133. “Thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before Him” (Dan. 7:10).
CANTO XXX
THE NINE CIRCLES with their central point of light slowly fade from sight and the Pilgrim looks again at Beatrice, whose beauty he can no longer find words to describe. Beatrice tells the Pilgrim that they are now in the Empyrean, and he finds himself wrapped in a veil of intense light that momentarily blinds him, but then he feels his powers of sight grow stronger. He sees a river of light flowing between two banks laden with flowers and an exchange of countless sparks between the river and the flowers. Beatrice tells him to keep his eyes fixed on the river, warning him, however, that what he sees is only a preface to the truth. As the Pilgrim bends down and takes the river in with his eyes, its linear form becomes round like a vast lake of light, and what had appeared to be flowers are now the souls of the Elect, seated in tiers of petals that grow in circumference the higher they rise, opening up like an immense rose, all parts of which are equally clear to the Pilgrim since the laws of nature do not apply here. The sparks, meanwhile, have taken the shape of angels ceaselessly flying between God and the Elect. Beatrice leads the Pilgrim into the center of the Rose, and after showing him how few seats still remain to be filled, she points to the one soon to be occupied by the soul of Henry VII who will have tried, but in vain, to help cure Italy of its ills, and blames Henry’s failure on the Pope (Clement V) who she predicts will be damned to Hell, stuffing his predecessor (Boniface VIII) deeper down into his hole of simony.
About six thousand miles away high noon is blazing, and the shadow of our world already slopes into a level bed,
3
when in the midst of heaven, so deep above, a change begins, and one star here and there starts fading from our sight at such a depth;
6
and as the brightest handmaid of the sun comes closer, and the heavens start to close light after light, until the fairest fades,
9
just so the Triumph that forever plays its round around the Point of dazzling light that seems contained by what Itself contains,
12
little by little faded from my sight; and seeing it no more, my love constrained my eyes to look again at Beatrice.
15
If all I said of her up to this time were gathered in a single poem of praise, it would be but a scanty comment now.
18
The beauty I saw there goes far beyond all mortal reach; I think that only He Who made it knows the full joy of its being.
21
At this point I admit to my defeat: no poet, comic or tragic, ever was more outdone by his theme than I am now;
24
for, as sunlight does to the weakest eyes, so did the mere thought of her lovely smile strike every recognition from my mind.
27
From the first day that I beheld her face in this life till the vision of her now, I could trust in my poems to sing her praise,
30
but now I must stop trying to pursue her beauty in my verse, for I have done as much as any artist at his best.
33
As such I leave her to the heralding of greater clarion than mine, which starts to draw its arduous theme now to a close.
36
She, with the tone and gesture of a guide whose task is done, said: “We have gone beyond— from greatest sphere to heaven of pure light,
39
light of the intellect, light full of love, love of the true good, full of ecstasy, ecstasy that transcends the sweetest joy.
42
37-39. Beatrice’s role as guide is now finished.
Here you shall see the twofold soldiery of Paradise, and one host you will see as you will see them on the Final Day. ”
45
Just as a sudden flash of lightning strikes the visual spirits and so stuns the eyes, that even the clearest object fades from sight,
48
so glorious living light encompassed me, enfolding me so tightly in its veil of luminence that I saw only light.
51
“The Love that calms this heaven forever greets all those who enter with such salutation, so is the candle for Its flame prepared. ”
54
No sooner had these brief, assuring words entered my ears than I was full aware my senses now were raised beyond their powers;
57
the power of new sight lit up my eyes so that no light, however bright it were, would be too brilliant for my eyes to bear.
60
And I saw light that was a flowing stream, blazing in splendid sparks between two banks painted by spring in miracles of color.
63
Out of this stream the sparks of living light were shooting up and settling on the flowers: they looked like rubies set in rings of gold;
66
then as if all that fragrance made them drunk, they poured back into that miraculous flood, and as one plunged, another took to flight.
69
“The deep desire burning, urging you to seek the answers to what you have seen, pleases me more, the more I see it surge;
72
but you must first drink of these waters here before such thirst as yours is satisfied, ” —so did she speak, that sunlight of my eyes;
75
and then she said: “The stream, the jewels you see leap in and out of it, the smiling blooms, are all prefigurations of their truth.
78
These things are not imperfect in themselves; the defect, rather, lies within your sight, as yet not strong enough to reach such heights. ”
81
No baby, having slept too long, and now awakened late, could rush to turn his face more eagerly to seek his mother’s milk
84
than I bent down my face to make my eyes more lucid mirrors there within that stream which pours its light for their embetterment;
87
no sooner had the eaves of my eyes drunk within those waters, than the river turned from its straight course to a circumference.
