Dante's Paradise In Plain and Simple English (Digital Download)
Buy Paradise In Plain and Simple English Now! Do you need to understand Dante's Paradise and want something more interactive? Try our free app, SwipeSpeare! Excerpt From Paradise I n Plain and Simple English Canto I The glory of Him who moveth everything Doth penetrate the universe, and shine In one part more and in another less. The glory of the one who rules everythingRuns through the universe, shining more inSome parts than in others. Within that heaven which most his light receives Was I, and things beheld which to repeat Nor knows, nor can, who from above descends; I was in heaven which receivesMore of his light then elsewhere, and saw thingsThat one who comes down from there either forgets or cannot describe; Because in drawing near to its desire Our intellect ingulphs itself so far, That after it the memory cannot go. Because when it comes near to its desire,Our intellect sinks down so lowThat the memory cannot follow it. Truly whatever of the holy realm I had the power to treasure in my mind Shall now become the subject of my song. But whatever memories of heavenI have managed to keep in my mindWill now become the basis of my song. O good Apollo, for this last emprise Make of me such a vessel of thy power As giving the beloved laurel asks! Oh good Apollo, for this final taskGive me the power of poetryWhich you are able to bestow! One summit of Parnassus hitherto Has been enough for me, but now with both I needs must enter the arena left. One peak of Parnassus has up till nowBeen enough for me, but now I mustUse both, as I face this challenge. Enter into my bosom, thou, and breathe As at the time when Marsyas thou didst draw Out of the scabbard of those limbs of his. Come in to my heart, and breatheAs you did when you drewMarsyas out of his body. O power divine, lend'st thou thyself to me So that the shadow of the blessed realm Stamped in my brain I can make manifest, O divine power, send me your skillsSo that I can describe what littleOf that sacred place I can remember, Thou'lt see me come unto thy darling tree, And crown myself thereafter with those leaves Of which the theme and thou shall make me worthy. And you will see me coming to that tree you love,Crowning myself with those leavesWhich you and my subject will make me deserve. So seldom, Father, do we gather them For triumph or of Caesar or of Poet, (The fault and shame of human inclinations,) So seldom, father, do we make the wreathesTo celebrate a ruler or a poet,Which shows the weakness of humans, That the Peneian foliage should bring forth Joy to the joyous Delphic deity, When any one it makes to thirst for it. That when someone actively desiresTo win them for themselvesIt must make the god of Delphi happy. A little spark is followed by great flame; Perchance with better voices after me Shall prayer be made that Cyrrha may respond! Little sparks create great flames;Maybe better poets than meWill make prayers to the god of Cyrrah! To mortal men by passages diverse Uprises the world's lamp; but by that one Which circles four uniteth with three crosses, The lamp of the world comes to mortal menThrough different ways, but on the path which joinsFour circles with three crosses, With better course and with a better star Conjoined it issues, and the mundane wax Tempers and stamps more after its own fashion. It joins a better path and a betterConstellation, and it can shape the dull waxOf the world to look more like itself. Almost that passage had made morning there And evening here, and there was wholly white That hemisphere, and black the other part, In its journey it had almost madeMorning there and evening here, and the wholeHemisphere was white, with the other half black, When Beatrice towards the left-hand side I saw turned round, and gazing at the sun; Never did eagle fasten so upon it! When I saw Beatrice turningTo her left hand side, and staring at the sun;No eagle ever stared so steadily! And even as a second ray is wont To issue from the first and reascend, Like to a pilgrim who would fain return, Just as a second ray will come fromThe first and rebound,Like a pilgrim coming home, Thus of her action, through the eyes infused In my imagination, mine I made, And sunward fixed mine eyes beyond our wont. So I copied what sheWas doing, and set my eyesOn the sun more than one usually would. There much is lawful which is here unlawful Unto our powers, by virtue of the place Made for the human species as its own. We can do more things there which weDo not have the power to do on Earth, because the placeWas made to be the natural habitat of mankind. Not long I bore it, nor so little while But I beheld it sparkle round about Like iron that comes molten from the fire; I could not stand it for long, but not so brieflyThat I didn't see it sparklingLike iron coming up from the fire; And suddenly it seemed that day to day