Approach　the　two；　who　in　a　wheel　revolved
  As　was　beseeming　to　their　ardent　love。
  Into　the　song　and　music　there　it　entered；
  And　fixed　on　them　my　Lady　kept　her　look；
  Even　as　a　bride　silent　and　motionless。
  〃This　is　the　one　who　lay　upon　the　breast
  Of　him　our　Pelican；　and　this　is　he
  To　the　great　office　from　the　cross　elected。〃
  My　Lady　thus；　but　therefore　none　the　more
  Did　move　her　sight　from　its　attentive　gaze
  Before　or　afterward　these　words　of　hers。
  Even　as　a　man　who　gazes；　and　endeavours
  To　see　the　eclipsing　of　the　sun　a　little；
  And　who；　by　seeing；　sightless　doth　become；
  So　I　became　before　that　latest　fire；
  While　it　was　said；　〃Why　dost　thou　daze　thyself
  To　see　a　thing　which　here　hath　no　existence？
  Earth　in　the　earth　my　body　is；　and　shall　be
  With　all　the　others　there；　until　our　number
  With　the　eternal　proposition　tallies。
  With　the　two　garments　in　the　blessed　cloister
  Are　the　two　lights　alone　that　have　ascended：
  And　this　shalt　thou　take　back　into　your　world。〃
  And　at　this　utterance　the　flaming　circle
  Grew　quiet；　with　the　dulcet　intermingling
  Of　sound　that　by　the　trinal　breath　was　made；
  As　to　escape　from　danger　or　fatigue
  The　oars　that　erst　were　in　the　water　beaten
  Are　all　suspended　at　a　whistle's　sound。
  Ah；　how　much　in　my　mind　was　I　disturbed；
  When　I　turned　round　to　look　on　Beatrice；
  That　her　I　could　not　see；　although　I　was
  Close　at　her　side　and　in　the　Happy　World！
  Paradiso：　Canto　XXVI
  While　I　was　doubting　for　my　vision　quenched；
  Out　of　the　flame　refulgent　that　had　quenched　it
  Issued　a　breathing；　that　attentive　made　me；
  Saying：　〃While　thou　recoverest　the　sense
  Of　seeing　which　in　me　thou　hast　consumed；
  'Tis　well　that　speaking　thou　shouldst　compensate　it。
  Begin　then；　and　declare　to　what　thy　soul
  Is　aimed；　and　count　it　for　a　certainty；
  Sight　is　in　thee　bewildered　and　not　dead；
  Because　the　Lady；　who　through　this　divine
  Region　conducteth　thee；　has　in　her　look
  The　power　the　hand　of　Ananias　had。〃
  I　said：　〃As　pleaseth　her；　or　soon　or　late
  Let　the　cure　come　to　eyes　that　portals　were
  When　she　with　fire　I　ever　burn　with　entered。
  The　Good；　that　gives　contentment　to　this　Court；
  The　Alpha　and　Omega　is　of　all
  The　writing　that　love　reads　me　low　or　loud。〃
  The　selfsame　voice；　that　taken　had　from　me
  The　terror　of　the　sudden　dazzlement；
  To　speak　still　farther　put　it　in　my　thought；
  And　said：　〃In　verity　with　finer　sieve
  Behoveth　thee　to　sift；　thee　it　behoveth
  To　say　who　aimed　thy　bow　at　such　a　target。〃
  And　I：　〃By　philosophic　arguments；
  And　by　authority　that　hence　descends；
  Such　love　must　needs　imprint　itself　in　me；
  For　Good；　so　far　as　good；　when　comprehended
  Doth　straight　enkindle　love；　and　so　much　greater
  As　more　of　goodness　in　itself　it　holds；
  Then　to　that　Essence　（whose　is　such　advantage
  That　every　good　which　out　of　it　is　found
  Is　nothing　but　a　ray　of　its　own　light）
  More　than　elsewhither　must　the　mind　be　moved
  Of　every　one；　in　loving；　who　discerns