90
And then, as people at a masquerade take off the masks which have until that time been hiding their true selves—so, then and there,
93
before my eyes the sparks and flowers changed into a greater festival: I saw both courts of Heaven in their reality.
96
O splendid grace of God through which I saw the one true kingdom’s triumph, grant me now the power to find the words for what I saw!
99
There is a light above whose glory makes Creator visible to his creations whose only peace is in beholding Him;
102
in figure of a circle this light spreads, and is so vast that its circumference would be too loose a belt to bind the sun.
105
96. “Both courts of Heaven” and the “twofold soldiery” (see line 43 above) refer to the angels and the human souls.
And its expanse comes from a single ray striking the summit of the First Moved Sphere from which it takes its vital force and power.
108
And as a hillside rich in grass and flowers looks down into a lake as if it were admiring the reflection of its wealth,
111
so, mirrored, tier on tier, within that light, more than a thousand were reflected there, I saw all those of us who won return.
114
And if the lowest tier alone can hold so great a brilliance, then how vast the space of this Rose to its outer petals’ reach!
117
And yet, by such enormous breadth and height my eyes were not confused; they took in all in number and in quality of bliss.
120
There, near and far nor adds nor takes away, for where God rules directly without agents, the laws of Nature in no way apply.
123
Into the gold of the eternal Rose, whose ranks of petals fragrantly unfold praise to the Sun of everlasting spring,
126
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in silence—though I longed to speak—was I taken by Beatrice who said: “Look how vast is our white-robed consistory.
129
Look at our city, see its vast expanse. You see our seats so filled, only a few remain for souls that Heaven still desires.
132
In that great chair, already set with crown above it and which draws your eyes to it, before your summons to this nuptial feast,
135
shall sit the soul, predestined emperor, of that Great Henry who one day will come to set straight Italy before her time.
138
You are bewitched by blind cupidity that makes you starve to death like a poor child who has a nurse but pushes her away.
141
And at that time the prefect of God’s Court will be a man who publicly agrees to tread his path, but not so secretly.
144
But God will not permit him to stay long in Holy Office: he shall be thrust down, where Simon Magus pays his guilt, and he
147
shall stuff the Alagnese deeper down!”
CANTO XXXI
THE PILGRIM BEHOLDS the Elect in the form of a pure white rose and the angels like bees continuously flying from God to the Elect and back, transporting His love. Never, however, in spite of their countless numbers, do they block the Divine Light from the Pilgrim’s sight. He compares his amazement to that of a barbarian from the far north seeing the splendors of Rome for the first time, and his joy to that of a pilgrim who has reached his final goal. After examining the general formation of Paradise he turns to ask Beatrice a question but finds that a venerable old man has taken her place. The old man explains that Beatrice has asked him to lead her ward to his final goal, and he points to where she is seated in the third from the highest tier of the Rose. The Pilgrim, looking up, sees his lady clearly and offers up to her a tender prayer of gratitude for all she has done on his behalf, expressing his hope that with her help he may someday return to her there as pure as he is at that moment. Beatrice smiles at him and then returns her gaze to God. The old man reveals himself as St. Bernard and urges the Pilgrim to shift his focus even higher to the Virgin Mary on whom his spiritual progress now depends.
136-137. This is Henry, count of Luxembourg (b. ca. 1275), who became Emperor Henry VII.
142-144. Clement V was pope (or “prefect”) at the time of Henry’s death.
148. The Alagnese is Clement’s predecessor in simony, Boniface VIII, Dante’s personal archenemy, who was born in the town of Alagna, or Alagni. Beatrice here confirms the prophecy made in Inferno XIX, 73-75.
So now, appearing to me in the form of a white rose was Heaven’s sacred host, those whom with His own blood Christ made His bride,
3
while the other host—that soaring see and sing the glory of the One who stirs their love, the goodness which made them great as they are,
6
like bees that in a single motion swarm and dip into the flowers, then return to heaven’s hive where their toil turns to joy—
9
descended all at once on that great bloom of precious petals, and then flew back up to where its source of love forever dwells.
12
Their faces showed the glow of living flame, their wings of gold, and all the rest of them whiter than any snow that falls to earth.
15
As they entered the flower, tier to tier, each spread the peace and ardor of the love they gathered with their wings in flight to Him.
18
Nor did this screen of flying plenitude between the flower and what reigned above impede the vision of His glorious light;
21
for God’s light penetrates the universe according to the merits of each part, and there is nothing that can block its way.
24
This unimperiled kingdom of all joy abounding with those saints, both old and new, had look and love fixed all upon one goal.
27
O Triune Light which sparkles in one star upon their sight, Fulfiller of full joy! look down upon us in our tempest here!
