Purgatorio
Canto XXXII
Dazzled to blindness for a while by the eyes of Beatrice, Dante becomes aware that the procession has wheeled round and is returning to face the sun. The Gryphon moves the car, and Dante follows it, with Matilda and Statius, through the wood. They come to a tree, despoiled of flowers and leaves; and the Gryphon fastens the car to the trunk of it; whereon it puts forth all its foliage again. Dante falls into a sleep and waking sees Beatrice guarding the car, the Gryphon hove ascended to heaven, while the seven Virtues make a ring round her. An eagle swoops down on the tree, stripping it of its flowers and lies once more. Then a vixen leaps into the car, but is put to flight by Beatrice. The eagle descends again, enters the car and leaves it clothed with his plumage. Between the wheels the earth gapes and a dragon comes forth and wrenches off part of the car. The remnant of the car is again covered in an instant by the plumes; from it seven heads emerge; and seated on the car appear a harlot and a giant, by whom it is dragged away.
These actions and transformations typify crises and vicissitudes in the history of the Church. The harlot represents the Papacy under Boniface VIII and Clement V, the giant the French monarchy.
SO FASTENED were mine eyes, and so intent
The ten years’ thirst of longing to abate,
That the other senses were annulled and spent,
And they on this side and on that side set
Walls of unheeding (so to itself allured
The holy smile, drawing the ancient net)—
When needs must they be against my will conjured
Unto my left hand by those Goddesses,[i]8. “Those Goddesses”: the three Christian Virtues.
Because from them a “Too fixt!” I had heard;
And the condition which impoverishes [10]
The eyes but lately smitten by the sun
Caused for a space the sight of mine to cease.
But when to less things by comparison
My sight was re-established, less I mean
Than the great splendour I was forced to shun,
I saw the glorious army, that had been
Wheeled to the right, returning to confront
The seven flames in their place and the sun’s sheen.
As, for retreat, with shields to bear the brunt,
A squadron wheels and turns with the ensign, ere’ [20]
It can accomplish the full change of front,
That soldiery of the heavenly kingdom there,
Which made the van, all passed us by before
The turning of the pole had turned the car.
While to the wheels the ladies came once more
The Gryphon moved the blessed charge onward,
Yet not so that one feather shook therefor.
The fair lady who drew me to the ford,[ii]28. “The fair lady”: Matilda.
Statius, and I, were following the wheel
That with a smaller arc its orbit scored. [30][iii]30. The right wheel, inasmuch as the chariot is turning to the right.
As thus we thrid the high wood, where none dwell
Through her who trusted to the snake’s deceit,
Music of angels timed our paces well.
Perhaps in three flights takes a space as great
A shaft loosed from the string as we had gone,
When Beatrice alighted on her feet.
I heard all murmur “Adam”; and anon
They made a circle about a tree, made bare[iv]38. “A tree”: the Tree of Law.
Of flower and leaf on branches every one.
Its summit, which expands the more in air [40]
The loftier it grows, would for its height
Make the Indians in their woods admiring stare.
“Blest art thou, Gryphon, that with beak and bite[v]43-45. Christ himself is careful not to trespass on the field of temporal power.
Thou tearest naught from this sweet-tasting wood
Seeing how ill the belly griped from it.”
Thus as about the stalwart tree they stood
Cried the others, and the twy-formed beast cried too;
“So is preserved the seed of all things good.”
And turning round upon the pole he drew,
He halted it beneath the widowed stem, [50]
And that which came from it left bound thereto.
As plants on earth when downward falls on them[vi]52. “When downward falls . . .”: in the spring.
The great light, mingled with the radiance
Which comes behind the heavenly Carp to beam,
Swell inly, and each renews its own substance
And its own colour ere the Sun anew
His steeds beneath another star advance,
So the reviving tree into a hue
Less than of rose, more than of violet,
Through its so desolated branches grew. [60]
I understood it not, nor may repeat
The hymn, which then that people chanted, here,
Nor did my sense outlast the whole of it.
If I could picture how the eyes severe
Were lulled to sleep, hearing of Syrinx tell,[vii]65. The hundred eyes of Argus were put to sleep by Mercury’s song of the nymph Syrinx.
The eyes whose too long vigil cost so dear,
I would portray how into sleep I fell,
As one whose painting with his model vies:
But who paints drowsing let him paint it well.
