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 XI

• O foolish care of mortal men, how full
• of fallacies the syllogisms, which cause thee
• over a nether course to beat thy wings!

• One given to legal learning went his way,
• one medicine, the priesthood one pursued,
• and lordship one, by force or sophistry;
• one practised theft, and public business one,
• one, in the pleasures of the flesh involved,
• was growing weary, one to idleness
• and ease was giving up his life, while I,
• from all these things set free, was up in Heaven
• with Beatrice so gloriously received.

• When each had to the point returned again,
• where in the ring he was before, he stayed there,
• still as a candle in a candle-stick.

• And I within the light which had before
• addressed me, heard one smilingly begin,
• as more and more resplendent it became:
• “As with Its radiance I am shining here,
• so I, by gazing at the Eternal Light,
• learn whence thou tak’st occasion for thy thoughts.

• In doubt, thou wouldst that I repeat, in words
• so clear and so distinct that they will suit
• thine understanding, that late speech of mine,
• wherein I said: ‘Whereon one thriveth well,’
• and where I said: ‘No second hath arisen;’
• for clearly must one needs distinguish here.

• The Providence, which with that counsel rules
• the world, whereby, before it reach the bottom,
• every created sight is overcome,
• in order that the Bride of Him, who cried
• aloud, and spoused her with His blessèd blood,
• might go toward her Delight, safe in herself,
• and unto Him more faithful, too, ordained
• in her behalf two Princes who should serve
• as guides to her on this side and on that.
• One, in his burning love, was all Seraphic;
• the other, by his wisdom, was on earth
• a splendor of Cherubic light. I ’ll speak
• of one of them, for both are spoken of,
• when one is praised, whichever one be taken,
• for to the same end were the deeds of both.

• Between Tupino and the stream that flows
• adown the hill which blest Ubaldo chose,
• a lofty mountain’s fertile slope impends,
• from which Perugia feels at Porta Sole
• both cold and heat; while, for their heavy yoke,
• behind it Gualdo and Nocera weep.

• Out of this hillside, where it breaketh most
• its steepness, to the world a sun was born,
• as out of Ganges this one is at times;
• therefore let him who talks about that place
• not say Ascesi, which were not enough;
• but Orient say, if he would rightly speak.
• Not distant from his rising was he yet,
• when he began to cause the world to feel
• somewhat encouraged by his wondrous virtue;
• for, still a youth, he strove against his father
• for such a Lady’s sake, that unto her,
• as unto death, none open pleasure’s door;
• and then, before his church’s legal court,
• and in his father’s presence, joined himself
• to her; and ever after day by day
• loved her the more intensely. She, bereft
• of her First Husband, slighted and scorned, remained
• unwooed eleven hundred years and more,
• till that one came; nor aught availed to hear,
• that he, whom all the world was fearing, found her
• undaunted, with Amyclas, by his voice;
• nor aught, her being so unmoved and firm,
• that ev’n when Mary stayed beneath it, she
• went up with Christ upon the cross.
• But now,
• lest in my long talk I proceed too darkly,
• take Poverty and Francis as these lovers.

• Their concord and their joyful countenance
• caused wonder, love and gentle looks to end
• in others’ holy thoughts; and so much so,
• that venerable Bernard was the first
• to bare his feet, and run behind such peace,
• and, running, feel that he was slow of foot.
• O wealth unrealized, O fertile goodness!
• Egidio bares his feet, Sylvester his,
• behind the groom, so pleasing is the bride!

• That father, then, and master went his way
• with both his Lady and that family,
• which now was girding on the humble cord;
• nor let base-heartedness weigh down his brow
• for being Peter Bernardòne’s son,
• nor yet for seeming so contemptible
• to others; but revealed his stern resolve
• to Innocent with royal dignity,
• and won from him his Order’s primal seal.
• When Poverty’s belovèd followers
• had grown behind the man, whose wondrous life
• would in the glory of Heaven be better sung,
• the holy purpose of this head of flocks
• was through Honorius by the Holy Spirit
• crowned with a second crown. Thereafter, when,
• by reason of his thirst for martyrdom,
• Christ and the rest, His followers, he had preached
• before the haughty Soldan; and, on finding

• his folk too restive to conversion, not
• to stay in vain, returned to pick the fruit
• of Latin fields; among the savage rocks,
• which ’tween the Tiber and the Arno rise,
• he took from Christ himself the final seal,
• which on his limbs he bore for two whole years.
• When Him it pleased, who granted him such weal,
• to draw him up to that reward, which he,
• by making himself lowly, had deserved,
• to his own brethren, as to rightful heirs,
• he recommended his most precious Lady,
• and ordered them to love her faithfully;
• then from her bosom his illustrious soul
• willed to depart, and to its realm returned,
• and for its body wished no other bier.

• Think now what he was, who, as his companion,
• was worthy deemed to keep the bark of Peter
• true to its course, when sailing on the deep!
• That was our Patriarch; thou, hence, canst see
• that he who follows him as he commands,
• loadeth his vessel with good merchandise.

• And yet his flock, so greedy for new food
• hath grown, that it can hardly fail to scatter
• through various wood and mountain pasture lands;
• and hence, the more his sheep like vagabonds
• wander away, and further go from him,
• emptier of milk do they regain the fold.

• Yet surely some there are, who, dreading harm,
• cling to their shepherd; but so few are these,
• that little cloth will furnish them with cowls.

• If, now, my words have not been indistinct,
• and if thy hearing hath attentive been,
• and thou recall to mind what I have said,
• partly contented will thy wishes be;
• because thou ’lt see the plant whence hewn they are,
• and what the limitation means: ‘Whereon
• one thriveth well, if one go not astray.”’