Paradiso Read online

Thomas resumes his “commentary”)

  118–123

  Dominic’s worth in sharing such a role with Francis

  124–132

  but his sheep are so hungry for new food, the more scattered they become and the less milk they produce if they return; and they are few who keep to the fold

  133–139

  and that is why he said, “where sheep are fattened if they do not stray.” QED.

  PARADISO XI

  O foolish cares of mortals, how flawed → →

  are all the arguments that make you flap →

  3

  your wings in downward flight! →

  One pursued the law, one the Hippocratic →

  Aphorisms, while yet another sought →

  6

  the priesthood, and another, rule by force or fraud,

  one was set on plunder, one on the public weal,

  one wearied himself in the toils of flesh

  9

  and its delights, another gave himself to idleness,

  while I, set free from all these things, →

  was, high in heaven with Beatrice,

  12

  thus gloriously received.

  When each flame had returned to the same point →

  on the circle where it had stood before,

  15

  it stopped, like a candle on its sconce,

  and now the light that had already spoken

  from deep within began again to speak,

  18

  smiling and shining still more bright:

  ‘Even as I reflect its radiant beams, so, →

  gazing into the Eternal Light, I grasp

  21

  your thoughts and the source of their beginnings.

  ‘You are in doubt and would have me restate →

  my words, to make them clear and plain,

  24

  matching the level of your understanding,

  ‘as when I said, “Where sheep are fattened,”

  as well as, “Nor was there ever born another.”

  27

  And here one needs to make a clear distinction.

  ‘The providence that rules the world →

  with such deep wisdom that any God-created eye

  30

  must fail before it reaches to the very depth—

  ‘so that the bride of Him who, crying out

  in a loud voice, espoused her with His sacred blood,

  33

  should go in joy to her belovèd

  ‘sure of herself and now to Him more faithful— →

  ordained in her behalf two princes,

  36

  one on this side, one on that, to serve as guides.

  ‘One was all seraphic in his ardor, → →

  the other, by his wisdom, was on earth

  39

  resplendent with cherubic light.

  ‘I shall speak of one, since praising one,

  whichever one we choose, is to speak of both,

  42

  for they labored to a single end.

  ‘Between the Topino and the waters that descend → →

  down from the hilltop chosen by the blessèd Ubaldo →

  45

  there hangs a fertile slope from one high peak

  ‘that makes Perugia feel both heat and cold

  at Porta Sole, while behind its other flank →

  48

  Gualdo and Nocera mourn their heavy yoke. →

  ‘From this slope, where it interrupts

  its steep descent, a sun rose on the world,

  51

  as from the Ganges our sun sometimes does. →

  ‘Therefore, let anyone who would speak of this place

  not say Ascesi, which would convey too little, →

  54

  but call it Orient, to sound its proper worth.

  ‘Not much time as yet had passed →

  when he first lent his comfort to the earth →

  57

  by the greatness of his virtuous power.

  ‘For, still a youth, he fought against his father’s wish →

  for the favor of a lady to whom, as to death,

  60

  no one unlocks the door with gladness, →

  ‘and before his spiritual court et coram patre →

  he joined himself to her and, from then on,

  63

  each passing day, he loved her more.

  ‘She, bereft of her first husband, scorned and unknown →

  one thousand and one hundred years and more,

  66

  remained without a suitor till he came.

  ‘Nor did it profit her when men heard that she stood →

  unmoved, with Amyclas, despite the voice

  69

  of him who put the whole wide world in fear.

  ‘Nor did it profit her when, being fiercely loyal →

  and undaunted, while Mary stayed below,

  72

  she wept with Christ upon the cross. →

  ‘But, lest I make my meaning dark, →

  let it be understood, in all that I have said, →

  75

  that these two lovers are Francis and Poverty.

  ‘Their happy countenances and their harmony, →

  their love and wonder and sweet contemplation →

  78

  made them a cause for holy thoughts,

  ‘so that the venerable Bernard was the first →

  to shed his shoes and run, pursuing such great peace,

  81

  and, running, thought himself too slow.

