Notes.
5 The sheepfold refers to Florence where
Dante was baptized (l. 10).
13 The light is Saint James, apostle and
brother of John. He questions the pilgrim on hope: its possession, nature, content, and
sources.
18 Santiago de Campostela in Galicia is still
a popular pilgrimage shrine.
29 Beatrice recalls the Epistle of Saint
James and his presence at the Transfiguration.
72 A reference again to the psalmist David.
Dante quotes Psalm 9.
91 The poet cites Isaiah 61:7 and 10. The
double garment symbolizes the glorious soul and body.
95 Saint John describes the multitude of the
elect clothed in white robes in Revelation 7:9.
101 Saint John’s presence turns night
into day.
112 John, the beloved disciple, reclined on
Jesus’ breast at the last supper (John 13:23). Christ is the Pelican that in legend
fed its young with blood from its own side.
114 Jesus on the cross
delegated John to take care of his mother in his place (John 19: 26-27).
124 Rumors circulated that
John would not die before Christ's return (John 21:20-23) and later that
John had been taken up to heaven body and soul. Dante discovers that the rumors are
baseless: only Jesus and Mary have their bodies "in the blessed
cloister" (l. 128).
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- If it
ever happens that this sacred poem
- To
which earth and heaven have so set their hands
- That
it has left me lean through these long years
-
-
Conquers the cruelty that keeps me from
- 5
The lovely sheepfold where I slept, a lamb,
- An
enemy to wolves that raided it,
-
- Now
with a different voice, with different fleece,
- I
shall return a poet, and be crowned
- At
the same font in which I was baptized,
-
- 10
For there I entered in the faith that makes
- Souls
known to God; and after, for its sake,
- Peter
wreathed three times around my forehead.
-
- Right
then a light sped toward us from the ring
- From
which had issued forth the same first-fruit
- 15
Of all the vicars whom Christ left on earth.
-
- At
that my lady, filled with happiness,
- Cried
out to me, "Look! look! And see the baron
- For
whose sake, down there, pilgrims seek Galicia."
-
- As
when a dove alights down by its mate,
- 20
And one pours out affection on the other,
-
Circling round and cooing all the while,
-
- So I
saw one exalted prince of glory
- Made
welcome by the other, while they praised
- The
food which nourishes them there on high.
-
- 25
But after these glad greetings had been given,
- Each
one in silence stopped in front of me,
- So
blazing that my sight was wholly vanquished.
-
- Then,
smiling brightly, Beatrice said to him,
-
"Illustrious spirit, who has chronicled
- 30
The liberality of our high court,
-
-
"Let hope resound upon this height: you know
- How
often you personified that virtue
- When
Jesus showed more honor to you three."
-
-
"Lift up your head and reassure yourself,
- 35
For what mounts up here from the mortal world
- Must
come to ripening within our rays."
-
- The
second fire gave me this assurance.
- With
that I raised my eyes unto the mountains
- Whose
mighty weight had first bent down my lids.
-
- 40
"Since by his grace our Emperor wills that
-
Before your death you so come face to face
- With
his peers here in his most private hall
-
-
"That, through your seeing the truth of this court,
- You
now may strengthen in yourself and others
- 45
The hope that leads to love of good on earth:
-
-
"Tell what is hope, and how it blossomed up
-
Within your mind, and tell where you received it."
- The
second light continued in this vein.
-
- And
she who in her lovingkindness guided
- 50
The feathers of my wings on that high flight
-
Anticipated my response like this:
-
-
"There is no child of the Church Militant
- More
full of hope than he, and this is written
- There
in the Sun which beams on all our hosts.
-
- 55
"So he has been allowed to take this journey
- From
Egypt to Jerusalem, for seeing,
-
Before he finished military service,
-
-
"The other two points that you raised above
- (Not
for your knowledge but that he report
- 60
What lavish pleasure you take in this virtue),
-
-
"I leave to him, for they will not be hard
- Nor
cause for boasting: let him answer then,
- And
may the grace of God help him reply!"
-
- Just
as the pupil, who is prompt and willing
- 65
To show he knows the subject, answers the teacher
- To
prove to him that he is worth high marks,
-
-
"Hope," I said, "is the sure expectation
- Of
future glory, and it is produced
- By
divine grace and by preceding merit.
-
- 70
"This light descends to me from many stars,
- But
it was first distilled into my heart
- By
the leading singer of the leading Lord.
-
-
" ‘Let them have hope in Thee who know Thy name,’
- He
says in his inspired psalm, and who,
- 75
If he has my faith, does not know the song?
-
-
"You afterwards instilled it into me
-
Through your Epistle, along with his instilling,
- So I
am drenched and rain your dew on others."
-
- While
I was speaking, suddenly a flash
- 80
Within the living bosom of the fire
-
Trembled repeatedly like lightning;
-
- Then
it breathed out, "The love that burns in me
- Still
for that virtue which had followed me
- Up to
the palm and time to quit the field
-
- 85
"Wills that I breathe once more, for your delight,
- These
words to you, and so it is my pleasure
- For
you to tell what hope holds promised to you."
-
- And
I: "The new and ancient Scriptures give
- A
symbol in the souls God made his friends,
- 90
And this symbol points the meaning out to me:
-
-
"Isaiah says that each soul shall be dressed
- With
double garments in his own country,
- And
his own country is this same sweet life.
-
-
"Your brother, too, is even more explicit,
- 95
Where he treats of the souls in their white robes,
- In
setting forth this revelation to us."
-
-
First, as these words were coming to an end,
-
"Let them find hope in Thee," rang out above us,
- And
to it all the choirs around re-echoed.
-
- 100
Next, one light among the rings flashed out
- So
bright that if the Crab had one such star
-
Winter would have a month of total daylight.
-
- And
as a happy girl will rise and run
- To
join the dance — not out of vanity,
- 105
But only to do honor to the bride,
-
- So I
saw the effulgent splendor come
- Up to
the two now reeling to the notes
- In
perfect keeping with their burning love.
-
- It
joined there in the singing and the spinning,
- 110
And, motionless and silent as a bride,
- My
lady kept her eyes attached to them.
-
-
"This one is he who lay upon the breast
- Of
our true Pelican, and who was chosen
- From
on the cross to take up the great duty."
-
- 115
So spoke my lady, but no more after
- Than
before saying these words did she shift
- Her
gaze away from where she fixed attention.
-
- Just
like the man who stares and strains to see
- The
sun when it is partially eclipsed
- 120
And who through peering comes to lose his sight,
-
- So I
became on seeing that last flame
- Till
this was said: "Why do you blind yourself
- To
look for something that has no place here?
-
-
"My body is still earth within the earth
- 125
And will remain there with the rest until
- Our
number equals the eternal tally.
-
-
"Only those two lights who have ascended
- Wear
their two robes here in the blessed cloister,
- And
this word you shall bring back to your world."
-
- 130
While this voice spoke, the flaming gyre grew still,
-
Together with the sweet mixed harmony
- Made
by the singing of the three-part breathing,
-
- As,
in avoiding danger or fatigue,
- The
oars that up to now sliced through the water
- 135
Stop all at once right when the whistle blows.
-
- Ah!
how deep was the disturbance in my mind
- When
I turned once again to gaze on Beatrice
- And
found I could not see her — even though
-
- I
stood close to her in the world of bliss.
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