  The　truth　in　which　this　evidence　is　founded。
  Such　truth　he　to　my　intellect　reveals
  Who　demonstrates　to　me　the　primal　love
  Of　all　the　sempiternal　substances。
  The　voice　reveals　it　of　the　truthful　Author；
  Who　says　to　Moses；　speaking　of　Himself；
  'I　will　make　all　my　goodness　pass　before　thee。'
  Thou　too　revealest　it　to　me；　beginning
  The　loud　Evangel；　that　proclaims　the　secret
  Of　heaven　to　earth　above　all　other　edict。〃
  And　I　heard　say：　〃By　human　intellect
  And　by　authority　concordant　with　it；
  Of　all　thy　loves　reserve　for　God　the　highest。
  But　say　again　if　other　cords　thou　feelest；
  Draw　thee　towards　Him；　that　thou　mayst　proclaim
  With　how　many　teeth　this　love　is　biting　thee。〃
  The　holy　purpose　of　the　Eagle　of　Christ
  Not　latent　was；　nay；　rather　I　perceived
  Whither　he　fain　would　my　profession　lead。
  Therefore　I　recommenced：　〃All　of　those　bites
  Which　have　the　power　to　turn　the　heart　to　God
  Unto　my　charity　have　been　concurrent。
  The　being　of　the　world；　and　my　own　being；
  The　death　which　He　endured　that　I　may　live；
  And　that　which　all　the　faithful　hope；　as　I　do；
  With　the　forementioned　vivid　consciousness
  Have　drawn　me　from　the　sea　of　love　perverse；
  And　of　the　right　have　placed　me　on　the　shore。
  The　leaves；　wherewith　embowered　is　all　the　garden
  Of　the　Eternal　Gardener；　do　I　love
  As　much　as　he　has　granted　them　of　good。〃
  As　soon　as　I　had　ceased；　a　song　most　sweet
  Throughout　the　heaven　resounded；　and　my　Lady
  Said　with　the　others；　〃Holy；　holy；　holy！〃
  And　as　at　some　keen　light　one　wakes　from　sleep
  By　reason　of　the　visual　spirit　that　runs
  Unto　the　splendour　passed　from　coat　to　coat；
  And　he　who　wakes　abhorreth　what　he　sees；
  So　all　unconscious　is　his　sudden　waking；
  Until　the　judgment　cometh　to　his　aid；
  So　from　before　mine　eyes　did　Beatrice
  Chase　every　mote　with　radiance　of　her　own；
  That　cast　its　light　a　thousand　miles　and　more。
  Whence　better　after　than　before　I　saw；
  And　in　a　kind　of　wonderment　I　asked
  About　a　fourth　light　that　I　saw　with　us。
  And　said　my　Lady：　〃There　within　those　rays
  Gazes　upon　its　Maker　the　first　soul
  That　ever　the　first　virtue　did　create。〃
  Even　as　the　bough　that　downward　bends　its　top
  At　transit　of　the　wind；　and　then　is　lifted
  By　its　own　virtue；　which　inclines　it　upward；
  Likewise　did　I；　the　while　that　she　was　speaking；
  Being　amazed；　and　then　I　was　made　bold
  By　a　desire　to　speak　wherewith　I　burned。
  And　I　began：　〃O　apple；　that　mature
  Alone　hast　been　produced；　O　ancient　father；
  To　whom　each　wife　is　daughter　and　daughter…in…law；
  Devoutly　as　I　can　I　supplicate　thee
  That　thou　wouldst　speak　to　me；　thou　seest　my　wish；
  And　I；　to　hear　thee　quickly；　speak　it　not。〃
  Sometimes　an　animal；　when　covered；　struggles
  So　that　his　impulse　needs　must　be　apparent；
  By　reason　of　the　wrappage　following　it；
  And　in　like　manner　the　primeval　soul
  Made　clear　to　me　athwart　its　covering
  How　jubilant　it　was　to　give　me　pleasure。
  Then　breathed：　〃Without　thy　uttering　it　to　me；
  Thine　inclination　better　I　discern
