After the lady who imparadises
my mind disclosed the truth that is unlike
the present life of miserable mortals,
4 then, just as one who sees a mirrored flame—
its double candle stands behind his back—
even before he thought of it or gazed
7 directly at it, and he turns to gauge →
if that glass tells the truth to him, and sees
that it accords, like voice and instrument,
10 so—does my memory recall—I did
after I looked into the lovely eyes →
of which Love made the noose that holds me tight.
13 And when I turned and my own eyes were met →
by what appears within that sphere whenever →
one looks intently at its revolution,
16 I saw a point that sent forth so acute →
a light, that anyone who faced the force
with which it blazed would have to shut his eyes,
19 and any star that, seen from earth, would seem
to be the smallest, set beside that point,
as star conjoined with star, would seem a moon.
22 Around that point a ring of fire wheeled, →
a ring perhaps as far from that point as
a halo from the star that colors it
25 when mist that forms the halo is most thick.
It wheeled so quickly that it would outstrip →
the motion that most swiftly girds the world.
28 That ring was circled by a second ring,
the second by a third, third by a fourth,
fourth by a fifth, and fifth ring by a sixth.
31 Beyond, the seventh ring, which followed, was →
so wide that all of Juno’s messenger
would be too narrow to contain that circle.
34 The eighth and ninth were wider still; and each,
even as greater distance lay between
it and the first ring, moved with lesser speed;
37 and, I believe, the ring with clearest flame →
was that which lay least far from the pure spark
because it shares most deeply that point’s truth.
40 My lady, who saw my perplexity—
I was in such suspense—said: “On that Point →
depend the heavens and the whole of nature.
43 Look at the circle that is nearest It, →
and know: its revolutions are so swift
because of burning love that urges it.”
46 And I to her: “If earth and the nine spheres →
were ordered like those rings, then I would be
content with what you have set out before me,
49 but in the world of sense, what one can see
are spheres becoming ever more divine
as they are set more distant from the center.
52 Thus, if my longing is to gain its end
in this amazing and angelic temple
that has, as boundaries, only love and light,
55 then I still have to hear just how the model
and copy do not share in one same plan—
for by myself I think on this in vain.”
58 “You need not wonder if your fingers are →
unable to undo that knot: no one
has tried, and so that knot is tightened, taut!”
61 my lady said, and then continued: “If
you would be satisfied, take what I tell you—
and let your mind be sharp as I explain.
64 The size of spheres of matter—large or small— →
depends upon the power—more and less—
that spreads throughout their parts. More excellence
67 yields greater blessedness; more blessedness
must comprehend a greater body when
that body’s parts are equally complete.
70 And thus this sphere, which sweeps along with it
the rest of all the universe, must match
the circle that loves most and knows the most,
73 so that, if you but draw your measure round
the power within—and not the semblance of—
the angels that appear to you as circles,
76 you will discern a wonderful accord
between each sphere and its Intelligence:
greater accords with more, smaller with less.”
79 Just as the hemisphere of air remains →
splendid, serene, when from his gentler cheek
Boreas blows and clears the scoriae,
82 dissolves the mist that had defaced the sky,
so that the heavens smile with loveliness
in all their regions; even so did I
85 become after my lady had supplied
her clear response to me, and—like a star
in heaven—truth was seen. And when her words
88 were done, even as incandescent iron →
will shower sparks, so did those circles sparkle;
and each spark circled with its flaming ring—
91 sparks that were more in number than the sum →
one reaches doubling in succession each
square of a chessboard, one to sixty-four.
94 I heard “Hosanna” sung, from choir to choir →
to that fixed Point which holds and always shall
hold them to where they have forever been.
97 And she who saw my mind’s perplexities →
said: “The first circles have displayed to you
the Seraphim and Cherubim. They follow
100 the ties of love with such rapidity
because they are as like the Point as creatures
can be, a power dependent on their vision.
103 Those other loves that circle round them are →
called Thrones of the divine aspect, because
they terminated the first group of three;
106 and know that all delight to the degree →
to which their vision sees—more or less deeply—
that truth in which all intellects find rest.
109 From this you see that blessedness depends
upon the act of vision, not upon
the act of love—which is a consequence;
112 the measure of their vision lies in merit, →
produced by grace and then by will to goodness:
and this is the progression, step by step.
115 The second triad—blossoming in this →
eternal springtime that the nightly Ram
does not despoil—perpetually sings
118 ‘Hosanna’ with three melodies that sound
in the three ranks of bliss that form this triad;
within this hierarchy there are three →
121 kinds of divinities: first, the Dominions,
and then the Virtues; and the final order
contains the Powers. The two penultimate →
124 groups of rejoicing ones within the next
triad are wheeling Principalities
and the Archangels; last, the playful Angels.
127 These orders all direct—ecstatically— →
their eyes on high; and downward, they exert
such force that all are drawn and draw to God.
130 And Dionysius, with much longing, set →
himself to contemplate these orders: he
named and distinguished them just as I do.
133 Though, later, Gregory disputed him, →
when Gregory came here—when he could see
with opened eyes—he smiled at his mistake.