  ‘O unknown riches and prolific good! Barefoot goes Giles, →

  barefoot goes Sylvester, following the groom,

  84

  so greatly pleasing is the bride. →

  ‘Then that father and teacher went his way →

  in company of his lady and that family,

  87

  each one girt with the same humble cord. →

  ‘Nor did an unworthy shame weigh on his brow →

  for being Pietro Bernardone’s son,

  90

  nor for being an object of amazed contempt,

  ‘but he regally laid bare his stern resolve →

  to Innocent and, from him, he received →

  93

  the first seal of his order.

  ‘When his followers, sworn to poverty, → →

  increased their number, he, whose admirable life

  96

  were better sung in the glorious realm of Heaven, →

  ‘was affirmed with a second crown

  by the eternal Breath, through Honorius,

  99

  in his holy purpose as shepherd of this flock. →

  ‘And when, in his thirst for martyrdom, →

  he preached Christ and the apostles who came after

  102

  in the proud presence of the Sultan,

  ‘finding the people unripe for conversion

  and unwilling to remain to no good purpose,

  105

  he returned to reap the harvest of Italian fields.

  ‘On the harsh rock between the Tiber and the Arno →

  from Christ he had the final seal, then for two years

  108

  he bore His wounds upon his limbs.

  ‘When He who had chosen him for so much good →

  was pleased to take him to the high reward

  111

  that he had won with his devoted meekness, →

  ‘he recommended his most cherished lady

  to his brothers, as to his rightful heirs,

  114

  commanding them to love her faithfully.

  ‘From his lady’s bosom the illustrious soul

  chose to set forth, returning to its kingdom,

  117

  and for its corpse would have no other bier.

  ‘Now think what kind of man it took →

  t
o be a fit companion to maintain

  120

  the steadfast course of Peter’s bark upon the sea,

  ‘and just such was our patriarch. From this

  you may perceive that he who follows him

  123

  as he commands is freighted with good cargo.

  ‘But his flock has grown so greedy →

  for new sustenance that it is forced

  126

  to scatter through remote and distant pastures,

  ‘and the farther his sheep go wandering off

  from him, the emptier of milk

  129

  do they at last come back into the fold.

  ‘There are some, indeed, who, fearing harm,

  huddle near the shepherd, but these are so few

  132

  that a tiny piece of cloth can furnish all their cowls.

  ‘And so, if my words are not too dark, →

  and if your ears have been intent,

  135

  and if you can recall exactly what was said,

  ‘then shall your wish be in part fulfilled →

  and you shall see the reason why the plant is cleft →

  and what is meant by the rebuke →

  139

  “where sheep are fattened if they do not stray.” ’ →

  OUTLINE: PARADISO XII

  THE SUN

  1–2

  retrospective opening phrase: Thomas had fallen silent

  3–9

  a second group surrounds his, matching movement to movement and song to song; the song outdid mortal music and song (Muses, Sirens) as a shining its reflection

  10–21

  the simile (comparing the two circles to twin rainbows [Juno, Iris, Noah]) contains a second simile (comparing the second rainbow to the voice of the nymph Echo)

  22–27

  the pause in all that dancing, singing, and shining is compared in its simultaneity in both circles to that evidenced in two eyes responding as one to beauty

  28–30

  a voice from the second circle is to Dante’s attention as the Pole Star to the needle of a compass

  31–36

  that soul [Bonaventure] speaks: The love that makes him beautiful induces him to speak of Dominic, whose (and Francis’s common) warfare is matched by a common glory

  37–45

  the army of Christ, which it cost so much to rearm, was still in weakened condition when God’s grace provided for it two champions to rally the wayward people.

  46–111

  Bonaventure’s Life of St. Dominic:

  46–54

  Dominic’s birthplace, Calaroga, in Spain:

  55–57

  a strong opponent of heresy

  58–66

  his mother’s dream; baptism; his godmother’s dream

  67–69

  his naming

  70–72

  his role as keeper of Christ’s garden, the Church

  73–75

  first signs of his love for Christ

  76–78

  his acceptance of his charge while still a baby

  79–81

  his rightly named parents, Felice and Giovanna

  82–84

  Enrico di Susa and Taddeo d’Alderotto: two wrong-spirited examples of the intellectual life

  85–87

  he readied himself to rid the Church of heresy,

  88–102

  not asking the pope for preferment, he fought

  103–105

  growing numbers of friars followed his example

  106–111

  this praise of Dominic matches Thomas’s of Francis

  112–126

  Bonaventure on the degeneracy of the Franciscan Order:

  112–114

  Bonaventure now denounces Franciscan degeneracy:

  115–126

  where the first leader went forward, the flock now retreats; but soon there will come a reckoning for such as Ubaldino di Casale and Matteo d’Acquasparta

  127–145

  the habitation of the second circle in the Sun

  127–129

  Bonaventure

  130–132

  Illuminato and Augustino: early followers of Francis

  133–135

  Hugh of St. Victor, Petrus Comestor, Petrus Hispanus (Pope John XXI)

  136–138

  Nathan, Chrysostom, Anselm, Donatus the grammarian

  139–141

  Rabanus Maurus and the Abbot Joachim of Flora

  142–145

  Thomas’s courtesy moved him to praise Dominic.

  PARADISO XII

  As soon as the blessèd flame →

  had spoken its last word

  3

  the holy millstone once again began to wheel, →

  and had not yet come full around → →

  before another circle closed it in,

  6

  matching it motion for motion, song for song, →

  song that, heard from such sweet instruments, →

  as far excels our muses and our sirens

  9

  as a first shining its reflected rays. →

  As twin rainbows, parallel in shape and color, → →

  arc in their pathway through translucent clouds →

  12

  when Juno gives the order to her handmaid—

  the outer one born of the inner, →

  like the voice of that wandering nymph →

  15

  whom love consumed as the sun does vapors—

  and allow the people here on earth to know the future

  because of the covenant God made with Noah,

  18

  that the world would not again be flooded, →

  so the two wreaths of those eternal roses

  circled all around us and, thus reflected,

  21

  the outer circle shone in answer to the inner.

  When the dance and all the other celebration— →

  the singing and the brilliant blaze of flames,

  24

  light with light blent in ardent joy—

  came to a stop together and of one accord,

  as eyes, when beauty moves them, →

  27

  must open wide or close as one,

  from the core of one of these new lights,

  as the North Star makes a compass needle veer,

  30

  rose a voice that made me turn to where it came from.

  And it began: ‘The love that makes me beautiful →

  bids me, in turn, to laud that other leader

  33

  because of whom my own has won such praise.

  ‘It is fitting that, in naming one, we name the other →

  so that, just as they were joined as one in combat →

  36

  with a single goal, their fame should shine as one.

  ‘Rearmed at such high cost, the troops of Christ → →

  moved with halting steps behind the standard, →

  39

  full of doubt and few in number,

  ‘when the Emperor who reigns forever → →

  provided for His soldiers in their peril—

  42

  only of His grace, not for their merit—

  ‘and, as was said, gave comfort to His bride →

  through these two champions, whose deeds and words →

  45

  brought together the scattered people.

  ‘In that place where gentle Zephyr’s breath → →

  rises to open the unfolding leaves →

  48

  in which Europe sees herself reclad,

  ‘not far from the pounding waves →

  beyond which the sun, having finished his long course,

  51

  sometimes hides himself from human sight,

  ‘favored Calaroga lies →

  behind the shelter of the noble shield →

&n
bsp; 54

  that shows one lion in defeat and one in triumph.

  ‘In that town was born the amorous lover →

  of the Christian faith, the holy athlete, →

  57

  gentle to his own and savage to his foes. →

  ‘His mind, at the moment of its making, →

  was so full of living power that,

  60

  yet in his mother’s womb, he made of her a prophet.

  ‘After his nuptials with the Faith

  were celebrated at the holy font →

  63

  at which each dowered the other’s safety, →

  ‘the lady who offered her assent for his →

  saw in a dream the admirable fruit

  66

  destined to spring from him and from his heirs.

  ‘And, that he might be known as what he was indeed, → →

  a spirit from Heaven came and named him →

  69

  from the possessive form of Him whose he already was.

  ‘He was called Dominic, and I shall speak of him

  as that laborer chosen by Christ → →

  72

  to help Him dress and keep His garden.

  ‘He seemed indeed a messenger and intimate of Christ,

  since the first love made manifest in him →

  75

  was for the initial precept taught by Christ.

  ‘Many a time did his nurse find him →

  awake and silent on the ground,

  78

  as if he said, “It is for this I have come.”

  ‘O happy father, indeed Felix! →

  O blessèd mother, indeed Giovanna, →

  81

  if, rightly construed, her name means what they say!

  ‘Not for this world, for which men toil today, → →

  following Taddeo and the Ostian,

  84