Paradiso: Canto XXVIIIAfter the truth against the present lifeOf miserable mortals was unfoldedBy her who doth imparadise my mind,As in a looking-glass a taper’s flameHe sees who from behind is lighted by it,Before he has it in his sight or thought,And turns him round to see if so the glassTell him the truth, and sees that it accordsTherewith as doth a music with its metre,In similar wise my memory recollectethThat I did, looking into those fair eyes,Of which Love made the springes to ensnare me.And as I turned me round, and mine were touchedBy that which is apparent in that volume,Whenever on its gyre we gaze intent,A point beheld I, that was raying outLight so acute, the sight which it enkindlesMust close perforce before such great acuteness.And whatsoever star seems smallest hereWould seem to be a moon, if placed beside it.As one star with another star is placed.Perhaps at such a distance as appearsA halo cincturing the light that paints it,When densest is the vapour that sustains it,Thus distant round the point a circle of fireSo swiftly whirled, that it would have surpassedWhatever motion soonest girds the world;And this was by another circumcinct,That by a third, the third then by a fourth,By a fifth the fourth, and then by a sixth the fifth;The seventh followed thereupon in widthSo ample now, that Juno’s messengerEntire would be too narrow to contain it.Even so the eighth and ninth; and every oneMore slowly moved, according as it wasIn number distant farther from the first.And that one had its flame most crystallineFrom which less distant was the stainless spark,I think because more with its truth imbued.My Lady, who in my anxietyBeheld me much perplexed, said: “From that pointDependent is the heaven and nature all.Behold that circle most conjoined to it,And know thou, that its motion is so swiftThrough burning love whereby it is spurred on.”And I to her: “If the world were arrangedIn the order which I see in yonder wheels,What’s set before me would have satisfied me;But in the world of sense we can perceiveThat evermore the circles are divinerAs they are from the centre more remoteWherefore if my desire is to be endedIn this miraculous and angelic temple,That has for confines only love and light,To hear behoves me still how the exampleAnd the exemplar go not in one fashion,Since for myself in vain I contemplate it.”“If thine own fingers unto such a knotBe insufficient, it is no great wonder,So hard hath it become for want of trying.”My Lady thus; then said she: “Do thou takeWhat I shall tell thee, if thou wouldst be sated,And exercise on that thy subtlety.The circles corporal are wide and narrowAccording to the more or less of virtueWhich is distributed through all their parts.The greater goodness works the greater weal,The greater weal the greater body holds,If perfect equally are all its parts.Therefore this one which sweeps along with itThe universe sublime, doth correspondUnto the circle which most loves and knows.On which account, if thou unto the virtueApply thy measure, not to the appearanceOf substances that unto thee seem round,Thou wilt behold a marvellous agreement,Of more to greater, and of less to smaller,In every heaven, with its Intelligence.”Even as remaineth splendid and sereneThe hemisphere of air, when BoreasIs blowing from that cheek where he is mildest,Because is purified and resolved the rackThat erst disturbed it, till the welkin laughsWith all the beauties of its pageantry;Thus did I likewise, after that my LadyHad me provided with her clear response,And like a star in heaven the truth was seen.And soon as to a stop her words had come,Not otherwise does iron scintillateWhen molten, than those circles scintillated.Their coruscation all the sparks repeated,And they so many were, their number makesMore millions than the doubling of the chess.I heard them sing hosanna choir by choirTo the fixed point which holds them at the ‘Ubi,’And ever will, where they have ever been.And she, who saw the dubious meditationsWithin my mind, “The primal circles,” said,“Have shown thee Seraphim and Cherubim.Thus rapidly they follow their own bonds,To be as like the point as most they can,And can as far as they are high in vision.Those other Loves, that round about them go,Thrones of the countenance divine are called,Because they terminate the primal Triad.And thou shouldst know that they all have delightAs much as their own vision penetratesThe Truth, in which all intellect finds rest.From this it may be seen how blessednessIs founded in the faculty which sees,And not in that which loves, and follows next;And of this seeing merit is the measure,Which is brought forth by grace, and by good will;Thus on from grade to grade doth it proceed.The second Triad, which is germinatingIn such wise in this sempiternal spring,That no nocturnal Aries despoils,Perpetually hosanna warbles forthWith threefold melody, that sounds in threeOrders of joy, with which it is intrined.The three Divine are in this hierarchy,First the Dominions, and the Virtues next;And the third order is that of the Powers.Then in the dances twain penultimateThe Principalities and Archangels wheel;The last is wholly of angelic sports.These orders upward all of them are gazing,And downward so prevail, that unto GodThey all attracted are and all attract.And Dionysius with so great desireTo contemplate these Orders set himself,He named them and distinguished them as I do.But Gregory afterwards dissented from him;Wherefore, as soon as he unclosed his eyesWithin this heaven, he at himself did smile.And if so much of secret truth a mortalProffered on earth, I would not have thee marvel,For he who saw it here revealed it to him,With much more of the truth about these circles.”