Wherefore I pass to where I opened eyes. [70]
I say, a splendour rent sleep’s veil away,
And summons of a voice: “What dost thou? Rise!”
As, to behold some flower of the apple-spray[viii]73-78. “Some flower of the apple-spray”: a foretaste of Christ's glory. The scene has been transformed. A change as wonderful as when Peter, John, and James, who had witnessed the Transfiguration of Christ, recovered from their fright (Matt. 17:1-8).
Which makes the angels for its fruit athirst
And makes in heaven perpetual marriage-day,
Peter and John and James were led, and first
Quite overpowered, came to themselves again
At that word which a greater sleep dispersed,
And saw their company diminished then
By Moses and Elias also, and eyed [80]
Their master’s raiment altered in its grain,
So came I to myself; and I espied
That pitying one bent o’er me, who my foot
Had led along the stream and been my guide.
And I said: “Where is Beatrice?” all in doubt.
Whereon she answered me: “Behold her there
Sitting under the new leaf on its root.
Behold the company encircling her!
The rest after the Gryphon mount on high
With a profounder song and sweeter air.” [90]
And if her words were further poured forth, I
Know not, since she, who from all other sound
Had shut me out, was now before mine eye.
Alone she sat upon the very ground,
Left there, the chariot to watch and ward
Which by the twy-formed beast I had seen bound.
The seven nymphs round her made for her a guard
With those lights in their hands which, burning free,
Neither by North or South wind may be marred.
“Here for short time a forester, with me [100]
Shalt thou an everlasting citizen
Of that Rome, whereof Christ is Roman, be.[ix]102. “Of that Rome . . .”: the city of God.
Upon the car keep thine eyes fastened then,
And what thou seest, when thou returnest, write
That it may profit the evil life of men.”
Thus Beatrice: and I with my whole might
Whither she willed, devoted at the feet
Of her commands, gave both my mind and sight.
Never did fire from clouds that gathering meet,
When from the region that is most remote [110]
It rains, come down with suddenness as fleet
As I saw swoop the bird of Jove; he shot[x]112. “The bird of Jove”: the eagle (the emblem of the Roman Empire), whose descent represents here the persecution of the Christians.
Down through the tree; the bark of it he rent,
And the flowers too and the fresh foliage smote.
And all his force upon the car he spent,
Which staggered like a ship by tempest chased
And now to starboard now to larboard sent.
Then I beheld into the hollow haste
Of the triumphal wain a vixen, lean[xi]119. The vixen stands for Heresy.
As if of no good food she knew the taste. [120]
But with upbraiding for her sins unclean
My lady turned her to such flight thereon
As bones may compass with no flesh between.
And then from there, whence down he first had flown,
The eagle I saw descend into that ark[xii]125. The return of the eagle symbolises the donation of Constantine.
And leave it plumed with feathers of his own.
And such as comes from a heart grieving dark
A voice issued from heaven, and thus it spoke:
“How ill thou art laden, O my little barque!”
Then it appeared to me that, as the earth broke [130]
'Twixt the two wheels, a dragon made his way[xiii]131-147. Here is recorded a great schism, either the secession of the Greek Church or the Mohammedan movement. The seven heads represent the seven capital vices.
Therefrom and through the car his tail up-stuck.
And like a wasp which draws the sting away,
Drawing to himself the venomed tail, he drew
Part of the floor forth, and so trailed astray.
That which remained, like soil enlivened new
With grass, the feathers (haply offered by
Benign intention) once more overgrew,
And all was clothed therewith before mine eye,
Both one and the other wheel and pole, so soon [140]
That the mouth opens longer for a sigh.
The holy shrine, this transformation done,
Put forth heads pushing through its parts; and o’er
The pole were three, and in each corner one.
The first had horns as of an ox, the four
A single horn that from the forehead rose:
Never was seen such prodigy before.
Secure as fortress on a mountain shows,
Upon it a loose harlot sat enthroned[xiv]149. “A loose harlot”: see the Argument.
With quick glances around under her brows. [150]
As if that by none else should she be owned,
I saw a towering giant standing by:[xv]152. “A giant”: see the Argument.
Somewhile they kissed together and were fond.
But when she turned on me her wanton eye,
A scourge on her that savage paramour
From head to the foot-soles began to ply.
Then full of jealousy and in anger sore
He loosed the monster and dragged it through the wood
So far that the trees only from the whore
And the new beast a shield before me stood. [160]