The Divine Comedy — Dante Alighieri
CANTO xxvni. Dante beholds in this ninth sphere the Hierarchies of Heaven in nine choirs of angels encircHng the Divine Essence.
When she who doth imparadise my soul 0' the present state of wretched mortals* thrall Had thus laid bare to me the truthful scroll ; As when upon a mirror there doth fall A torch's flame, enkindled from behind, * Ere the spectator think of it at all, And he turns round to certify his mind Whether the glass speak truth, which doth accord With fact, like music unto words designed :
p. 368Cahto XXVHI. Just SO my memory doth here record ^" That I did, gazing on those eyes so fair, From whence to bind me, Love hath made his cord : And as I turned me roimd, and was aware Of what within that volume meets the sight Of whoso gazeth on that whirling sphere, ^^ A point I saw, which radiated light So vivid, that the eye on which it blazed Must close perforce, through its intenseness bright.
That star, which from our earth appears the least. Beside it placed, would like the moon appear, ^ As star with star in Heaven is interplaced. Perchance such distance as appeareth near The light unto its halo, thence im pearled. What time the vapour is most dense in air, Such distance round that point, so swiftly whirled ^ A circle of fire, that it in speed had past The sphere, whose motion swiftest girds the world.
And this within another Was enchased. That by a third, the third by a fourth again. And further yet a fifth and sixth were placed. ^ Above, a seventh one followed round the train, Spread out so wide that Iris' coloured zone Were all too small its circle to contain.
So on the eighth and ninth ; and every one Revolved more slowly, as its distance grew ^ Yet further from the central unison : And each one had its flame of clearer hue As it was nearer to the crystal fire, From which each one its truthful essence drew. My lady, who beheld me in desire ^^ Of knowledge rapt, then told me : ** Hangs the Heaven From that one point, and Nature's self entire.
That circle see, whose place is nearest given, And know, its motion whirleth with such speed Through the fire-glowing love with which 'tis driven." ** And I to her : " If the visible world were laid In the order that I see amid yon spheres. That had sufficed me which has now been said. Line 11. Dante, startled by the vision reflected in the eyes of Beatrice, toms round to gaze upon the reality. Line 14.
" That volume" has been differently interpreted, but apparently means the ninth sphere, in which is visible this image of the hierarchies of Heaven. Line 46. The celestial spheres whirl faster the further they recede from the central point, the earth : the vision here beheld by Dante shows him each
G^jiTO ZXYIII. PARADISE. 369 But in the spheres celestial there appears That each with motion more divine doth move ** As to the centre less and less it nears, Whence if my longing may solution prove, Within this wondrous and angelic temple, Which has for boundaries only light and love, 'Tis meet I still should hear how this ensample ** And thing exemplified at variance go, In vain I ponder on a theme so ample." " If of such knot thy fingers do not know The secret 'tis no marvel, since the way As yet untried doth make it hard I trow." ®® My lady thus, then said to me, ** Essay That which I'll tell thee, if thou wouldst be taught, And round about it let thy fancy play. The spheres of Heaven are wide and narrow wrought, According to the virtue more or less. The which through all their parts is interfraught. The greater goodness doth more greatly bless ; Through all its parts if equal be the glow. The greater flame gives greater blessedness. This ninth sphere, then, which whirleth with its flow The lofty universe, doth correspond Unto that ring which most doth love and know. Therefore if thou wouldst stretch thy measuring wand Unto the virtue, not unto the seeming Of substances, now shown to thee in round, Thou wouldst behold a wondrous fitness streaming Of great to more, and less to less I ween In every Heaven unto its angels' dreaming." As there remaineth splendid and serene The hemisphere of air what time there blows The north wind in his mood of gentlest mien,
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CANTO xxvni. Dante beholds in this ninth sphere the Hierarchies of Heaven in nine choirs of angels encircHng the Divine Essence. When she who does imparadise my soul 0' the present state of wretched mortals* thrall Had thus laid bare to me the truthful scroll ; As when upon a mirror there does fall A torch's flame, enkindled from behind, * Ere the spectator think of it at all, And he turns round to certify his mind Whether the glass speak truth, which does accord With fact, like music unto words designed :
368 PARADISE. Cahto XXVHI. Just SO my memory does here record ^" That I did, gazing on those eyes so fair, From whence to bind me, Love has made his cord : And as I turned me roimd, and was aware Of what within that volume meets the sight Of whoso gazes on that whirling sphere, ^^ A point I saw, which radiated light So vivid, that the eye on which it blazed Must close perforce, through its intenseness bright. That star, which from our earth appears the least. Beside it placed, would like the moon appear, ^ As star with star in Heaven is interplaced. Perchance such distance as appears near The light unto its halo, thence im pearled. What time the vapour is most dense in air, Such distance round that point, so swiftly whirled ^ A circle of fire, that it in speed had past The sphere, whose motion swiftest girds the world. And this within another Was enchased. That by a third, the third by a fourth again. And further yet a fifth and sixth were placed. ^ Above, a seventh one followed round the train, Spread out so wide that Iris' coloured zone Were all too small its circle to contain. So on the eighth and ninth ; and every one Revolved more slowly, as its distance grew ^ Yet further from the central unison : And each one had its flame of clearer hue As it was nearer to the crystal fire, From which each one its truthful essence drew. My lady, who beheld me in desire ^^ Of knowledge rapt, then told me : ** Hangs the Heaven From that one point, and Nature's self entire. That circle see, whose place is nearest given, And know, its motion whirls with such speed Through the fire-glowing love with which 'tis driven." ** And I to her : " If the visible world were laid In the order that I see amid yon spheres. That had sufficed me which has now been said. Line 11. Dante, startled by the vision reflected in the eyes of Beatrice, toms round to gaze upon the reality. Line 14. " That volume" has been differently interpreted, but apparently means the ninth sphere, in which is visible this image of the hierarchies of Heaven. Line 46. The celestial spheres whirl faster the further they recede from the central point, the earth : the vision here beheld by Dante shows him each
G^jiTO ZXYIII. PARADISE. 369 But in the spheres celestial there appears That each with motion more divine does move ** As to the centre less and less it nears, Whence if my longing may solution prove, Within this wondrous and angelic temple, Which has for boundaries only light and love, 'Tis meet I still should hear how this ensample ** And thing exemplified at variance go, In vain I ponder on a theme so ample." " If of such knot your fingers do not know The secret 'tis no marvel, since the way As yet untried does make it hard I trow." ®® My lady thus, then said to me, ** Essay That which I'll tell you, if you would be taught, And round about it let your fancy play. The spheres of Heaven are wide and narrow wrought, According to the virtue more or less. The which through all their parts is interfraught. The greater goodness does more greatly bless ; Through all its parts if equal be the glow. The greater flame gives greater blessedness. This ninth sphere, then, which whirls with its flow The lofty universe, does correspond Unto that ring which most does love and know. Therefore if you would stretch your measuring wand Unto the virtue, not unto the seeming Of substances, now shown to you in round, You would behold a wondrous fitness streaming Of great to more, and less to less I ween In every Heaven unto its angels' dreaming." As there remains splendid and serene The hemisphere of air what time there blows The north wind in his mood of gentlest mien,
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