Of　Holy　Church；　into　whose　keeping　Christ
  The　keys　committed　of　this　lovely　flower。
  And　he　who　all　the　evil　days　beheld；
  Before　his　death；　of　her　the　beauteous　bride
  Who　with　the　spear　and　with　the　nails　was　won；
  Beside　him　sits；　and　by　the　other　rests
  That　leader　under　whom　on　manna　lived
  The　people　ingrate；　fickle；　and　stiff…necked。
  Opposite　Peter　seest　thou　Anna　seated；
  So　well　content　to　look　upon　her　daughter；
  Her　eyes　she　moves　not　while　she　sings　Hosanna。
  And　opposite　the　eldest　household　father
  Lucia　sits；　she　who　thy　Lady　moved
  When　to　rush　downward　thou　didst　bend　thy　brows。
  But　since　the　moments　of　thy　vision　fly；
  Here　will　we　make　full　stop；　as　a　good　tailor
  Who　makes　the　gown　according　to　his　cloth；
  And　unto　the　first　Love　will　turn　our　eyes；
  That　looking　upon　Him　thou　penetrate
  As　far　as　possible　through　his　effulgence。
  Truly；　lest　peradventure　thou　recede；
  Moving　thy　wings　believing　to　advance；
  By　prayer　behoves　it　that　grace　be　obtained；
  Grace　from　that　one　who　has　the　power　to　aid　thee；
  And　thou　shalt　follow　me　with　thy　affection
  That　from　my　words　thy　heart　turn　not　aside。〃
  And　he　began　this　holy　orison。
  Paradiso：　Canto　XXXIII
  〃Thou　Virgin　Mother；　daughter　of　thy　Son；
  Humble　and　high　beyond　all　other　creature；
  The　limit　fixed　of　the　eternal　counsel；
  Thou　art　the　one　who　such　nobility
  To　human　nature　gave；　that　its　Creator
  Did　not　disdain　to　make　himself　its　creature。
  Within　thy　womb　rekindled　was　the　love；
  By　heat　of　which　in　the　eternal　peace
  After　such　wise　this　flower　has　germinated。
  Here　unto　us　thou　art　a　noonday　torch
  Of　charity；　and　below　there　among　mortals
  Thou　art　the　living　fountain…head　of　hope。
  Lady；　thou　art　so　great；　and　so　prevailing；
  That　he　who　wishes　grace；　nor　runs　to　thee；
  His　aspirations　without　wings　would　fly。
  Not　only　thy　benignity　gives　succour
  To　him　who　asketh　it；　but　oftentimes
  Forerunneth　of　its　own　accord　the　asking。
  In　thee　compassion　is；　in　thee　is　pity；
  In　thee　magnificence；　in　thee　unites
  Whate'er　of　goodness　is　in　any　creature。
  Now　doth　this　man；　who　from　the　lowest　depth
  Of　the　universe　as　far　as　here　has　seen
  One　after　one　the　spiritual　lives；
  Supplicate　thee　through　grace　for　so　much　power
  That　with　his　eyes　he　may　uplift　himself
  Higher　towards　the　uttermost　salvation。
  And　I；　who　never　burned　for　my　own　seeing
  More　than　I　do　for　his；　all　of　my　prayers
  Proffer　to　thee；　and　pray　they　come　not　short；
  That　thou　wouldst　scatter　from　him　every　cloud
  Of　his　mortality　so　with　thy　prayers；
  That　the　Chief　Pleasure　be　to　him　displayed。
  Still　farther　do　I　pray　thee；　Queen；　who　canst
  Whate'er　thou　wilt；　that　sound　thou　mayst　preserve
  After　so　great　a　vision　his　affections。
  Let　thy　protection　conquer　human　movements；
  See　Beatrice　and　all　the　blessed　ones
  My　prayers　to　second　clasp　their　hands　to　thee！〃
  The　eyes　beloved　and　revered　of　God；
  Fastened　upon　the　speaker；　showed　to　us
  How　grateful　unto　her　are　prayers　devout；
