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journey short Doth from the Tuscan part the Genoese。
With the same sunset and same sunrise nearly Sit Buggia and the city
whence I was; That with its blood once made the harbour hot。
Folco that people called me unto whom My name was known; and
now with me this heaven Imprints itself; as I did once with it;
For more the daughter of Belus never burned; Offending both Sichaeus
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THE DIVINE COMEDY
and Creusa; Than I; so long as it became my locks;
Nor yet that Rodophean; who deluded was by Demophoon; nor yet
Alcides; When Iole he in his heart had locked。
Yet here is no repenting; but we smile; Not at the fault; which comes
not back to mind; But at the power which ordered and foresaw。
Here we behold the art that doth adorn With such affection; and the
good discover Whereby the world above turns that below。
But that thou wholly satisfied mayst bear Thy wishes hence which in
this sphere are born; Still farther to proceed behoveth me。
Thou fain wouldst know who is within this light That here beside me
thus is scintillating; Even as a sunbeam in the limpid water。
Then know thou; that within there is at rest Rahab; and being to our
order joined; With her in its supremest grade 'tis sealed。
Into this heaven; where ends the shadowy cone Cast by your world;
before all other souls First of Christ's triumph was she taken up。
Full meet it was to leave her in some heaven; Even as a palm of the
high victory Which he acquired with one palm and the other;
Because she favoured the first glorious deed Of Joshua upon the Holy
Land; That little stirs the memory of the Pope。
Thy city; which an offshoot is of him Who first upon his Maker turned
his back; And whose ambition is so sorely wept;
Brings forth and scatters the accursed flower Which both the sheep
and lambs hath led astray Since it has turned the shepherd to a wolf。
For this the Evangel and the mighty Doctors Are derelict; and only the
Decretals So studied that it shows upon their margins。
On this are Pope and Cardinals intent; Their meditations reach not
Nazareth; There where his pinions Gabriel unfolded;
But Vatican and the other parts elect Of Rome; which have a cemetery
been Unto the soldiery that followed Peter
Shall soon be free from this adultery。〃
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Paradiso: Canto X
Looking into his Son with all the Love Which each of them eternally
breathes forth; The Primal and unutterable Power
Whate'er before the mind or eye revolves With so much order made;
there can be none Who this beholds without enjoying Him。
Lift up then; Reader; to the lofty wheels With me thy vision straight
unto that part Where the one motion on the other strikes;
And there begin to contemplate with joy That Master's art; who in
himself so loves it That never doth his eye depart therefrom。
Behold how from that point goes branching off The oblique circle;
which conveys the planets; To satisfy the world that calls upon them;
And if their pathway were not thus inflected; Much virtue in the
heavens would be in vain; And almost every power below here dead。
If from the straight line distant more or less Were the departure; much
would wanting be Above and underneath of mundane order。
Remain now; Reader; still upon thy bench; In thought pursuing that
which is foretasted; If thou wouldst jocund be instead of weary。
I've set before thee; henceforth feed thyself; For to itself diverteth all
my care That theme whereof I have been made the scribe。
The greatest of the ministers of nature; Who with the power of heaven
the world imprints And measures with his light the time for us;
With that part which above is called to mind Conjoined; along the
spirals was revolving; Where each time earlier he presents himself;
And I was with him; but of the ascending I was not conscious; saving
as a man Of a first thought is conscious ere it come;
And Beatrice; she who is seen to pass From good to better; and so
suddenly That not by time her action is expressed;
How lucent in herself must she have been! And what was in the sun;
wherein I entered; Apparent not by colour but by light;
I; though I call on genius; art; and practice; Cannot so tell that it could
be imagined; Believe one can; and let him long to see it。
And if our fantasies too lowly are For altitude so great; it is no marvel;
Since o'er the sun was never eye could go。
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Such in this place was the fourth family Of the high Father; who
forever sates it; Showing how he breathes forth and how begets。
And Beatrice began: 〃Give thanks; give thanks Unto the Sun of Angels;
who to this Sensible one has raised thee by his grace!〃
Never was heart of mortal so disposed To worship; nor to give itself to
God With all its gratitude was it so ready;
As at those words did I myself become; And all my love was so
absorbed in Him; That in oblivion Beatrice was eclipsed。
Nor this displeased her; but she smiled at it So that the splendour of
her laughing eyes My single mind on many things divided。
Lights many saw I; vivid and triumphant; Make us a centre and
themselves a circle; More sweet in voice than luminous in aspect。
Thus girt about the daughter of Latona We sometimes see; when
pregnant is the air; So that it holds the thread which makes her zone。
Within the court of Heaven; whence I return; Are many jewels found;
so fair and precious They cannot be transported from the realm;
And of them was the singing of those lights。 Who takes not wings that
he may fly up thither; The tidings thence may from the dumb await!
As soon as singing thus those burning suns Had round about us
whirled themselves three times; Like unto stars neighbouring the steadfast
poles;
Ladies they seemed; not from the dance released; But who stop short;
in silence listening Till they have gathered the new melody。
And within one I heard beginning: 〃When The radiance of grace; by
which is kindled True love; and which thereafter grows by loving;
Within thee multiplied is so resplendent That it conducts thee upward
by that stair; Where without reascending none descends;
Who should deny the wine out of his vial Unto thy thirst; in liberty
were not Except as water which descends not seaward。
Fain wouldst thou know with what plants is enflowered This garland
that encircles with delight The Lady fair who makes thee strong for
heaven。
Of the lambs was I of the holy flock Which Dominic conducteth by a
road Where well one fattens if he strayeth not。
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He who is nearest to me on the right My brother and master was; and
he Albertus Is of Cologne; I Thomas of Aquinum。
If thou of all the others wouldst be certain; Follow behind my speaking
with thy sight Upward along the blessed garland turning。
That next effulgence issues from the smile Of Gratian; who assisted
both the courts In such wise that it pleased in Paradise。
The other which near by adorns our choir That Peter was who; e'en as
the poor widow; Offered his treasure unto Holy Church。
The fifth light; that among us is the fairest; Breathes forth from such a
love; that all the world Below is greedy to learn tidings of it。
Within it is the lofty mind; where knowledge So deep was put; that; if
the true be true; To see so much there never rose a second。
Thou seest next the lustre of that taper; Which in the flesh below
looked most within The angelic nature and its ministry。
Within that other little light is smiling The advocate of the Christian
centuries; Out of whose rhetoric Augustine was furnished。
Now if thou trainest thy mind's eye along From light to light pursuant
of my praise; With thirst already of the eighth thou waitest。
By seeing every good therein e