The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
358 PARADISE. Casto XXT.
The while I spake, within the Hying breast Of that eiddndled flame, a glimmer welled ^ Sudden and ofb like lightning quickly chased: Thence there breathed out : " The love in me revealed Towards this virtue still, which to me clung, Till with the palm I issued from the field, Wills that I breathe of it to thee, whose tongue " Delights in it ; 'twill please me thou shouldst saj That which this hope hath promised thee so long.
And I : " The Scriptures Old and New display The bourn of hope, the which itself I greet In souls whom God has filled with love for aye. Each will be clad, Isaiah doth repeat. In their own region with a double vest, And their own region is this life so sweet. And thy own brother even more confest, There, where he treateth of the robes of white This revelation maketh manifest.
Soon as my words were ended, on the height Spereni in te, above us sounded near, To which made answer every carolling light. Then from amongst them drew a light so clear, ^^ That if in Cancer did such crystal glance. Winter's first month would but one day appear. And as doth rise, and ent«r on the dance, A joyous virgin, with no thought of sin.
But to the bride to do obeisance, ^^ So I beheld that coruscating sheen Move to the pair, revolving in their wheel As fitted to their glowing love I ween. He joined them in their song ineffable : And on them gazed my lady unreprest "® Like spouse, in silence, and immovable.
" This is the one who lay upon the breast Of our own Pelican : and this was he Chosen on the Cross unto the high behest/' My lady thus, nor ne'ertheless did she '" Her vision move from gazing there attent, After, as ere the words she spake to me. Line 91. Therefore in their land they shall poasesB the donble.— Isaiah Ixi. 7« Line 94. St. John in the Apocalypse. Line 101.
Were a star of such brilliance in the constellation of Cancer, which shines throughout the night during the first month of the ¥nnt0r solstice, the sun would in reality never set, and the whole month would be as one day.
ISO
p. 125
Ci^irao XXVL PARADISE. 359 liko unto liim who f^azes with intent To see awhile eclipse the solar beam, Through too much gazing has his yision spent, So grew I, looking on that latest flame, Whilst it was told me : '* Why, a thing to see Which here is not, dost face mj dazzlmg gleam ? My frame is earth on earth, and so will be With all the rest, until our sum be brought Equal in number imto God's decree. With their two garments in this blessed Court Are those two lights alone, who now ascended : And this within thy world thou mayst report." With this the glowing wheel its circling ended, *^^ Together with the sweet accompaniment • Which from the trinal spiral's murmur blended : Just as for pause, or peril to prevent, The oars that erst within the water plied. When sounds the signal, sudden rest suspent. ^^ Ah ! in my mind how I was terrified What time I turned to see my Beatrix, That her I could not see, though by her side I there was standing in the World of Bliss ! Line 121. Dante looks thus intently on the spirit, wbicli he learns is St. John, to see whether he has risen with his body to Heaven, according to the donbt raised by the words of Christ to the disciples, " If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?" Line 128. Christ and Mary, who were described in the last Canto as ascending to the higher Heaven, while the saints remained.
CANTO XXVI. St. John examines Dante concerning Charity. A fourth flame then advances, in which is the sool of Adam, who acquaints Dante with the real reason of his fall, and the length of nme he remained in the terrestrial Paradise. The while in doubt I stood, through vision spent.
From out the beaming flame which dazzled it, There issued words which made me all intent, Saying, " While thou thy vision dost refit, Which gazing on me thou hast lost, 'twere well * That converse now should compensate for sight. Begin, then, and declare, on what doth dwell Thy soul's desire, and meanwhile understand Thy sight not dead, but wandering for a spell,
358 PARADISE. Casto XXT. The while I spake, within the Hying breast Of that eiddndled flame, a glimmer welled ^ Sudden and ofb like lightning quickly chased: Thence there breathed out : " The love in me revealed Towards this virtue still, which to me clung, Till with the palm I issued from the field, Wills that I breathe of it to you, whose tongue " Delights in it ; 'twill please me you should saj That which this hope has promised you so long." And I : " The Scriptures Old and New display The bourn of hope, the which itself I greet In souls whom God has filled with love for aye. Each will be clad, Isaiah does repeat. In their own region with a double vest, And their own region is this life so sweet. And your own brother even more confest, There, where he treats of the robes of white This revelation makes manifest. Soon as my words were ended, on the height Spereni in te, above us sounded near, To which made answer every carolling light. Then from amongst them drew a light so clear, ^^ That if in Cancer did such crystal glance. Winter's first month would but one day appear. And as does rise, and ent«r on the dance, A joyous virgin, with no thought of sin. But to the bride to do obeisance, ^^ So I beheld that coruscating sheen Move to the pair, revolving in their wheel As fitted to their glowing love I ween. He joined them in their song ineffable : And on them gazed my lady unreprest "® Like spouse, in silence, and immovable. " This is the one who lay upon the breast Of our own Pelican : and this was he Chosen on the Cross unto the high behest/' My lady thus, nor ne'ertheless did she '" Her vision move from gazing there attent, After, as ere the words she spake to me. Line 91. Therefore in their land they shall poasesB the donble.— Isaiah Ixi. 7« Line 94. St. John in the Apocalypse. Line 101. Were a star of such brilliance in the constellation of Cancer, which shines throughout the night during the first month of the ¥nnt0r solstice, the sun would in reality never set, and the whole month would be as one day.
ISO
p. 125
Ci^irao XXVL PARADISE. 359 liko unto liim who f^azes with intent To see awhile eclipse the solar beam, Through too much gazing has his yision spent, So grew I, looking on that latest flame, Whilst it was told me : '* Why, a thing to see Which here is not, do face mj dazzlmg gleam ? My frame is earth on earth, and so will be With all the rest, until our sum be brought Equal in number imto God's decree. With their two garments in this blessed Court Are those two lights alone, who now ascended : And this within your world you mayst report." With this the glowing wheel its circling ended, *^^ Together with the sweet accompaniment • Which from the trinal spiral's murmur blended : Just as for pause, or peril to prevent, The oars that erst within the water plied. When sounds the signal, sudden rest suspent. ^^ Ah ! in my mind how I was terrified What time I turned to see my Beatrix, That her I could not see, though by her side I there was standing in the World of Bliss ! Line 121. Dante looks thus intently on the spirit, wbicli he learns is St. John, to see whether he has risen with his body to Heaven, according to the donbt raised by the words of Christ to the disciples, " If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to you?" Line 128. Christ and Mary, who were described in the last Canto as ascending to the higher Heaven, while the saints remained.
CANTO XXVI. St. John examines Dante concerning Charity. A fourth flame then advances, in which is the sool of Adam, who acquaints Dante with the real reason of his fall, and the length of nme he remained in the terrestrial Paradise. The while in doubt I stood, through vision spent. From out the beaming flame which dazzled it, There issued words which made me all intent, Saying, " While you your vision do refit, Which gazing on me you have lost, 'twere well * That converse now should compensate for sight. Begin, then, and declare, on what does dwell Your soul's desire, and meanwhile understand Your sight not dead, but wandering for a spell,
No commentary for this page under the selected tracks.
There is commentary on page 1.