  Than　thou　whatever　thing　is　surest　to　thee；
  For　I　behold　it　in　the　truthful　mirror；
  That　of　Himself　all　things　parhelion　makes；
  And　none　makes　Him　parhelion　of　itself。
  Thou　fain　wouldst　hear　how　long　ago　God　placed　me
  Within　the　lofty　garden；　where　this　Lady
  Unto　so　long　a　stairway　thee　disposed。
  And　how　long　to　mine　eyes　it　was　a　pleasure；
  And　of　the　great　disdain　the　proper　cause；
  And　the　language　that　I　used　and　that　I　made。
  Now；　son　of　mine；　the　tasting　of　the　tree
  Not　in　itself　was　cause　of　so　great　exile；
  But　solely　the　o'erstepping　of　the　bounds。
  There；　whence　thy　Lady　moved　Virgilius；
  Four　thousand　and　three　hundred　and　two　circuits
  Made　by　the　sun；　this　Council　I　desired；
  And　him　I　saw　return　to　all　the　lights
  Of　his　highway　nine　hundred　times　and　thirty；
  Whilst　I　upon　the　earth　was　tarrying。
  The　language　that　I　spake　was　quite　extinct
  Before　that　in　the　work　interminable
  The　people　under　Nimrod　were　employed；
  For　nevermore　result　of　reasoning
  （Because　of　human　pleasure　that　doth　change；
  Obedient　to　the　heavens）　was　durable。
  A　natural　action　is　it　that　man　speaks；
  But　whether　thus　or　thus；　doth　nature　leave
  To　your　own　art；　as　seemeth　best　to　you。
  Ere　I　descended　to　the　infernal　anguish；
  'El'　was　on　earth　the　name　of　the　Chief　Good；
  From　whom　comes　all　the　joy　that　wraps　me　round
  'Eli'　he　then　was　called；　and　that　is　proper；
  Because　the　use　of　men　is　like　a　leaf
  On　bough；　which　goeth　and　another　cometh。
  Upon　the　mount　that　highest　o'er　the　wave
  Rises　was　I；　in　life　or　pure　or　sinful；
  From　the　first　hour　to　that　which　is　the　second；
  As　the　sun　changes　quadrant；　to　the　sixth。〃
  Paradiso：　Canto　XXVII
  〃Glory　be　to　the　Father；　to　the　Son；
  And　Holy　Ghost！〃　all　Paradise　began；
  So　that　the　melody　inebriate　made　me。
  What　I　beheld　seemed　unto　me　a　smile
  Of　the　universe；　for　my　inebriation
  Found　entrance　through　the　hearing　and　the　sight。
  O　joy！　　O　gladness　inexpressible！
  O　perfect　life　of　love　and　peacefulness！
  O　riches　without　hankering　secure！
  Before　mine　eyes　were　standing　the　four　torches
  Enkindled；　and　the　one　that　first　had　come
  Began　to　make　itself　more　luminous；
  And　even　such　in　semblance　it　became
  As　Jupiter　would　become；　if　he　and　Mars
  Were　birds；　and　they　should　interchange　their　feathers。
  That　Providence；　which　here　distributeth
  Season　and　service；　in　the　blessed　choir
  Had　silence　upon　every　side　imposed。
  When　I　heard　say：　〃If　I　my　colour　change；
  Marvel　not　at　it；　for　while　I　am　speaking
  Thou　shalt　behold　all　these　their　colour　change。
  He　who　usurps　upon　the　earth　my　place；
  My　place；　my　place；　which　vacant　has　become
  Before　the　presence　of　the　Son　of　God；
  Has　of　my　cemetery　made　a　sewer
  Of　blood　and　stench；　whereby　the　Perverse　One；
  Who　fell　from　here；　below　there　is　appeased！〃
  With　the　same　colour　which；　through　sun　adverse；
  Painteth　the　clouds　at　evening　or　at　morn；
  Beheld　I　then　the　whole　of　heaven　suffused。
  And　as　a　modest　wo