Paradiso
Canto XXXII
Bernard explains the conformation of the Celestial Rose. It is divided down the middle, and across; on one side are male, on the other female, saints. Below the horizontal division are the souls of beatified children. That Dante may be vouchsafed a vision of Deity itself, Bernard makes supplication to the Virgin, and bids Dante accompany him in his prayer.
RAPT in love’s bliss, that contemplative saint
Nevertheless took up the instructor’s part,
Uttering these sacred words with no constraint:
“The wound that Mary closed, and soothed its smart,[i]4-5. “The wound”: of original sin. “She”: Eve.
She, who so beautiful sits at her feet,
Opened, and yet more deeply pressed the dart.
In the order making the third rank complete
Rachel thou canst distinguish next below
With Beatrice in her appointed seat.
Sara, Rebecca, Judith, and her too, [10]
Ancestress of the singer, whose cry rose[ii]11. “Ancestress”: Ruth; “the singer”: David.
Miserere mei for his fault and rue,—[iii]12. “Miserere mei”: “Have mercy upon me.”
These thou beholdest tier by tier disclose,
Descending, as I name them each by name,
From petal after petal down the Rose.
And from the seventh grade downward, following them,
Even as above them, Hebrew women bide,
Parting the tresses on the Rose’s stem;
Because, according as faith made confide[iv]19. On one side of the partition are the Hebrews (line 24), on the other the Christians (line 27).
In Christ, these serve as for a party-wall [20]
At which the stairs of sanctity divide.
On this side, where the flower is filled in all
Its numbered petals, sit in order they
Who waiting on Christ Coming heard His call;
On the other side, where certain gaps betray
Seats empty, in semicircle, thou look’st on
Such as in Christ Come had their only stay.
And as on the one side the glorious throne
Of the Lady of Heaven and the other thrones as well
Below it make partition, so great John [30]
Sits over against her, ever there to dwell,
Who, ever holy, endured the desert’s fare,
And martyrdom, and then two years in Hell.[v]33. “In Hell’: the Limbus.
Beneath him, chosen to mark the boundary there
Francis and Benedict and Augustine shine
And others, round by round, down even to here.
Now marvel at the deep foresight divine!
For the faith’s either aspect, equal made,[vi]38. “Either aspect”: the Old Church and the New.
Shall consummate this garden’s full design.
And know that downward from the midmost grade [40]
Which runneth the two companies betwixt
They sit there by no merit that they had
But by another’s, on conditions fixt;[vii]43-45. “But by another's”: one’s parents. “Released”: from the flesh. These are the spirits of children who died before the age of moral responsibility.
For these are spirits that were all released
Ere they had made a true choice, unperplext.
And by their faces this is manifest
And also by their voices’ childish note,
If looking heedfully thou listenest.
Now thou art doubting, and doubt makes thee mute;[viii]49. Dante is wondering why some have higher seats than others. He learns that the degree of beatitude is determined by predestination.
But for thy sake will I the coil undo [50]
Wherein thou art bound by subtlety of thought.
Within this kingdom’s compass thou must know
Chance hath no single point’s determining,
No more than thirst, or hunger, or sorrow,
Because eternal law, in everything
Thou see’st, it stablisht with such close consent
As close upon the finger fits the ring;
Wherefore these children, hastened as they went
Into the true life, are not without cause
Within themselves more and less excellent. [60]
The King, through whom this realm hath its repose
In so great love and such felicities,
That no rash will on further venture goes,
Creating all minds in His own eyes’ bliss,
At His own pleasure dowers them with grace
Diversely; on this point let the fact suffice.
This is made known to you, clear and express,
In Holy Writ, by those twins who, ere birth,[ix]68. “Those twins”: Jacob and Esau.
In the womb wrestled in their wrathfulness.
According to the colour figuring forth [70][x]70-72. Our halo in Heaven is proportionate to the grace bestowed on us at birth.