  Then　unto　the　Eternal　Light　they　turned；
  On　which　it　is　not　credible　could　be
  By　any　creature　bent　an　eye　so　clear。
  And　I；　who　to　the　end　of　all　desires
  Was　now　approaching；　even　as　I　ought
  The　ardour　of　desire　within　me　ended。
  Bernard　was　beckoning　unto　me；　and　smiling；
  That　I　should　upward　look；　but　I　already
  Was　of　my　own　accord　such　as　he　wished；
  Because　my　sight；　becoming　purified；
  Was　entering　more　and　more　into　the　ray
  Of　the　High　Light　which　of　itself　is　true。
  From　that　time　forward　what　I　saw　was　greater
  Than　our　discourse；　that　to　such　vision　yields；
  And　yields　the　memory　unto　such　excess。
  Even　as　he　is　who　seeth　in　a　dream；
  And　after　dreaming　the　imprinted　passion
  Remains；　and　to　his　mind　the　rest　returns　not；
  Even　such　am　I；　for　almost　utterly
  Ceases　my　vision；　and　distilleth　yet
  Within　my　heart　the　sweetness　born　of　it；
  Even　thus　the　snow　is　in　the　sun　unsealed；
  Even　thus　upon　the　wind　in　the　light　leaves
  Were　the　soothsayings　of　the　Sibyl　lost。
  O　Light　Supreme；　that　dost　so　far　uplift　thee
  From　the　conceits　of　mortals；　to　my　mind
  Of　what　thou　didst　appear　re…lend　a　little；
  And　make　my　tongue　of　so　great　puissance；
  That　but　a　single　sparkle　of　thy　glory
  It　may　bequeath　unto　the　future　people；
  For　by　returning　to　my　memory　somewhat；
  And　by　a　little　sounding　in　these　verses；
  More　of　thy　victory　shall　be　conceived！
  I　think　the　keenness　of　the　living　ray
  Which　I　endured　would　have　bewildered　me；
  If　but　mine　eyes　had　been　averted　from　it；
  And　I　remember　that　I　was　more　bold
  On　this　account　to　bear；　so　that　I　joined
  My　aspect　with　the　Glory　Infinite。
  O　grace　abundant；　by　which　I　presumed
  To　fix　my　sight　upon　the　Light　Eternal；
  So　that　the　seeing　I　consumed　therein！
  I　saw　that　in　its　depth　far　down　is　lying
  Bound　up　with　love　together　in　one　volume；
  What　through　the　universe　in　leaves　is　scattered；
  Substance；　and　accident；　and　their　operations；
  All　interfused　together　in　such　wise
  That　what　I　speak　of　is　one　simple　light。
  The　universal　fashion　of　this　knot
  Methinks　I　saw；　since　more　abundantly
  In　saying　this　I　feel　that　I　rejoice。
  One　moment　is　more　lethargy　to　me；
  Than　five　and　twenty　centuries　to　the　emprise
  That　startled　Neptune　with　the　shade　of　Argo！
  My　mind　in　this　wise　wholly　in　suspense；
  Steadfast；　immovable；　attentive　gazed；
  And　evermore　with　gazing　grew　enkindled。
  In　presence　of　that　light　one　such　becomes；
  That　to　withdraw　therefrom　for　other　prospect
  It　is　impossible　he　e'er　consent；
  Because　the　good；　which　object　is　of　will；
  Is　gathered　all　in　this；　and　out　of　it
  That　is　defective　which　is　perfect　there。
  Shorter　henceforward　will　my　language　fall
  Of　what　I　yet　remember；　than　an　infant's
  Who　still　his　tongue　doth　moisten　at　the　breast。
  Not　because　more　than　one　unmingled　semblance
  Was　in　the　living　light　on　which　I　looked；
  For　it　is　always　what　it　was　before；
  But　through　the　sight；　that　fortified　itself
