Bernard, as soon as he beheld mine eyes 140 CANTO XXXII. BSORBED in his delight, that contemplator And gave beginning to these holy words: "The wound that Mary closed up and anointed, She at her feet who is so beautiful, She is the one who opened it and pierced it. Within that order which the third seats make ΤΟ Is seated Rachel, lower than the other, In Christ hath taken, these are the partition 20 Upon this side, where perfect is the flower Those who believed in Christ who was to come. Upon the other side, where intersected With vacant spaces are the semicircles, Are those who looked to Christ already come. And as, upon this side, the glorious seat Of the Lady of Heaven, and the other seats So opposite doth that of the great John, Francis, and Benedict, and Augustine, 25 30 35 And down to us the rest from round to round. Behold now the high providence divine; For one and other aspect of the Faith In equal measure shall this garden fill. 41 And know that downward from that rank which cleaves For these are spirits one and all assoiled If thou regard them well and hearken to them. 45 50 Within the amplitude of this domain. No casual point can possibly find place, No more than sadness can, or thirst, or hunger; For by eternal law has been established Whatever thou beholdest, so that closely The ring is fitted to the finger here. And therefore are these people, festinate Unto true life, not sine causa here More and less excellent among themselves. The King, by means of whom this realm reposes In so great love and in so great delight Creating, at his pleasure dowers with grace And this is clearly and expressly noted For you in Holy Scripture, in those twins Who in their mother had their anger roused. According to the color of the hair, Therefore, with such a grace the light supreme Consenteth that they worthily be crowned. Without, then, any merit of their deeds, Stationed are they in different gradations, With innocence, to work out their salvation After the earlier ages were completed, 55 60 65 70 75 Behoved it that the males by circumcision 80 Unto their innocent wings should virtue add; But after that the time of grace had come Hath most resemblance; for its brightness only Is able to prepare thee to see Christ." On her did I behold so great a gladness Rain down, borne onward in the holy minds That whatsoever I had seen before Did not suspend me in such admiration, Nor show me such similitude of God. And the same Love that first descended there, In front of her his wings expanded wide. To be below here, leaving the sweet place Into the eyes is looking of our Queen, All is in him; and thus we fain would have it ; 85 90 95 100 105 Because he is the one who bore the palm Speaking shall go, and note the great patricians Are as it were the two roots of this Rose. He who upon the left is near her placed The father is, by whose audacious taste Of Holy Church, into whose keeping Christ And he who all the evil days beheld, Before his death, of her the beauteous bride Who with the spear and with the nails was won, Beside him sits, and by the other rests That leader under whom on manna lived The people ingrate, fickle, and stiff-necked. Opposite Peter seest thou Anna seated, 115 120 125 130 So well content to look upon her daughter, Her eyes she moves not while she sings Hosanna. 135 And opposite the eldest household father Lucia sits, she who thy Lady moved When to rush downward thou didst bend thy brows. But since the moments of thy vision fly, Here will we make full stop, as a good tailor 140 |