The　Divine　Comedy
  translated　by　Henry　Wadsworth　Longfellow
  PARADISO
  Paradiso：　Canto　I
  The　glory　of　Him　who　moveth　everything
  Doth　penetrate　the　universe；　and　shine
  In　one　part　more　and　in　another　less。
  Within　that　heaven　which　most　his　light　receives
  Was　I；　and　things　beheld　which　to　repeat
  Nor　knows；　nor　can；　who　from　above　descends；
  Because　in　drawing　near　to　its　desire
  Our　intellect　ingulphs　itself　so　far；
  That　after　it　the　memory　cannot　go。
  Truly　whatever　of　the　holy　realm
  I　had　the　power　to　treasure　in　my　mind
  Shall　now　become　the　subject　of　my　song。
  O　good　Apollo；　for　this　last　emprise
  Make　of　me　such　a　vessel　of　thy　power
  As　giving　the　beloved　laurel　asks！
  One　summit　of　Parnassus　hitherto
  Has　been　enough　for　me；　but　now　with　both
  I　needs　must　enter　the　arena　left。
  Enter　into　my　bosom；　thou；　and　breathe
  As　at　the　time　when　Marsyas　thou　didst　draw
  Out　of　the　scabbard　of　those　limbs　of　his。
  O　power　divine；　lend'st　thou　thyself　to　me
  So　that　the　shadow　of　the　blessed　realm
  Stamped　in　my　brain　I　can　make　manifest；
  Thou'lt　see　me　come　unto　thy　darling　tree；
  And　crown　myself　thereafter　with　those　leaves
  Of　which　the　theme　and　thou　shall　make　me　worthy。
  So　seldom；　Father；　do　we　gather　them
  For　triumph　or　of　Caesar　or　of　Poet；
  （The　fault　and　shame　of　human　inclinations；）
  That　the　Peneian　foliage　should　bring　forth
  Joy　to　the　joyous　Delphic　deity；
  When　any　one　it　makes　to　thirst　for　it。
  A　little　spark　is　followed　by　great　flame；
  Perchance　with　better　voices　after　me
  Shall　prayer　be　made　that　Cyrrha　may　respond！
  To　mortal　men　by　passages　diverse
  Uprises　the　world's　lamp；　but　by　that　one
  Which　circles　four　uniteth　with　three　crosses；
  With　better　course　and　with　a　better　star
  Conjoined　it　issues；　and　the　mundane　wax
  Tempers　and　stamps　more　after　its　own　fashion。
  Almost　that　passage　had　made　morning　there
  And　evening　here；　and　there　was　wholly　white
  That　hemisphere；　and　black　the　other　part；
  When　Beatrice　towards　the　left…hand　side
  I　saw　turned　round；　and　gazing　at　the　sun；
  Never　did　eagle　fasten　so　upon　it！
  And　even　as　a　second　ray　is　wont
  To　issue　from　the　first　and　reascend；
  Like　to　a　pilgrim　who　would　fain　return；
  Thus　of　her　action；　through　the　eyes　infused
  In　my　imagination；　mine　I　made；
  And　sunward　fixed　mine　eyes　beyond　our　wont。
  There　much　is　lawful　which　is　here　unlawful
  Unto　our　powers；　by　virtue　of　the　place
  Made　for　the　human　species　as　its　own。
  Not　long　I　bore　it；　nor　so　little　while
  But　I　beheld　it　sparkle　round　about
  Like　iron　that　comes　molten　from　the　fire；
  And　suddenly　it　seemed　that　day　to　day
  Was　added；　as　if　He　who　has　the　power
  Had　with　another　sun　the　heaven　adorned。
  With　eyes　upon　the　everlasting　wheels
  Stood　Beatrice　all　intent；　and　I；　on　her
  Fixing　my　vision　from　above　removed；
  Such　at　her　aspect　inwardly　became
  As　Glaucus；　tasting　of　the　herb　that　made　him
  Peer　of　the　other　gods　beneath　the　sea。