  In　me　by　looking；　one　appearance　only
  To　me　was　ever　changing　as　I　changed。
  Within　the　deep　and　luminous　subsistence
  Of　the　High　Light　appeared　to　me　three　circles；
  Of　threefold　colour　and　of　one　dimension；
  And　by　the　second　seemed　the　first　reflected
  As　Iris　is　by　Iris；　and　the　third
  Seemed　fire　that　equally　from　both　is　breathed。
  O　how　all　speech　is　feeble　and　falls　short
  Of　my　conceit；　and　this　to　what　I　saw
  Is　such；　'tis　not　enough　to　call　it　little！
  O　Light　Eterne；　sole　in　thyself　that　dwellest；
  Sole　knowest　thyself；　and；　known　unto　thyself
  And　knowing；　lovest　and　smilest　on　thyself！
  That　circulation；　which　being　thus　conceived
  Appeared　in　thee　as　a　reflected　light；
  When　somewhat　contemplated　by　mine　eyes；
  Within　itself；　of　its　own　very　colour
  Seemed　to　me　painted　with　our　effigy；
  Wherefore　my　sight　was　all　absorbed　therein。
  As　the　geometrician；　who　endeavours
  To　square　the　circle；　and　discovers　not；
  By　taking　thought；　the　principle　he　wants；
  Even　such　was　I　at　that　new　apparition；
  I　wished　to　see　how　the　image　to　the　circle
  Conformed　itself；　and　how　it　there　finds　place；
  But　my　own　wings　were　not　enough　for　this；
  Had　it　not　been　that　then　my　mind　there　smote
  A　flash　of　lightning；　wherein　came　its　wish。
  Here　vigour　failed　the　lofty　fantasy：
  But　now　was　turning　my　desire　and　will；
  Even　as　a　wheel　that　equally　is　moved；
  The　Love　which　moves　the　sun　and　the　other　stars。
  APPENDIX
  SIX　SONNETS　ON　DANTE'S　DIVINE　COMEDY
  BY　HENRY　WADSWORTH　LONGFELLOW　（1807…1882）
  I
  Oft　have　I　seen　at　some　cathedral　door
  A　laborer；　pausing　in　the　dust　and　heat；
  Lay　down　his　burden；　and　with　reverent　feet
  Enter；　and　cross　himself；　and　on　the　floor
  Kneel　to　repeat　his　paternoster　o'er；
  Far　off　the　noises　of　the　world　retreat；
  The　loud　vociferations　of　the　street
  Become　an　undistinguishable　roar。
  So；　as　I　enter　here　from　day　to　day；
  And　leave　my　burden　at　this　minster　gate；
  Kneeling　in　prayer；　and　not　ashamed　to　pray；
  The　tumult　of　the　time　disconsolate
  To　inarticulate　murmurs　dies　away；
  While　the　eternal　ages　watch　and　wait。
  II
  How　strange　the　sculptures　that　adorn　these　towers！
  This　crowd　of　statues；　in　whose　folded　sleeves
  Birds　build　their　nests；　while　canopied　with　leaves
  Parvis　and　portal　bloom　like　trellised　bowers；
  And　the　vast　minster　seems　a　cross　of　flowers！
  But　fiends　and　dragons　on　the　gargoyled　eaves
  Watch　the　dead　Christ　between　the　living　thieves；
  And；　underneath；　the　traitor　Judas　lowers！
  Ah！　from　what　agonies　of　heart　and　brain；
  What　exultations　trampling　on　despair；
  What　tenderness；　what　tears；　what　hate　of　wrong；
  What　passionate　outcry　of　a　soul　in　pain；
  Uprose　this　poem　of　the　earth　and　air；
  This　mediaeval　miracle　of　song！
  III
  I　enter；　and　I　see　thee　in　the　gloom
  Of　the　long　aisles；　O　poet　saturnine！
  And　strive　to　make　my　steps　keep　pace　with　thine。
  The　air　is　filled　with　some　unknown　perfume；
  The　congregation　of　the　dead　make　room
  For　thee