Was added, as if He who has the power Had with another sun the heaven adorned. And suddenly the day seemed doubly bright,As if the one who has the powerHad added another sun to the heavens. With eyes upon the everlasting wheels Stood Beatrice all intent, and I, on her Fixing my vision from above removed, Beatrice stood with her eyes fixedOn the eternal motions of the planets, and ILooked down from the heavens and looked at her, Such at her aspect inwardly became As Glaucus, tasting of the herb that made him Peer of the other gods beneath the sea. In such a way that I was changed inThe same way as Glaucus was, when he tasted that herb thatMade him an equal of the other gods beneath the sea. To represent transhumanise in words Impossible were; the example, then, suffice Him for whom Grace the experience reserves. To describe becoming more than humanIs impossible; let the example be enoughUntil Grace gives you the experience for yourself. If I was merely what of me thou newly Createdst, Love who governest the heaven, Thou knowest, who didst lift me with thy light! If I was only what you newlyMade of me, love which rules over heaven,Only you know, who lifted me with your light! When now the wheel, which thou dost make eternal Desiring thee, made me attentive to it By harmony thou dost modulate and measure, When that wheel, which you make eternalThrough its desire for you, drew my attention,Through the harmony which you control, Then seemed to me so much of heaven enkindled By the sun's flame, that neither rain nor river E'er made a lake so widely spread abroad. Then it seemed to me so much of heaven was lit upBy the light of the sun, that neither rain nor riversHad ever made such a spreading lake. The newness of the sound and the great light Kindled in me a longing for their cause, Never before with such acuteness felt; That new sound and shining lightMade me long to know what had caused themWith a longing I had never felt so sharply before; Whence she, who saw me as I saw myself, To quiet in me my perturbed mind, Opened her mouth, ere I did mine to ask, And she, who knew me as well as I know myself,Opened her mouth to speak, to calm myDisturbed mind, before I asked any questions, And she began: "Thou makest thyself so dull With false imagining, that thou seest not What thou wouldst see if thou hadst shaken it off. And she began, “Your false imaginationHas clouded your wits so much that you cannot seeWhat you could see if you looked properly. Thou art not upon earth, as thou believest; But lightning, fleeing its appropriate site, Ne'er ran as thou, who thitherward returnest." You are not on earth, as you believe;But lightning, flying from its home,Is slower than the way you are rushing back." If of my former doubt I was divested By these brief little words more smiled than spoken, I in a new one was the more ensnared; If I lost my previous doubtsFrom those brief words she smiled at me,I then became wrapped up in a new one; And said: "Already did I rest content From great amazement; but am now amazed In what way I transcend these bodies light." I said, “I was already satisfied after seeingAnd those wonders; but now I am baffledAs to how I can rise above these light bodies." Whereupon she, after a pitying sigh, Her eyes directed tow'rds me with that look A mother casts on a delirious child; At that she, after giving a sigh of pity,Looked towards me as aMother looks at a raving child; And she began: "All things whate'er they be Have order among themselves, and this is form, That makes the universe resemble God. And she began, “All things, whatever they are,Have an order of their own, and this orderIs what makes the universe looks like God. Here do the higher creatures see the footprints Of the Eternal Power, which is the end Whereto is made the law already mentioned. Here the higher beings see the footprintsOf the Eternal Power, which is what that orderIs designed to assist. In the order that I speak of are inclined All natures, by their destinies diverse, More or less near unto their origin; In the order of which I speak eachThing has a destiny it must followCloser or further away from its origins; Hence they move onward unto ports diverse O'er the great sea of being; and each one With instinct given it which bears it on. And from there they move to different placesAround the great ocean of life; and each oneHas been given the impulse to keep moving on. This bears away the fire towards the moon; This is in mortal hearts the motive power This binds together and unites the earth. This is what takes fire up to the moon;This is what motivates mortal creatures,And what holds the whole earth together. Nor only the created things that are Without intelligence this bow shoots forth, But those that have both intellect and love. Not only does this creation make creaturesThat do not have intelligence, but also thoseWho have an intellect and the capability