by Dante
138
the least of these delights that came from her.
Bernard, who saw my eyes were fixed, intent →
upon the very fire that made him warm, →
turned his own on her with such affection
142
that he made mine more ardent in their gaze.
OUTLINE: PARADISO XXXII
THE EMPYREAN
1–3
Bernard, still fixed on (1) Mary, assumes the role of teacher and names some inhabitants of Paradise:
4–6
(2) [Eve] (her original sin sealed and healed by Mary)
7–9
(3) Rachel and (4) Beatrice
10–12
(5) Sarah, (6) Rebecca, (7) Judith, and [David]’s great-grandmother, (8) [Ruth]
13–15
moving downward in the “petals” of the rose
16–24
from Ruth on down more Hebrew women marking off the OT side of the rose, those who believed in Christ to come;
25–27
the NT side, where there are vacancies, in Christ come
28–33
and where we see (9) John the Baptist in the first tier;
34–36
(10) Francis, (11) Benedict, (12) Augustine, and others;
37–39
God’s providence seen in so equal a division of the Rose;
40–48
all the lower half is children, saved by merit of others
49–51
Bernard sees that Dante is confused about this merit
52–66
Bernard: “Differences here reflect not merit but grace;
67–75
“think of [Jacob and Esau]; all these children are sorted not by their works but by their capacity to see God:
76–78
“from [Adam to Abraham]: faith of parents saved them
79–81
“from Abraham to Christ: circumcision
82–84
“from Christ to now: baptism
85–87
“look on the face [Mary’s] that most resembles Christ’s”;
88–93
this greatest similarity to God yet experienced by Dante
94–99
an angel [Gabriel] opens his wings and sings; the court of Heaven, replying, sings in rapture
100–106
Dante replies: gratitude and a question (about the angel)
107–108
simile: morning star to sun as Bernard to Mary
109–114
Bernard identifies Gabriel (still by periphrasis)
115–117
Bernard continues to identify the blessed:
118–126
(13) [Adam], (14) [Peter]
127–132
(15) [John], (16) [Moses]
133–135
(17) Anne
136–138
(18) Lucy
139
Bernard: “Since the time before your rapture grows short
140–141
(simile) “we must stop, as a tailor prepares his cloth;
142–144
“it is now time to penetrate God’s effulgence;
145–150
“for that, prayer to Mary is necessary; you should rehearse my words within you.”
151
Bernard’s prayer:
PARADISO XXXII
Absorbed in his delight, that man of contemplation →
took upon himself the teacher’s role →
3
and spoke these holy words:
‘The wound that Mary closed up and anointed → →
was opened and inflicted
6
by the lovely woman now at Mary’s feet.
‘Below her, in the order
formed by the third tier of the seats, →
9
as you can see, Rachel sits with Beatrice. →
‘Sarah and Rebecca, Judith and she— →
great-grandmother of that singer who, →
12
grieving for his sin, cried: “Miserere mei”—
‘may be seen there, one beneath the other, →
in their ordered ranks, while I, pausing for each name,
15
move petal by petal down through the rose.
‘And downward from the seventh tier, or up, →
parting all the petals of this flower,
18
are the appointed seats of Hebrew women.
‘For, according to whether in their faith
they looked forward to Christ or back,
21
this is the wall that separates the sacred tiers.
‘On this side, where the flower is in fullest bloom
with all its petals, those are seated
24
who believed in Christ as yet to come.
‘On the other side, where the semicircles →
are interspersed with vacant spaces, are seated
27
those who kept their eyes on Christ already come.
‘And just as here the glorious seat
of heaven’s lady and the other seats beneath it
30
form that long dividing line,
‘so, opposite, does that of the exalted soul of John, →
who, holy since his birth, endured the wilderness →
33
and martyrdom, and then two years of Hell.
‘Below him, and continuing that line, →
sit Francis, Benedict, Augustine, and others, →
36
assigned as far as this, down from tier to tier. →
‘Now behold the depth of God’s foreseeing, →
for both the ways of showing faith →
39
shall fill this garden equally.
‘And know that downward from the row →
that midway cuts the two dividing lines
42
the seats are held by those who had no merit of their own,
‘but through deserving others, under fixed conditions, →
were freed from sin, for all of these are spirits
45
released before they exercised free choice.
‘This, indeed, you may discover for yourself →
from their faces and their childish voices,
48
if you look at them with care and if you listen.
‘Now you are perplexed and silent in perplexity. → → →
Let me untie the complicated knot
51
in which your oversubtle thoughts have bound you.
‘In all the ample range of this domain
no trace of chance can find a place—
54
no more than sorrow, thirst, or hunger,
‘for all you see here is ordained by law eternal,
so that the circling ring here fits
57
the finger that was meant for it. →
‘Thus, the company of those who prematurely
came to this true life are not sine causa
60
placed more and less exalted here among themselves.
‘The King, through whom this kingdom rests →
in love so great and in so great delight
63
their will would never dare to ask for more,
‘creating every mind in His own bliss,
variously bestows His grace and as He pleases—
66
and, in this case, let the fact suffice.
