And hence, whenever aught is heard or seen In hearing and in gazing at that spirit ; The sun, and I had not perceived it, when We came to where those souls with one accord Cried out unto us : "Here is what you ask." A greater opening ofttimes hedges up With but a little forkful of his thorns ΤΟ 15 20 The villager, what time the grape imbrowns, Than was the passage-way through which ascended Only my Leader and myself behind him, After that company departed from us. One climbs Sanleo and descends in Noli, And mounts the summit of Bismantova, With feet alone; but here one needs must fly; With the swift pinions and the plumes I say 25 30 Of great desire, conducted after him Who gave me hope, and made a light for me. We mounted upward through the rifted rock, And on each side the border pressed upon us, And feet and hands the ground beneath required. When we were come upon the upper rim Of the high bank, out on the open slope, 35 "My Master," said I, "what way shall we take?" And he to me: "No step of thine descend ; 40 45 Than line from middle quadrant to the centre. Thereon ourselves we seated both of us Turned to the East, from which we had ascended, Then to the sun uplifted them, and wondered Where 'twixt us and the Aquilon it entered. B 55 60 65 How that may be wouldst thou have power to think, Collected in thyself, imagine Zion Together with this mount on earth to stand, So that they both one sole horizon have, And hemispheres diverse; whereby the road Which Phaeton, alas! knew not to drive, Thou 'lt see how of necessity must pass This on one side, when that upon the other, Saw I so clearly as I now discern, 70 75 80 85 Which in some art is the Equator called, Then at this pathway's ending thou wilt be; 95 And as he finished uttering these words, A voice close by us sounded: "Peradventure Thou wilt have need of sitting down ere that." At sound thereof each one of us turned round, And saw upon the left hand a great rock, Which neither I nor he before had noticed. Thither we drew; and there were persons there Who in the shadow stood behind the rock, As one through indolence is wont to stand. And one of them, who seemed to me fatigued, 100 105 110 Was sitting down, and both his knees embraced, That still a little did my breathing quicken, I came to him he hardly raised his head, 115 120 For thee henceforth; but tell me, wherefore seated In this place art thou? Waitest thou an escort? Or has thy usual habit seized upon thee?" 126 And he "O brother, what's the use of climbing? Since to my torment would not let me go The Angel of God, who sitteth at the gate. First heaven must needs so long revolve me round Outside thereof, as in my life it did, 131 Since the good sighs I to the end postponed, Unless, e'er that, some prayer may bring me aid Which rises from a heart that lives in grace; What profit others that in heaven are heard not?" Meanwhile the Poet was before me mounting, 136 And saying: "Come now; see the sun has touched Meridian, and from the shore the night Covers already with her foot Morocco?" I CANTO V. HAD already from those shades departed, And followed in the footsteps of my Guide, When from behind, pointing his finger at me, One shouted: "See, it seems as if shone not The sunshine on the left of him below, And like one living seems he to conduct him!" Mine eyes I turned at utterance of these words, And saw them watching with astonishment But me, but me, and the light which was broken! "Why doth thy mind so occupy itself," 5 The Master said, "that thou thy pace dost slacken? What matters it to thee what here is whispered? |