of love. The Providence that regulates all this Makes with its light the heaven forever quiet, Wherein that turns which has the greatest haste. The Ruler who ordains all thisUses its light to make the heavens eternally quiet,Where the planets spin at their fastest. And thither now, as to a site decreed, Bears us away the virtue of that cord Which aims its arrows at a joyous mark. And that is where, as is our destiny,We are now going, through the power of heavenWhich always sends us happiness. True is it, that as oftentimes the form Accords not with the intention of the art, Because in answering is matter deaf, It is true that, just as sometimesA shape may not reflect the intention of the artist,Because the material is unresponsive to his touch, So likewise from this course doth deviate Sometimes the creature, who the power possesses, Though thus impelled, to swerve some other way, So sometimes the creature who has the powerWill move away from this pathwayTo go in some other direction, (In the same wise as one may see the fire Fall from a cloud,) if the first impetus Earthward is wrested by some false delight. (In the same way in which one can see fireFalling from a cloud) if he is distractedAnd enticed to earth by some false pleasure. Thou shouldst not wonder more, if well I judge, At thine ascent, than at a rivulet From some high mount descending to the lowland. If I'm correct you should be no more astonishedBy your going upwards than you would be that aLittle stream ran down from a high mountain to the plains. Marvel it would be in thee, if deprived Of hindrance, thou wert seated down below, As if on earth the living fire were quiet." Thereat she heavenward turned again her face. It would be as astonishing if, unencumbered,You remained seated down below as ifA living flame on earth did not move." With that she turned her face back to the heaven. Canto II O Ye, who in some pretty little boat, Eager to listen, have been following Behind my ship, that singing sails along, Oh you, who in some pretty little boat,Keen to listen, have been followingBehind my ship, that sings as it sails along, Turn back to look again upon your shores; Do not put out to sea, lest peradventure, In losing me, you might yourselves be lost. Turn back and look at your native shore;Do not follow me, in case you lose sightOf me, and become lost yourselves. The sea I sail has never yet been passed; Minerva breathes, and pilots me Apollo, And Muses nine point out to me the Bears. The sea I'm sailing on has never been crossed before;Minerva blows me, Apollo is my helmsman,And the nine Muses show me the guiding stars. Ye other few who have the neck uplifted Betimes to th' bread of Angels upon which One liveth here and grows not sated by it, You are the few who have sometimes lookedUp to see the bread of angels on whichPeople live here, though it makes them hungry for more, Well may you launch upon the deep salt-sea Your vessel, keeping still my wake before you Upon the water that grows smooth again. You can certainly launch your shipOut on this deep sea, tracking my wakeOn the water that grows smooth behind me. Those glorious ones who unto Colchos passed Were not so wonder-struck as you shall be, When Jason they beheld a ploughman made! Those glorious men who crossed to ColchosWere amazed when they saw Jason turned into a ploughman,But that's nothing to how amazed you will be! The con-created and perpetual thirst For the realm deiform did bear us on, As swift almost as ye the heavens behold. The first created and eternal thirstFor the kingdom of heaven drove us on,As quickly as the heavens you see orbiting. Upward gazed Beatrice, and I at her; And in such space perchance as strikes a bolt And flies, and from the notch unlocks itself, Beatrice gazed upwards, and I gazed at her;And in the time it takes forAn arrow to fly from the bow, Arrived I saw me where a wondrous thing Drew to itself my sight; and therefore she From whom no care of mine could be concealed, I arrived where I saw an astonishing thingIn front of me; and seeing it she,From whom I could hide none of my thoughts, Towards me turning, blithe as beautiful, Said unto me: "Fix gratefully thy mind On God, who unto the first star has brought us." Turned towards me, as joyful as she was beautiful,And said, “Think with gratitudeOf God, who has brought us to the first star." It seemed to me a cloud encompassed us, Luminous, dense, consolidate and bright As adamant on which the sun is striking. It seemed to me that a cloud wrapped round us,Luminous, dense, solid and as brightAs a diamond shining in the sun. Into itself did the eternal pearl Receive us, even as water doth receive A ray of light, remaining still unbroken. The eternal pearl welcomed us inside itself,Just as water can welcomeA ray of light, without being broken. If I was body, (and we here conceive not How one dimension tolerates another, Which needs must be