The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• The Peace of God
• Preface
• Purgatorio I
• Purgatorio Ii
• Purgatorio Iii
• Purgatorio Iv
• Purgatorio V
• Purgatorio Vi
• Purgatorio Vii
• Purgatorio Viii
• Purgatorio Ix
• Purgatorio X
• Purgatorio Xi
• Purgatorio Xii
• Purgatorio Xiii
• Purgatorio Xiv
• Purgatorio Xv
• Purgatorio Xvi
• Purgatorio Xvii
• Purgatorio Xviii
• Purgatorio Xix
• Purgatorio Xx
• Purgatorio Xxi
• Purgatorio Xxii
• Purgatorio Xxiii
• Purgatorio Xxiv
• Purgatorio Xxv
• Purgatorio Xxvi
• Purgatorio Xxvii
• Purgatorio Xxviii
• Purgatory Xxix
• Purgatorio Xxx
• Purgatorio Xxxi
• Purgatorio Xxxii
• Purgatorio Xxxiii

PURGATORY XXIX

• Singing as an enamoured lady would,
• when once her words were ended, she went on:
• “Blessèd are they whose sins are covered up!”
• And like the nymphs who used to go alone
• through woodland shades, desiring, one to see,
• the other to avoid, the sun; she then
• moved counter to the stream’s course, going up
• along its bank, and I at even pace,
• matching her little steps with steps as small.

• Her paces were with mine not yet a hundred,
• when both the margins equally were bent
• in such a way, that toward the East I faced.
• Nor had we yet as far again moved on,
• when round toward me the Lady wholly turned,
• and said: “My brother, look and listen now!”

• And lo, so bright a luster suddenly
• traversed the mighty wood in all directions,
• that I of lightning was compelled to think;
• but since this ceases as it comes, while that,
• the longer it endured, the brighter grew,
• within me I kept saying: “What is this?”

• And through the illumined air was running now
• a gentle melody; hence righteous zeal
• made me reproach the hardihood of Eve,
• who, while both earth and heaven obedient were,
• the only woman, and but just created,
• could not endure to stay beneath a veil;
• ’neath which if she had but devoutly kept,
• I should have tasted those unspeakable
• delights before, and for a longer time.

• While I mid such first fruits of bliss eternal
• was going all enrapt, and eager still
• for further joys,
• in front of us the air
• ’neath the green boughs became a blazing fire,
• and that sweet sound was now known as a song.

• O Virgins sacrosanct, if I have ever
• been hungry, cold or sleepless for your sake,
• good reasons spur my claiming a reward.
• For me now Helicon must pour her streams,
• and with her choir Urania give me help
• to set in verse things difficult to think.

• A little further on, the lengthy space
• still intervening ’tween ourselves and them,
• showed falsely what appeared seven trees of gold;
• but when I’d drawn so near to them, that now
• the common object which deceiveth sense,
• because of distance lost no attribute;

• the virtue which prepares discourse for reason
• perceived that they were candlesticks, and heard
• ‘Hosanna!’ in the voices of the song.
• Above, the fair array flamed far more brightly
• than in unclouded skies the midnight moon,
• when at the middle of her monthly course.

• Filled with astonishment, I turned around
• to my good Virgil, and he answered me
• with looks no less with wonder fraught. I then
• gazed back again at those exalted things,
• which toward us moved so slowly, that outrun
• they would have been by newly wedded brides.

• The Lady chided me: “Why dost thou gaze
• so ardently at those bright lights alone,
• and dost not look at that which follows them?

• I then saw people who were coming on,
• as if behind their leaders, clothed in white;
• and never was such whiteness here on earth.
• The water was resplendent on my left,
• and, like a mirror, if I looked in it,
• reflected back my body’s left to me.

• When I was on my bank so placed, that now
• only the river kept me at a distance,
• I checked my steps that I might better see,
• and I beheld the little flames advance,
• leaving the air behind them bright with color,
• and look like strokes a painter’s brush had drawn;

• so that, above, the air remained marked out
• by seven long bands, all in the hues wherewith
• the sun his bow, and Delia makes her belt.
• These standards further to the rear extended
• than I could see; as far as I could judge,
• the outermost ten paces were apart.

• There now were coming ’neath as fair a sky
• as I describe here, four and twenty Elders,
• two at a time, and crowned with fleur-de-lys.
• And all of them were saying: “Blest be thou
• ’mong Adam’s daughters, aye, and blessèd be
• throughout eternity thy beauty’s charms!”

• After the flowers and other tender blooms
• in front of me upon the other bank,
• had been set free from that elected folk,
• as in the sky star follows after star,
• so after these, four living Creatures came,
• each with a wreath of verdant foliage crowned.
• And each of them was feathered with six wings,
• their feathers full of eyes; and these were such,
• as, were they living, Argus’ eyes would be.

• I ’ll waste no more rhymes, Reader, to describe
• their forms; for other spending so constrains me,
• that I in this one cannot be profuse.
• But read thou in Ezechiel, who depicts them,
• as from the sky’s cold parts he saw them move,
• accompanied by wind, and clouds and fire;

• and such as in his pages thou wilt find them,
• such were they here, except that, as to wings,
• John is with me, and disagrees with him.

• The space extending ’tween the four contained
• a triumph-Chariot moving on two wheels,
• which came along drawn by a Griffon’s neck.
• Both of His wings the latter stretched on high
• ’tween the mid banner and the three and three,
• so that, by cleaving it, He injured none;
• so high they rose that they were lost to sight.
• His members were of gold as far as bird
• He was, and white the others mixed with red.
• Not only Rome ne’er with so fair a Car
• made Africanus or Augustus glad,
• but ev’n the Sun’s were poor, compared with this —
• the Sun’s, which, when it lost its way, was burned
• in answer to the suppliant Earth’s request,
• when Jupiter inscrutably was just.

• At its right wheel three Ladies in a ring
• came dancing on; the first so red, that hardly
• would she be noticed, if in fire she were;
• and such the second was, as if her flesh
• and very bones were made of emerald;
• the third one looked like newly fallen snow;
• and now led by the white one they appeared,
• now by the red; and from the latter’s song
• the others took their time, both slow and fast.

• Upon the left hand four, in purple clothed,
• were making glad, according to the gait
• of one of them with three eyes in her head.

• Behind the whole group I have here described,
• two old men I beheld, unlike in clothes,
• but like in mien, both dignified and grave;
• one showed himself a pupil of that great
• Hippocrates, whom for the animals
• she loves most dearly, Nature made; the other
• revealed the opposite intention with a sword
• so glittering and sharp, that though I stood
• on this side of the stream, it caused me fear.

• Then four I saw who were of humble mien;
• and, back of all, an agèd, keen-faced man
• advancing by himself and lost in sleep.

• These seven were robed in garments which resembled
• those of the primal company, though on their heads
• they wore not lily garlands, but were crowned
• with roses and with other crimson flowers;
• a distant sight of them had made one swear
• that all on fire they were above their brows.

• And when the Chariot was abreast of me,
• thunder was heard; whereat those worthy people
• appeared to have advance forbidden them,
• and stopped there with the standards in their van.