  To　represent　transhumanise　in　words
  Impossible　were；　the　example；　then；　suffice
  Him　for　whom　Grace　the　experience　reserves。
  If　I　was　merely　what　of　me　thou　newly
  Createdst；　Love　who　governest　the　heaven；
  Thou　knowest；　who　didst　lift　me　with　thy　light！
  When　now　the　wheel；　which　thou　dost　make　eternal
  Desiring　thee；　made　me　attentive　to　it
  By　harmony　thou　dost　modulate　and　measure；
  Then　seemed　to　me　so　much　of　heaven　enkindled
  By　the　sun's　flame；　that　neither　rain　nor　river
  E'er　made　a　lake　so　widely　spread　abroad。
  The　newness　of　the　sound　and　the　great　light
  Kindled　in　me　a　longing　for　their　cause；
  Never　before　with　such　acuteness　felt；
  Whence　she；　who　saw　me　as　I　saw　myself；
  To　quiet　in　me　my　perturbed　mind；
  Opened　her　mouth；　ere　I　did　mine　to　ask；
  And　she　began：　〃Thou　makest　thyself　so　dull
  With　false　imagining；　that　thou　seest　not
  What　thou　wouldst　see　if　thou　hadst　shaken　it　off。
  Thou　art　not　upon　earth；　as　thou　believest；
  But　lightning；　fleeing　its　appropriate　site；
  Ne'er　ran　as　thou；　who　thitherward　returnest。〃
  If　of　my　former　doubt　I　was　divested
  By　these　brief　little　words　more　smiled　than　spoken；
  I　in　a　new　one　was　the　more　ensnared；
  And　said：　〃Already　did　I　rest　content
  From　great　amazement；　but　am　now　amazed
  In　what　way　I　transcend　these　bodies　light。〃
  Whereupon　she；　after　a　pitying　sigh；
  Her　eyes　directed　tow'rds　me　with　that　look
  A　mother　casts　on　a　delirious　child；
  And　she　began：　〃All　things　whate'er　they　be
  Have　order　among　themselves；　and　this　is　form；
  That　makes　the　universe　resemble　God。
  Here　do　the　higher　creatures　see　the　footprints
  Of　the　Eternal　Power；　which　is　the　end
  Whereto　is　made　the　law　already　mentioned。
  In　the　order　that　I　speak　of　are　inclined
  All　natures；　by　their　destinies　diverse；
  More　or　less　near　unto　their　origin；
  Hence　they　move　onward　unto　ports　diverse
  O'er　the　great　sea　of　being；　and　each　one
  With　instinct　given　it　which　bears　it　on。
  This　bears　away　the　fire　towards　the　moon；
  This　is　in　mortal　hearts　the　motive　power
  This　binds　together　and　unites　the　earth。
  Nor　only　the　created　things　that　are
  Without　intelligence　this　bow　shoots　forth；
  But　those　that　have　both　intellect　and　love。
  The　Providence　that　regulates　all　this
  Makes　with　its　light　the　heaven　forever　quiet；
  Wherein　that　turns　which　has　the　greatest　haste。
  And　thither　now；　as　to　a　site　decreed；
  Bears　us　away　the　virtue　of　that　cord
  Which　aims　its　arrows　at　a　joyous　mark。
  True　is　it；　that　as　oftentimes　the　form
  Accords　not　with　the　intention　of　the　art；
  Because　in　answering　is　matter　deaf；
  So　likewise　from　this　course　doth　deviate
  Sometimes　the　creature；　who　the　power　possesses；
  Though　thus　impelled；　to　swerve　some　other　way；
  （In　the　same　wise　as　one　may　see　the　fire
  Fall　from　a　cloud；）　if　the　first　impetus
  Earthward　is　wrested　by　some　false　delight。
  Thou　shouldst　not　wonder　more；　if　well　I　judge；
  At　thine　ascent；　than　at　a　rivulet
  From　some　high　mount　descending　to　the　lowland。
