thousand years and more the first-born soul |
| 63 | Craved Him, who punished in himself the bite. |
| 64 | Thy genius slumbers, if it deem it not |
| 65 | For special reason so pre-eminent |
| 66 | In height, and so inverted in its summit |
| 67 | And if thy vain imaginings had not been |
| 68 | Water of Elsa round about thy mind, |
| 69 | And Pyramus to the mulberry, their pleasure, |
| 70 | Thou by so many circumstances only |
| 71 | The justice of the interdict of God |
| 72 | Morally in the tree wouldst recognize. |
| 73 | But since I see thee in thine intellect |
| 74 | Converted into stone and stained with sin, |
| 75 | So that the light of my discourse doth daze thee, |
| 76 | I will too, if not written, at least painted, |
| 77 | Thou bear it back within thee, for the reason |
| 78 | That cinct with palm the pilgrim's staff is borne. |
| 79 | And I: As by a signet is the wax |
| 80 | Which does not change the figure stamped upon it, |
| 81 | My brain is now imprinted by yourself |
| 82 | But wherefore so beyond my power of sight |
| 83 | Soars your desirable discourse, that aye |
| 84 | The more I strive, so much the more I lose it? |
| 85 | That thou mayst recognize, she said, the school |
| 86 | Which thou hast followed, and mayst see how far |
| 87 | Its doctrine follows after my discourse, |
| 88 | And mayst behold your path from the divine |
| 89 | Distant as far as separated is |
| 90 | From earth the heaven that highest hastens on. |
| 91 | Whence her I answered: I do not remember |
| 92 | That ever I estranged myself from you, |
| 93 | Nor have I conscience of it that reproves me. |
| 94 | And if thou art not able to remember, |
| 95 | Smiling she answered, recollect thee now |
| 96 | That thou this very day hast drunk of Lethe; |
| 97 | And if from smoke a fire may be inferred, |
| 98 | Such an oblivion clearly demonstrates |
| 99 | Some error in thy will elsewhere intent. |
| 100 | Truly from this time forward shall my words |
| 101 | Be naked, so far as it is befitting |
| 102 | To lay them open unto thy rude gaze. |
| 103 | And more coruscant and with slower steps |
| 104 | The sun was holding the meridian circle, |
| 105 | Which, with the point of view, shifts here and there |
| 106 | When halted (as he cometh to a halt, |
| 107 | Who goes before a squadron as its escort, |
| 108 | If something new he find upon his way) |
| 109 | The ladies seven at a dark shadow's edge, |
| 110 | Such as, beneath green leaves and branches black, |
| 111 | The Alp upon its frigid border wears. |
| 112 | In front of them the Tigris and Euphrates |
| 113 | Methought I saw forth issue from one fountain, |
| 114 | And slowly part, like friends, from one another. |
| 115 | O light, O glory of the human race! |
| 116 | What stream is this which here unfolds itself |
| 117 | From out one source, and from itself withdraws? |
| 118 | For such a prayer, 'twas said unto me, Pray |
| 119 | Matilda that she tell thee; and here answered, |
| 120 | As one does who doth free himself from blame, |
| 121 | The beautiful lady: This and other things |
| 122 | Were told to him by me; and sure I am |
| 123 | The water of Lethe has not hid them from him. |
| 124 | And Beatrice: Perhaps a greater care, |
| 125 | Which oftentimes our memory takes away, |
| 126 | Has made the vision of his mind obscure. |
| 127 | But Eunoe behold, that yonder rises; |
| 128 | Lead him to it, and, as thou art accustomed, |
| 129 | Revive again the half-dead virtue in him. |
| 130 | Like gentle soul. that maketh no excuse, |
| 131 | But makes its own will of another's will |
| 132 | As soon as by a sign it is disclosed, |
| 133 | Even so, when she had taken hold of me, |
| 134 | The beautiful lady moved, and unto Statius |
| 135 | Said, in her womanly manner, Come with him. |
| 136 | If, Reader, I possessed a longer space |
| 137 | For writing it, I yet would sing in part |
| 138 | Of the sweet draught that ne'er would satiate me; |
| 139 | But inasmuch as full are all the leaves |
| 140 | Made ready for this second canticle, |
| 141 | The curb of art no farther lets me go. |
| 142 | From the most holy water I returned |
| 143 | Regenerate, in the manner of new trees |
| 144 | That are renewed with a new foliage, |
| 145 | Pure and disposed to mount unto the stars. |