if body enter body,) If I had a body (and here on earth we cannotUnderstand how different things can shareThe same space, with bodies entering bodies) More the desire should be enkindled in us That essence to behold, wherein is seen How God and our own nature were united. Then we would have an even greater longingTo look at the essential matter, where we can seeGod and our own nature united as one. There will be seen what we receive by faith, Not demonstrated, but self-evident In guise of the first truth that man believes. There we will see what we believe in,Not demonstrated but open and obvious,Just like the first truth a man accepts. I made reply: "Madonna, as devoutly As most I can do I give thanks to Him Who has removed me from the mortal world. I answered, “Lady, I give thanks to HimWho has taken me out of the mortal worldWith all the devotion I can muster. But tell me what the dusky spots may be Upon this body, which below on earth Make people tell that fabulous tale of Cain?" But tell me what these dark spots might beOn this planet, which make men down on EarthTell that extraordinary story about Cain?" Somewhat she smiled; and then, "If the opinion Of mortals be erroneous," she said, "Where'er the key of sense doth not unlock, She smiled a little, and replied, “If men'sIdeas are wrong, whenever they cannotSee the truth through their senses, Certes, the shafts of wonder should not pierce thee Now, forasmuch as, following the senses, Thou seest that the reason has short wings. You should certainly not be amazed now,When you see that even when the sensesSupport reason, it does not always answer. But tell me what thou think'st of it thyself." And I: "What seems to us up here diverse, Is caused, I think, by bodies rare and dense." But tell me what you think of it."I replied, “What seems light up here to us,I think is actually made of very heavy material." And she: "Right truly shalt thou see immersed In error thy belief, if well thou hearest The argument that I shall make against it. She replied, “You shall see justHow wrong you are, if you listen carefullyTo my correction. Lights many the eighth sphere displays to you Which in their quality and quantity May noted be of aspects different. The eighth sphere shows you many lightsWhich you can see differ from each otherIn quality and in size. If this were caused by rare and dense alone, One only virtue would there be in all Or more or less diffused, or equally. If this were caused just by a singleDense material, they would allLook just the same. Virtues diverse must be perforce the fruits Of formal principles; and these, save one, Of course would by thy reasoning be destroyed. Their different powers must necessarilySpring from different scientific bases;By your logic there would be only one. Besides, if rarity were of this dimness The cause thou askest, either through and through This planet thus attenuate were of matter, Besides, if that rare material causedThose dark spots you ask about,Then this planet would be transparent, Or else, as in a body is apportioned The fat and lean, so in like manner this Would in its volume interchange the leaves. Or otherwise, just as in our bodiesWe have fat and thin, so thisWould alternate its matter like pages in a book. Were it the former, in the sun's eclipse It would be manifest by the shining through Of light, as through aught tenuous interfused. If the first were correct, in an eclipseOf the sun the light would shine through,As it does when it encounters thin matter. This is not so; hence we must scan the other, And if it chance the other I demolish, Then falsified will thy opinion be. This does not happen; so we must examine the otherTheory, and if I can refute that as well,Then your opinion will be shown to be false. But if this rarity go not through and through, There needs must be a limit, beyond which Its contrary prevents the further passing, If the moon is not transparent all the way through,There must be a place where its thicknessDoes not allow the light to pass any further, And thence the foreign radiance is reflected, Even as a colour cometh back from glass, The which behind itself concealeth lead. And the light of the sun would be reflected,Just as a ray of coloured light comes backFrom glass when it has a lead coating on its back. Now thou wilt say the sunbeam shows itself More dimly there than in the other parts, By being there reflected farther back. Now you will say that the sunbeamShows itself more dimly there than in other spots,Because it is reflected from farther back. From this reply experiment will free thee If e'er thou try it, which is wont to be The fountain to the rivers of your arts. You can disprove this byMaking an experiment, which is the wayYour science usually works. Three mirrors shalt thou take, and two remove Alike from thee, the other more remote Between the former two shall meet thine eyes. Take three mirrors, and