In the hair such grace, the sublime Light must needs
Chaplet their heads according to their worth.
Wherefore without reward for any deeds
Their places are to different ranks assigned,
Differing only in what from gift proceeds.
In the early ages parents’ faith, combined
With innocence, sufficed and nothing more
To wing them upward and salvation find.
The first age being completed, other power
Was needed for the innocent males to attain [80]
By virtue of circumcision, Heaven’s door.
But when the time of grace began its reign,
Having not perfect baptism of Christ,
Such innocence below there must remain.[xi]84. “Below there”: in the Limbus.
Look now upon the face most like to Christ!
For only its radiance can so fortify
Thy gaze as fitteth for beholding Christ.”
I saw rain over her such ecstasy
Brought in the sacred minds that with it glowed—[xii]89. “The sacred minds”: the angels.
Created through the heavenly height to fly— [90]
That all I had seen on all the way I had trod
Held me not in such breathless marvelling
Nor so great likeness vouched to me of God.
And that Love which at its first down-coming[xiii]94. “That Love which . . .”: the angel Gabriel.
Sang to her: “Hail, O Mary, full of grace!”
Now over her extended either wing.
The divine song echoed through all the space,
Answered from all sides of the Blessed Court
So that serener joy filled every face.
“O holy father, who for my comfort [100]
Hast deigned thy sweet allotted place to quit,
With me in this low station to consort,
What is that angel who with such delight
Looketh our Queen in the eyes, lost in love there
So that he seems one flame of living light?”
To his instruction thus did I repair
Once more, who drew from Mary increasingly
Beauty, as from the sun the morning star.
“Blitheness and buoyant confidence,” said he,
“As much as angel or a soul may own, [110]
Are all in him; so would we have it be.
For he it is who brought the palm-leaf down
To Mary, when the burden of our woe
In flesh was undertaken by God’s Son.
Now with thine eyes come with me, as I go
Discoursing, and the great patricians note
Of the empire that the just and pious know.
Those two above, most blessed in their lot
By being nearest to the august Empress,[xiv]119. “Empress”: Mary.
Are of our rose as ’twere the double root. [120]
He on the left who has the nearest place
Is that father, through whose presumptuous taste[xv]122-124. “That father’: Adam. “That ancient Father’: St. Peter.
The human tribe tasteth such bitterness.
That ancient Father of Holy Church thou may’st
See on the right, to whom Christ gave in trust
The keys of this, of all flowers loveliest.
And he who, ere he died, saw all the host[xvi]127-129. St. John, the author of the Apocalypse. “Spouse”: the Church. “The nails and . . . the lance”: of Christ’s Passion.
Of grievous days prepared for that fair spouse
Won by the nails and by the lance’s thrust,
Sits by him; by the other, see repose [130][xvii]130-131. “By him”: Peter. “By the other’: Adam. “That leader”: Moses.
That leader under whom was fed by manna
The ungrateful people, fickle and mutinous.
And, sitting over against Peter, Anna[xviii]133. “Anna”: St. Anna, mother of Mary.
Looks on her daughter, so content of soul,
She moveth not her eyes, singing Hosanna;
And opposite the greatest father of all
Sits Lucy, who stirred the lady of thy troth,[xix]137. “The lady of thy troth”: Beatrice.
When, eyes down, thou wert running to thy fall.
But stop we here as the good tailor doth
(Since of thy sleeping vision the time flies), [140]
Cutting the gown according to the cloth;
And turn we to the Primal Love our eyes,
So that, still gazing toward Him, thou may’st pierce
Into His splendour, far as in thee lies.
Yet, lest it happen that thou should’st reverse,
Thinking to advance, the motion of thy wing,
A prayer for grace needs must we now rehearse,
Grace from her bounty who can the succour bring.[xx]148. “From her bounty”: the Blessed Virgin’s.
And do thou with thy feeling follow on
My words, that close to them thy heart may cling.” [150]
And he began this holy orison.