30
If the barbarians (coming from such parts as every day are spanned by Helice, travelling the sky with her belovëd son)
33
when they saw Rome, her mighty monuments (the days the Lateran, built high, outsoared all mortal art), were so struck with amazement,
36
then I—coming to Heaven from mortal earth, from man’s time to Divine eternity, from Florence to a people just and sane—
39
with what amazement must I have been struck! Truly, between my stupor and my joy, it was a pleasure not to hear or speak.
42
And as a pilgrim now refreshed with joy surveys the temple of his vow, and wonders how to describe it when he is back home,
45
so through the living light I let my eyes go wandering among the ranks of Blest, now up, now down, now searching all around.
48
I saw love-dedicated faces there, adorned in borrowed light and by their smiles and gestures graced with chastest dignity.
51
By now, my eyes had quickly taken in a general plan of all of Paradise but had not fixed themselves on any part;
54
32. Helice, also known as Callisto, was one of Diana’s nymphs, who was banished after she had been seduced by Jupiter and had borne him a son, Areas.
35. In Dante’s time the Lateran palace in Rome was the residence of the pope.
and with new-kindled eagerness to know, I turned around to ask my lady things that to my mind were still not clear enough.
57
What I expected was not what I saw! I thought to see Beatrice there but saw an elder in the robes of Heaven’s saints.
60
His eyes, his cheeks, were filled with the divine joy of the blest, his attitude with love that every tender-hearted father knows.
63
And “She, where is she?” instantly I asked. He answered: “I was urged by Beatrice to leave my place and end all your desire;
66
you will behold her, if you raise your eyes to the third circle from the highest tier, enthroned where her own merit destined her. ”
69
I did not say a word but raised my eyes and saw her there in all her glory crowned by the reflections of eternal light
72
Not from that place where highest thunder roars down to the very bottom of the sea, is any mortal’s sight so far away
75
as my eyes were from Beatrice there; but distance made no difference, for her image came down to me unblurred by anything.
78
“O lady in whom all my hope takes strength, and who for my salvation did endure to leave her footprints on the floor of Hell,
81
60. As we are told in line 102, this elder is St. Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux and the force behind the Second Crusade.
through your own power, through your own excellence I recognize the grace and the effect of all those things I have seen with my eyes.
84
From bondage into freedom you led me by all those paths, by using all those means which were within the limits of your power.
87
Preserve in me your great munificence, so that my soul which you have healed may be pleasing to you when it slips from the flesh. ”
90
Such was my prayer. And she, so far away, or so it seemed, looked down at me and smiled; then to Eternal Light she turned once more.
93
The holy elder spoke: “That you may reach your journey’s perfect consummation now, I have been sent by sacred love and prayer;
96
fly through this heavenly garden with your eyes, for gazing at it will prepare your sight to rise into the vision of God’s Ray.
99
The Queen of Heaven, for whom I constantly burn with love’s fire, will grant us every grace, b
ecause I am her faithful one, Bernard. ”
102
As one who comes from someplace like Croatia— to gaze on our Veronica, so long craved for, he now cannot look long enough,
105
and while it is displayed, he says in thought: “O Jesus Christ, my Lord, the One true God, is this what your face truly looked like then?”—
108
just so did I while gazing at the living love of the one who living in the world, through contemplation, tasted of that peace.
111
94. The “holy elder, ” St. Bernard, now undertakes to prepare the Pilgrim for the final stage of his journey.
100. The “Queen of Heaven” is the Virgin Mary.
“My son of grace, ” he spoke again, “this state of blissful being will not be known to you as long as you keep your eyes fixed down here;
114
look up into the circles, to the highest until your eyes behold, enthroned, the Queen who holds as subject this devoted realm. ”
117
I raised my eyes. And as at break of day the eastern parts of the horizon shine brighter than at the point the sun goes down,
120
so I saw, as my eyes still climbed from vale to mountain-top, there at the highest point, a light outshining all that splendorous rim.
123
And as our sky, where we expect to see the ill-starred shaft of Phaethon’s chariot, burns brightest dimming all the light around,
126
so there, on high, that oriflame of peace lit up its center while on either side its glow was equally diminishing;
129
and all around that center, wings outstretched, I saw more than a thousand festive angels, each one distinct in brilliance and in art.
132
And there, smiling upon their games and song I saw a beauty that reflected bliss within the eyes of all the other saints;
135
and even if I were as rich in words as in remembering, I would not dare describe the least part of such beauty’s bliss.
138
Bernard, when he saw that my eyes were fixed devotedly upon his passion’s passion, his own he turned to her with so much love
141
that he made mine more ardent in their gaze.
CANTO XXXII