place two at anEqual distance from you, and the otherBetween the two of them but farther away. Turned towards these, cause that behind thy back Be placed a light, illuming the three mirrors And coming back to thee by all reflected. Face them, and have a lightPlaced behind you, shining in each mirrorAnd being reflected back to you by all of them. Though in its quantity be not so ample The image most remote, there shalt thou see How it perforce is equally resplendent. Then you will see that the farthest mirror,Although it will not seem as large, willShine just as brightly. Now, as beneath the touches of warm rays Naked the subject of the snow remains Both of its former colour and its cold, Now, just as the lower layersOf snow are stripped of their colour and coldBy the warm rays of the sun, Thee thus remaining in thy intellect, Will I inform with such a living light, That it shall tremble in its aspect to thee. So your mind has been stripped of its error,And I will show you a light which is so aliveThat you will perceive it trembling in your sight. Within the heaven of the divine repose Revolves a body, in whose virtue lies The being of whatever it contains. Within the heaven of divine peaceThere spins a star, whose powerEncompasses all things. The following heaven, that has so many eyes, Divides this being by essences diverse, Distinguished from it, and by it contained. The following star, that sees so much,Divides this power into different types,Separate stars, but all within it. The other spheres, by various differences, All the distinctions which they have within them Dispose unto their ends and their effects. The other stars, in different ways,Use the powers they have within themTo create different things and cause different effects. Thus do these organs of the world proceed, As thou perceivest now, from grade to grade; Since from above they take, and act beneath. This is how these elements of the universeMove, as you can now see, from place to place;They take power from above, and act on things below. Observe me well, how through this place I come Unto the truth thou wishest, that hereafter Thou mayst alone know how to keep the ford Now observe carefully how I revealThe truth you ask for, so that from now onYou can know how to reach it yourself. The power and motion of the holy spheres, As from the artisan the hammer's craft, Forth from the blessed motors must proceed. The power and motion of the holy starsMust be moved by heavenly work,Just as the blacksmith moves his hammer. The heaven, which lights so manifold make fair, From the Intelligence profound, which turns it, The image takes, and makes of it a seal. Heaven receives its multitudinous beautiful lightFrom the eternal intelligence, which makes it turn,And creates its own impression from the image. And even as the soul within your dust Through members different and accommodated To faculties diverse expands itself, Just as your soul isSpread throughout different organsOf your body, doing different things, So likewise this Intelligence diffuses Its virtue multiplied among the stars. Itself revolving on its unity. So this intelligence spreadsIts powers throughout the stars,Although it remains a single entity. Virtue diverse doth a diverse alloyage Make with the precious body that it quickens, In which, as life in you, it is combined. Different powers make different things,Just as it makes life in youWhich can do different things. From the glad nature whence it is derived, The mingled virtue through the body shines, Even as gladness through the living pupil. Due to the happy nature from which it comes,The Power mixed with light shines in the body,Like happiness shining through a living eye. From this proceeds whate'er from light to light Appeareth different, not from dense and rare: This is the formal principle that produces, According to its goodness, dark and bright." It is from this, not from differences in materialsFor their thicknesses, that the differences in lightAppear; this is the scientific principle which produces Darkness and brightness, according to its goodness." Canto III That Sun, which erst with love my bosom warmed, Of beauteous truth had unto me discovered, By proving and reproving, the sweet aspect. The sun, which had first filled my heart with love,Had revealed a beautiful truth to me,Showing its loveliness in its sweet face. And, that I might confess myself convinced And confident, so far as was befitting, I lifted more erect my head to speak. And, so that I could show that I wasConvinced of its truth, I lifted my headUp as far as was suitable for me to speak. But there appeared a vision, which withdrew me So close to it, in order to be seen, That my confession I remembered not. But a vision appeared, which caught myAttention in such a tight gripThat I forgot what I was about to admit. Such as through polished and transparent glass, Or waters crystalline and