Paradiso (6 page)

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Authors: Dante

BOOK: Paradiso
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The innate and never-ending thirst for God   

               
in His own kingdom drew us up,

21
           
almost as swiftly as you know the heavens turn.   

               
Beatrice was gazing upward, my gaze fixed on her,

               
when, perhaps as quickly as a bolt strikes,   

24
           
flies, and releases from its catch,

               
suddenly I found myself there

               
where my eyes were drawn to an astounding sight.

27
           
And she, from whom my thoughts could not be kept

               
turned to me, as full of joy as she was fair,

               
to say: ‘Direct your grateful mind to God,

30
           
who has conjoined us with the nearest star.’   

               
It seemed to me that we were in a cloud,   

               
shining, dense, solid, and unmarred,   

33
           
like a diamond struck by sunlight.

               
The eternal pearl received us in itself,

               
as water does a ray of light

36
           
and yet remains unsundered and serene.

               
If I was there in flesh—on earth we can’t conceive   

               
how matter may admit another matter to it,

39
           
when body flows into, becomes another body—   

               
that, all the more, should kindle our desire

               
to see the very One who lets us see

42
           
the way our nature was conjoined with God.

               
What now we take on faith will then be seen,

               
not demonstrated but made manifest,

45
           
like
a priori
truths, which we accept.

               
I replied: ‘My Lady, with absolute devotion   

               
I offer thanks to Him

48
           
who has removed me from the world of death.

               
‘But tell me, what are the dark spots

               
on this body that make those down on earth

51
           
repeat their preposterous tales of Cain?’   

               
She smiled a little, then: ‘If the understanding   

               
of mortals errs,’ she said, ‘there where the key

54
           
of the senses fails in its unlocking,

               
‘surely the shafts of wonder should no longer

               
strike you, since you see that, dependent

57
           
on the senses, reason’s wings fall short.

               
‘But tell me what you make of this yourself.’   

               
And I: ‘The different shadings here   

60
           
are caused, I think, by bodies rare or dense.’

               
And she: ‘No doubt but you shall see that this belief   

               
lies deep in error—if you consider well

63
           
the arguments that I shall lodge against it.

               
‘The eighth sphere shows you many lights,   

   

               
which, both in magnitude and luminosity,

66
           
may be seen as having different aspects.

               
‘If this were caused by
rare
and
dense
alone,

               
a single power would be in them all:

69
           
here more, there less—or equally.

               
‘Different powers must be the fruit resulting from

               
formative principles, but these, except for one,

72
           
according to your reasoning, would be annulled.

               
‘What is more, if that dark of which you ask   

   

               
had rareness as its cause, this planet

75
           
would be lacking matter in some parts,

               
‘or else, just as fat and lean

               
alternate in mass upon a body, this planet

78
           
would alternate the pages of its volume.

               
Were the first case true, this would be shown

               
in the sun’s eclipse, when light showed through,

81
           
as when it shines through any rarer medium.

               
‘But such is not the case: therefore, let us consider

               
your other argument and, if I show it to be false,   

84
           
then your opinion will be proven wrong.

               
‘If this rarer substance does not go all the way,

               
there must be a point at which its denser opposite

87
           
would not allow the light to pass on through

               
‘and thus a ray of light would be thrown back

               
just as color is reflected from the glass

90
           
by the hidden layer of lead that lies beneath.

               
‘Now, you will object, the ray shows dark there   

               
more than in the other parts

93
           
because it is reflected from a farther source.

               
‘From this objection, an experiment—   

               
should you ever try it—may set you free, experiment,

96
           
the source that feeds the streams of all your arts.

               
‘Take three mirrors, placing two at equal distance

               
from you, letting the third, from farther off,

99
           
also meet your eyes, between the other two.

               
‘Still turned to them, have someone set,

               
well back of you, a light that, shining out,

102
         
returns as bright reflection from all three.

               
‘Although the light seen farthest off

               
seems smaller in its size, still you will observe

105
         
that it must shine with equal brightness.

               
‘Now, as the substantial form of snow,   

               
if struck by warming rays, is then deprived

108
         
both of its former color and its cold,

               
‘I shall now reshape your intellect,

               
thus deprived, with a light so vibrant

111
         
that your mind will quiver at the sight.

               
‘Beneath the heaven of divine repose   

               
revolves a body in whose power resides

114
         
the being of all things contained in it.

               
‘The next heaven, which holds so many sights,   

               
distributes its being among various forms,

117
         
contained in it and yet distinct from it.

               
‘All the other spheres, in varying ways,   

               
direct their distinctive qualities

120
         
to their own purposes and influence.

               
‘Thus do these organs of the universe proceed,   

               
as now you see, step by step,

123
         
rendering below what they take from above.

               
‘Observe well how I pass along this way   

               
to the truth you seek, so that in time

126
         
you may know how to ford the stream alone.

               
‘The motion and the power of the holy wheels   

               
must be derived from the blessèd movers,

129
         
as the work of the hammer from the smith.

               
‘And the heaven made fair by all these lights   

               
takes its stamp from the intellect that makes it turn,

132
         
making of itself the very seal of that imprinting.

               
‘And as the soul within your dust   

               
is distributed through the different members,

135
         
conforming to their various faculties,

               
‘so angelic intelligence unfolds its bounty,

               
multiplied down through the stars,

138
         
while revolving in its separate oneness.

               
‘Each differentiated power makes a different alloy   

               
with each precious body that it quickens,

141
         
with which, even as does life in you, it binds.

               
‘From the joyous nature whence it springs,   

               
the mingled potency shines through its star,

144
         
as joy shines in the living pupil of an eye.

               
‘From this power is derived the difference seen   

               
from light to light, and not from dense and rare.

               
This is the formative principle that creates,

148
         
according to its worth, the dark and bright.’

OUTLINE: PARADISO III

MOON (continues)

1–9
   
Dante’s intellect corrected (about the moonspots)
1–9
   
Dante would confess his error and newfound certitude, but he is distracted by a presence
10–24
   
souls in the Moon
10–18
   
simile: image in Moon and reflection on mirror or water
19–24
   
Dante as counter-
Narcissus,
looking away
25–33
   
Beatrice’s smiling reproof and correction
25–27
   
silly fellow, looking into vacancy,
28–33
   
these are real beings; speak to them
34–41
   
Dante focuses on questioning
Piccarda:
34–41
   
(a) who are you? (b) what is your condition?
42–57
   
Piccarda’s responses
42–45
   
our charity conforms to such a wish as yours
46–51
   
(a) I am the nun Piccarda
52–57
   
(b) with cause are we low in celestial rank
58–66
   
Dante’s reaction and follow-up question
58–63
   
your words allow me to recognize you
64–66
   
don’t you long to be higher in the heavens?
67–87
   
Piccarda’s response
67–87
   
our will is His will
88–96
   
Dante returns to his first question
88–90
   
Dante understands Piccarda’s precision
91–96
   
simile: Dante wants to order a second course
97–108
   
Piccarda’s response
97–108
   
Piccarda narrates her vocation and dereliction
109–120
   
Piccarda tells of
Costanza
109–120
   
she never gave up her will to be a nun
121–130
   
Piccarda withdraws
121–125
   
Dante follows the sight of her as long as he can,
126–130
   
then turns back to Beatrice, whose splendor quiets his questioning.

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