  Marvel　it　would　be　in　thee；　if　deprived
  Of　hindrance；　thou　wert　seated　down　below；
  As　if　on　earth　the　living　fire　were　quiet。〃
  Thereat　she　heavenward　turned　again　her　face。
  Paradiso：　Canto　II
  O　Ye；　who　in　some　pretty　little　boat；
  Eager　to　listen；　have　been　following
  Behind　my　ship；　that　singing　sails　along；
  Turn　back　to　look　again　upon　your　shores；
  Do　not　put　out　to　sea；　lest　peradventure；
  In　losing　me；　you　might　yourselves　be　lost。
  The　sea　I　sail　has　never　yet　been　passed；
  Minerva　breathes；　and　pilots　me　Apollo；
  And　Muses　nine　point　out　to　me　the　Bears。
  Ye　other　few　who　have　the　neck　uplifted
  Betimes　to　th'　bread　of　Angels　upon　which
  One　liveth　here　and　grows　not　sated　by　it；
  Well　may　you　launch　upon　the　deep　salt…sea
  Your　vessel；　keeping　still　my　wake　before　you
  Upon　the　water　that　grows　smooth　again。
  Those　glorious　ones　who　unto　Colchos　passed
  Were　not　so　wonder…struck　as　you　shall　be；
  When　Jason　they　beheld　a　ploughman　made！
  The　con…created　and　perpetual　thirst
  For　the　realm　deiform　did　bear　us　on；
  As　swift　almost　as　ye　the　heavens　behold。
  Upward　gazed　Beatrice；　and　I　at　her；
  And　in　such　space　perchance　as　strikes　a　bolt
  And　flies；　and　from　the　notch　unlocks　itself；
  Arrived　I　saw　me　where　a　wondrous　thing
  Drew　to　itself　my　sight；　and　therefore　she
  From　whom　no　care　of　mine　could　be　concealed；
  Towards　me　turning；　blithe　as　beautiful；
  Said　unto　me：　〃Fix　gratefully　thy　mind
  On　God；　who　unto　the　first　star　has　brought　us。〃
  It　seemed　to　me　a　cloud　encompassed　us；
  Luminous；　dense；　consolidate　and　bright
  As　adamant　on　which　the　sun　is　striking。
  Into　itself　did　the　eternal　pearl
  Receive　us；　even　as　water　doth　receive
  A　ray　of　light；　remaining　still　unbroken。
  If　I　was　body；　（and　we　here　conceive　not
  How　one　dimension　tolerates　another；
  Which　needs　must　be　if　body　enter　body；）
  More　the　desire　should　be　enkindled　in　us
  That　essence　to　behold；　wherein　is　seen
  How　God　and　our　own　nature　were　united。
  There　will　be　seen　what　we　receive　by　faith；
  Not　demonstrated；　but　self…evident
  In　guise　of　the　first　truth　that　man　believes。
  I　made　reply：　〃Madonna；　as　devoutly
  As　most　I　can　do　I　give　thanks　to　Him
  Who　has　removed　me　from　the　mortal　world。
  But　tell　me　what　the　dusky　spots　may　be
  Upon　this　body；　which　below　on　earth
  Make　people　tell　that　fabulous　tale　of　Cain？〃
  Somewhat　she　smiled；　and　then；　〃If　the　opinion
  Of　mortals　be　erroneous；〃　she　said；
  〃Where'er　the　key　of　sense　doth　not　unlock；
  Certes；　the　shafts　of　wonder　should　not　pierce　thee
  Now；　forasmuch　as；　following　the　senses；
  Thou　seest　that　the　reason　has　short　wings。
  But　tell　me　what　thou　think'st　of　it　thyself。〃
  And　I：　〃What　seems　to　us　up　here　diverse；
  Is　caused；　I　think；　by　bodies　rare　and　dense。〃
  And　she：　〃Right　truly　shalt　thou　see　immersed
  In　error　thy　belief；　if　well　thou　hearest
  The　argument　that　I　shall　make　against　it。
  Lights　many　the　eighth　sphere　displays　to　you
  Wh