undisturbed, But not so deep as that their bed be lost, Just as through polished clear glass,Or crystal calm waters,Not so deep that the bottom vanishes, Come back again the outlines of our faces So feeble, that a pearl on forehead white Comes not less speedily unto our eyes; Our faces are reflectedSo faintly we can only see them as clearlyAs we see a pearl on a white forehead; Such saw I many faces prompt to speak, So that I ran in error opposite To that which kindled love 'twixt man and fountain. I saw many faces like this, keen to speak,So I made the opposite sort of errorTo the man who loved the image in the pool. As soon as I became aware of them, Esteeming them as mirrored semblances, To see of whom they were, mine eyes I turned, As soon as I became aware of them,I thought that they were reflections,So I turned round to see them, And nothing saw, and once more turned them forward Direct into the light of my sweet Guide, Who smiling kindled in her holy eyes. And I saw nothing, and turned backTo look in the face of my sweet Guide,Who smiled warmly with her holy eyes. "Marvel thou not," she said to me, "because I smile at this thy puerile conceit, Since on the truth it trusts not yet its foot, “Don't be astonished," she said to me, “ifI smile at your childish understanding,Since you do not yet comprehend the truth, But turns thee, as 'tis wont, on emptiness. True substances are these which thou beholdest, Here relegate for breaking of some vow. As usual you turn to empty things.The things you can see are real,Sent here for breaking some vow. Therefore speak with them, listen and believe; For the true light, which giveth peace to them, Permits them not to turn from it their feet." So speak to them, listen and believe what they say;For the true light, which brings them peace,Will not allow them to be untruthful." And I unto the shade that seemed most wishful To speak directed me, and I began, As one whom too great eagerness bewilders: So I turned to the spirit that seemed keenestTo speak to me, and I began,Like a man bewildered by his overwhelming desire: "O well-created spirit, who in the rays Of life eternal dost the sweetness taste Which being untasted ne'er is comprehended, “Well made spirit, who in the lightOf eternal life tastes the sweetnessWhich cannot be understood until it is tasted, Grateful 'twill be to me, if thou content me Both with thy name and with your destiny." Whereat she promptly and with laughing eyes: I would be grateful if you could satisfy meBy telling me your name and why you are here."She immediately answered, with laughing eyes, "Our charity doth never shut the doors Against a just desire, except as one Who wills that all her court be like herself. “Our kindness means we will never rejectA proper request, for our loveDemands that we all follow it. I was a virgin sister in the world; And if thy mind doth contemplate me well, The being more fair will not conceal me from thee, I was a virgin nun on earth;And if you think carefully,My enhanced beauty will not disguise me, But thou shalt recognise I am Piccarda, Who, stationed here among these other blessed, Myself am blessed in the slowest sphere. But you will recognise that I am Piccarda,Who, placed here with these other blessed women,Am myself blessed in being on this slowest star. All our affections, that alone inflamed Are in the pleasure of the Holy Ghost, Rejoice at being of his order formed; Our affections, which are dedicatedTo delighting in the Holy Ghost,Rejoice at following his orders; And this allotment, which appears so low, Therefore is given us, because our vows Have been neglected and in some part void." And we have been given this lowly stationBecause we have neglected our vowsAnd failed completely to fulfil them." Whence I to her: "In your miraculous aspects There shines I know not what of the divine, Which doth transform you from our first conceptions. I said to her, “In your miraculous appearanceI can see some incomprehensible divinity,Which makes you look very different. Therefore I was not swift in my remembrance; But what thou tellest me now aids me so, That the refiguring is easier to me. That's why I was slow to remember you;But what you're now telling me helps me,So that I can now see you more clearly. But tell me, ye who in this place are happy, Are you desirous of a higher place, To see more or to make yourselves more friends?" But tell me, you who are happy in this place,Do you wish to rise up higher,To see more or to gain more friends?" First with those other shades she smiled a little; Thereafter answered me so full of gladness, She seemed to burn in the first fire of love: At first she and her fellow spirits smiled a little;Then she answered me with such gladnessIt was as if she was burning with original love. "Brother, our will is quieted by virtue Of charity, that makes us wish alone For what we have, nor gives us thirst for more. “Brother, the