The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

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

PARADISO V

• “If in the heat of love I flame on thee
• beyond the measure which is seen on earth,
• and vanquish thus the power of thine eyes,
• wonder thou not thereat, for this proceeds
• from perfect sight, which, as it sees, directs
• its feet to penetrate the good perceived.
• I clearly see that in thine intellect
• the Light Eternal is already shining,
• which, if but seen, always enkindles love;
• and if aught else seduce the love of men,
• ’t is nothing but some vestige of that Light,
• which there, ill-recognized, is shining through.
• Thou now wouldst know if for an unkept vow,
• one could with other service pay enough,
• ’gainst prosecution to ensure the soul.”

• ’T was thus that Beatrice began this canto;
• and ev’n as one who cuts not short his speech,
• her holy argument continued thus:

• “The greatest gift which, of His bounty, God
• bestowed, when He created, and the nearest
• like His own Goodness, and the one most prized

• by Him, was Freedom of the Will,
• wherewith all creatures with intelligence,
• and they alone, both were and are endowed.
• Now, if from this thou argue, thou ’lt perceive
• a vow’s high value, if so made it be,
• that God gives His consent, when thou giv’st thine;
• for when this pact is closed ’tween God and man
• a sacrifice is made of this great treasure,
• whereof I speak, and made by its own act.
• What, then, in compensation can be given?
• In thinking thou canst use thine offering well,
• good wouldst thou do with wrongly gotten gain.

• On the chief question thou art now informed;
• but since in this thing Holy Church exempts,
• which seems against the truth I showed to thee,
• a little longer must thou sit at table,
• because the solid food which thou hast taken,
• requires for thy digestion further help.
• Open thy mind to what I now reveal,
• and fix it therewithin; for having heard
• without retaining doth not knowledge make.

• In the essence of this sacrifice two things
• combine; one, that whereof the sacrifice
• is made; the other is the pact itself.
• This last can never cancelled be, except
• by being kept; and very definite
• concerning this is what was said above.

• The Hebrews, therefore, were alone compelled
• to make an offering, though their offer might,
• in some events, be changed, as thou must know.
• The other, which thou knowest as its matter,
• may well be such, that there will be no sin,
• if for some other matter it be changed.

• But at his own free will let no one shift
• the burden he has placed upon his back,
• unless the white and yellow Keys are turned;
• and let him deem all permutations foolish,
• unless the thing abandoned be contained
• in that which is assumed, as four in six.
• Whatever, then, weighs by its worth so much,
• that it can cause all scales to tip, can not,
• by any other spending, be made good.

• Let mortals not act lightly with their vows!
• Be faithful, and in this thing be not thoughtless,
• as Jephthah was, when offering up ‘the first,’
• who should have said: ‘I wrongly did,’ than keep
• his vow, and so do worse; and thou mayst deem
• as impious that great leader of the Greeks,
• because of whom Iphigenìa mourned
• for her fair face, and for herself made fools
• and wise men weep, who heard of such a rite.

• Ye Christians, be more serious when ye act!
• Be not like feathers in all winds, nor think
• that any water will avail to cleanse you!

• Ye have the Testaments, both Old and New,
• to guide you, and the Shepherd of the Church;
• let this for your salvation be enough.
• If evil greed should teach you otherwise,
• be men, and not like undiscerning sheep,
• that in your midst no Jew may laugh at you.
• Nor do as doth a little lamb, that leaves
• its mother’s milk, and like a wanton fool,
• against itself for its own pleasure fights.”

• Thus Beatrice to me, even as I write;
• then full of eagerness she turned in that
• direction, where the world is most alive.
• Her silence and her change of countenance
• silence imposed upon my eager mind,
• which had ahead of it new questions now.

• Then as an arrow doth, which strikes the mark,
• before the bowstring is at rest, even so
• did we speed on into the second realm.

• So joyous did I see my Lady there,
• as into that heaven’s light she entered, that,
• because of it, the planet brighter grew.
• And if the star was changed and smiled, what, then,
• did I become, who, by my very nature,
• in all ways am susceptible of change!

• As in a fishpond which is still and clear,
• the fish draw near to that which from without
• so cometh, that they take it for their food;

• I thus saw far more than a thousand splendors
• approaching us, and there was heard in each:
• “Lo, here is one, who shall increase our loves.”
• And as each one came up to me, the shade
• was seen replete with joy within the bright
• effulgence issuing from its midst.

• Think, Reader, if what here is entered on
• should not proceed, how full of pain would be
• thy craving to know more; and by thyself
• thou ’lt see how great was my desire to hear
• from these, about the state of their existence,
• as soon as to mine eyes they were revealed.

• “O well-born spirit, to whom Grace permits
• to see the thrones of Heaven’s eternal triumph,
• ère thy life militant be left behind,
• we by the light throughout all Heaven diffused
• are kindled; hence, wouldst thou inform thyself
• respecting us, be sated at thy will.”

• Thus was it said to me by one of those
• kind spirits; and by Beatrice: “Speak, speak,
• with freedom, and, as thou wouldst gods, believe!”

• “I clearly see how thou in thine own light
• dost nest thyself, and from thine eyes dost flash it,
• they beam so radiantly, when thou dost smile;
• but who thou art I know not, nor why thou,
• deserving soul, hast that sphere’s grade, which veils
• itself from mortals with another’s rays.”

• Thus I, when I had turned me toward the light
• which had addressed me first; far brighter then
• it made itself than it had been before.

• As doth the sun, which by exceeding splendor
• itself conceals itself, whene’er its heat
• has gnawed away the tempering of dense mists;
• so by increase of joy that holy form
• in its own radiance hid itself from me;
• and, wholly thus wrapped up, in such a way
• replied to me, as sings the following song.