After the truth against the present lifeOf miserable mortals was unfoldedBy her who doth imparadise my mind,
As in a looking-glass a taper’s flameHe sees who from behind is lighted by it,Before he has it in his sight or thought,
And turns him round to see if so the glassTell him the truth, and sees that it accordsTherewith as doth a music with its metre,
In similar wise my memory recollectethThat I did, looking into those fair eyes,Of which Love made the springes to ensnare me.
And as I turned me round, and mine were touchedBy that which is apparent in that volume,Whenever on its gyre we gaze intent,
A point beheld I, that was raying outLight so acute, the sight which it enkindlesMust close perforce before such great acuteness.
And whatsoever star seems smallest hereWould seem to be a moon, if placed beside it.As one star with another star is placed.
Perhaps at such a distance as appearsA halo cincturing the light that paints it,When densest is the vapour that sustains it,
Thus distant round the point a circle of fireSo swiftly whirled, that it would have surpassedWhatever motion soonest girds the world;
And this was by another circumcinct,That by a third, the third then by a fourth,By a fifth the fourth, and then by a sixth the fifth;
The seventh followed thereupon in widthSo ample now, that Juno’s messengerEntire would be too narrow to contain it.
Even so the eighth and ninth; and every oneMore slowly moved, according as it wasIn number distant farther from the first.
And that one had its flame most crystallineFrom which less distant was the stainless spark,I think because more with its truth imbued.
My Lady, who in my anxietyBeheld me much perplexed, said: “From that pointDependent is the heaven and nature all.
Behold that circle most conjoined to it,And know thou, that its motion is so swiftThrough burning love whereby it is spurred on.”
And I to her: “If the world were arrangedIn the order which I see in yonder wheels,What’s set before me would have satisfied me;
But in the world of sense we can perceiveThat evermore the circles are divinerAs they are from the centre more remote
Wherefore if my desire is to be endedIn this miraculous and angelic temple,That has for confines only love and light,
To hear behoves me still how the exampleAnd the exemplar go not in one fashion,Since for myself in vain I contemplate it.”
“If thine own fingers unto such a knotBe insufficient, it is no great wonder,So hard hath it become for want of trying.”
My Lady thus; then said she: “Do thou takeWhat I shall tell thee, if thou wouldst be sated,And exercise on that thy subtlety.
The circles corporal are wide and narrowAccording to the more or less of virtueWhich is distributed through all their parts.
The greater goodness works the greater weal,The greater weal the greater body holds,If perfect equally are all its parts.
Therefore this one which sweeps along with itThe universe sublime, doth correspondUnto the circle which most loves and knows.
On which account, if thou unto the virtueApply thy measure, not to the appearanceOf substances that unto thee seem round,
Thou wilt behold a marvellous agreement,Of more to greater, and of less to smaller,In every heaven, with its Intelligence.”
Even as remaineth splendid and sereneThe hemisphere of air, when BoreasIs blowing from that cheek where he is mildest,
Because is purified and resolved the rackThat erst disturbed it, till the welkin laughsWith all the beauties of its pageantry;
Thus did I likewise, after that my LadyHad me provided with her clear response,And like a star in heaven the truth was seen.
And soon as to a stop her words had come,Not otherwise does iron scintillateWhen molten, than those circles scintillated.
Their coruscation all the sparks repeated,And they so many were, their number makesMore millions than the doubling of the chess.
I heard them sing hosanna choir by choirTo the fixed point which holds them at the ‘Ubi,’And ever will, where they have ever been.
And she, who saw the dubious meditationsWithin my mind, “The primal circles,” said,“Have shown thee Seraphim and Cherubim.
Thus rapidly they follow their own bonds,To be as like the point as most they can,And can as far as they are high in vision.
Those other Loves, that round about them go,Thrones of the countenance divine are called,Because they terminate the primal Triad.
And thou shouldst know that they all have delightAs much as their own vision penetratesThe Truth, in which all intellect finds rest.
From this it may be seen how blessednessIs founded in the faculty which sees,And not in that which loves, and follows next;
And of this seeing merit is the measure,Which is brought forth by grace, and by good will;Thus on from grade to grade doth it proceed.
The second Triad, which is germinatingIn such wise in this sempiternal spring,That no nocturnal Aries despoils,
Perpetually hosanna warbles forthWith threefold melody, that sounds in threeOrders of joy, with which it is intrined.
The three Divine are in this hierarchy,First the Dominions, and the Virtues next;And the third order is that of the Powers.
Then in the dances twain penultimateThe Principalities and Archangels wheel;The last is wholly of angelic sports.
These orders upward all of them are gazing,And downward so prevail, that unto GodThey all attracted are and all attract.
And Dionysius with so great desireTo contemplate these Orders set himself,He named them and distinguished them as I do.
But Gregory afterwards dissented from him;Wherefore, as soon as he unclosed his eyesWithin this heaven, he at himself did smile.
And if so much of secret truth a mortalProffered on earth, I would not have thee marvel,For he who saw it here revealed it to him,
With much more of the truth about these circles.”