power of love calms our desiresAnd makes us wish only forWhat we have, and not thirst for more. If to be more exalted we aspired, Discordant would our aspirations be Unto the will of Him who here secludes us; If we wished to rise up higher,Our desires would clash withThe orders of the One who has placed us here; Which thou shalt see finds no place in these circles, If being in charity is needful here, And if thou lookest well into its nature; You will see no such discord here,We who live here have to live in love,And if you think carefully about the nature of love; Nay, 'tis essential to this blest existence To keep itself within the will divine, Whereby our very wishes are made one; It is essential for our blessed existenceTo keep obeying the will of God,And our desires are the same as the rest; So that, as we are station above station Throughout this realm, to all the realm 'tis pleasing, As to the King, who makes his will our will. So that, wherever we are placedThroughout this kingdom, everyone is happy,For it pleases the King, who rules over everything. And his will is our peace; this is the sea To which is moving onward whatsoever It doth create, and all that nature makes." His desire gives us peace; He rules overThe sea which moves onwards with all of natureWithin it, and everything that is created." Then it was clear to me how everywhere In heaven is Paradise, although the grace Of good supreme there rain not in one measure. Then it became clear to me how everywhereIn heaven is Paradise, even thoughNot every place is equally blessed. But as it comes to pass, if one food sates, And for another still remains the longing, We ask for this, and that decline with thanks, But just as one can have enough of one food,But still be hungry for another,Asking for one thing, rejecting another with thanks, E'en thus did I; with gesture and with word, To learn from her what was the web wherein She did not ply the shuttle to the end. That was how I was; through gestures and wordsI asked her what it wasWhich she had not managed to attain. "A perfect life and merit high in-heaven A lady o'er us," said she, "by whose rule Down in your world they vest and veil themselves, “I did not live a perfect life and copyThe lady up in heaven, whose rule is followedIn your world by those who cover themselves and wear veils, That until death they may both watch and sleep Beside that Spouse who every vow accepts Which charity conformeth to his pleasure. So that until they die they live and sleepNext to that husband who accepts every vowWhich is made to Him with love. To follow her, in girlhood from the world I fled, and in her habit shut myself, And pledged me to the pathway of her sect. In order to follow her, I left the worldWhen I was a girl, and dressed myself in her clothes,And pledged to follow the rules of her order. Then men accustomed unto evil more Than unto good, from the sweet cloister tore me; God knows what afterward my life became. Then men who are more used to being evilThan to being good pulled me from the sweet cloister;God knows what my life became after that. This other splendour, which to thee reveals Itself on my right side, and is enkindled With all the illumination of our sphere, This other radiance, which you can seeOn my right hand side, and is fullOf all the light which fills our heaven, What of myself I say applies to her; A nun was she, and likewise from her head Was ta'en the shadow of the sacred wimple. What I say about myself also applies to her;She was a nun, and in the same way the sacred wimpleWas torn away from her head. But when she too was to the world returned Against her wishes and against good usage, Of the heart's veil she never was divested. But when she was thrown back into the worldAgainst her wishes and with force,She never lost the veil over her heart. Of great Costanza this is the effulgence, Who from the second wind of Suabia Brought forth the third and latest puissance." This is the light of great Costanza,Who became married to BarbarossaAnd gave birth to its most recent ruler." Thus unto me she spake, and then began "Ave Maria" singing, and in singing Vanished, as through deep water something heavy. So she spoke to me, and then beganTo sing “Ave Maria," and as she sangShe vanished, like something heavy falling into deep water. My sight, that followed her as long a time As it was possible, when it had lost her Turned round unto the mark of more desire, I looked after her for as longAs was possible, and when I could no longer see herI turned back to my greater desire, And wholly unto Beatrice reverted; But she such lightnings flashed into mine eyes, That at the first my sight endured it not; And this in questioning more backward made me. And focused completely upon Beatrice;But her brightness dazzled my eyes so muchThat at first my sight could not endure it; And that stopped me from questioning for the moment.