‘This is clearly and expressly noted for you → →
by Holy Scripture in the account of twins
69
who, still in their mother’s womb, were moved to wrath.
‘Therefore, according to the color of the hair
bestowed with so much grace, the Sovereign Light
72
will crown them with their fitting aureoles.
> ‘Not for what they’ve done or have not done
they thus are placed in separate ranks, separated
75
only by the keenness of the vision they were born to.
‘In early times their parents’ faith alone, →
coupled with the innocence that they possessed,
78
gave sufficient proof of their salvation.
‘Once the first age had run its course, →
male children had to find the strength
81
for innocent wings in circumcision.
‘But once the time of grace had come,
then, without perfect baptism in Christ, →
84
such innocents were cast below.
‘Look now on the face that most resembles Christ, →
for nothing but its brightness
87
can make you fit to look on Christ.’
I saw such joy rain down on her, →
conveyed within the minds and borne
90
by holy spirits framed to soar those heights,
that, however much I had seen before,
nothing had held me in such wonder and suspense,
93
nor shown me so close a likeness to God,
and the loving spirit that had first descended,
singing ‘Ave Maria, gratia plena’ →
96
hovered before her with his wings outspread.
From every side the blessèd court all sang, → →
responding to the solemn sacred chant,
99
so that each face became more luminous with joy.
‘O holy father, who on my behalf →
deign to be here below, leaving the sweet place
102
where by eternal lot you have your seat,
‘who is the angel gazing with such joy →
upon the eyes of her our Queen,
105
so much in love he seems to be a flame?’
Thus I tried once more to gain instruction
from him who glowed in Mary’s beauty →
108
as the morning star reflects the sun.
And he: ‘All confidence and grace of movement →
that can be found in angel or in any blessèd soul
111
are found in him—and we would have it so,
‘for it is he who brought the palm to Mary
when the Son of God elected to take on
114
the burden of our flesh.
‘But let your eyes follow my words, as I continue, →
noting the eminent patricians →
117
of this most just and pious empire.
‘These two who are seated there above us, →
most happy for being so near the Empress, →
120
are, as it were, the two roots of this rose:
‘He who sits beside her to her left → →
is that father for whose reckless tasting
123
mankind still tastes such bitterness.
‘To her right behold that ancient father
of Holy Church to whose care Christ entrusted
126
the keys to this, the fairest flower.
‘And he who was doomed to see before he died →
the years of grief of the beautiful bride,
129
she who was won with the lance and the nails,
‘sits next to him and, next to the other, rests →
that leader under whose rule that stiff-necked people,
132
fickle and ungrateful, lived on manna.
‘Look at Anna, where she sits across from Peter, →
so content merely to gaze upon her daughter
135
she does not move her eyes as she sings hosanna.
‘And opposite the greatest father of a family →
sits Lucy, who urged on your lady, when
138
with lowered gaze, you headed on your path to ruin.
‘But since the time runs short that readies you for sleep, →
let us stop here, as a good tailor would, →
141
who cuts the cloak as he is stocked with cloth.
‘And let us fix our eyes on Primal Love, →
so that, looking up toward Him, you penetrate,
144
as far as may be done, His brilliance.
‘But, lest by any chance, beating your wings → →
and thinking to advance, you should fall back, →
147
you must gain your grace through prayer,
‘grace from her who has the power to help you.
You shall follow me with your devotion →
so your heart does not stray from my words.’
151
He then began this holy supplication: →
OUTLINE: PARADISO XXXIII
THE EMPYREAN
1–39
Bernard’s prayer:
1–12
salutatio
1–6
“[Mary defined in terms of four paradoxes];
7–9
in your womb was rekindled love that made the Rose
10–12
here you are torch of love; below, torch of hope
13–21
exordium
13–15
grace comes only through your intercession,
16–18
love for those who ask it (even before the asking)
19–21
your mercy, pity, and munificence account for whatever goodness exists in us
22–27
narratio
22–27
this man begs, by your grace, to see God
28–33
repetitio
28–33
and I pray for this, too
34–39
peroratio
34–37
finally, preserve his affections after such vision
38–39
see how Beatrice, other saved souls pray for this”
40–45
Mary accepts his prayer, then turns her eyes to God.
46–51
Dante’s ardor anticipates Bernard’s signal to look up
52–54
Dante’s sight entering the ray of light
55–57
what he saw exceeds his speech and his memory
58–63
simile: feelings of dreamer after dream and the sweet remnant of Dante’s vision
64
simile: what he saw as pattern in snow melted by sun,
65–66
simile: as leaves of Sibyl’s prophecies in the wind;
67–75
ninth invocation: to God as Light to grant humans power to conceive, if only a little, the nature of His being
76–81
danger of losing vision and thus his clasping of it
82–84
apostrophe: grace that allowed his sight into the Light
85–93
his vision of all things as unity
94–96
his momentary vision is more forgotten than Neptune’s vision of the Argo 2,500 years ago
97–99
simile: Dante as Neptune
100–105
perfection of Dante’s intellect and will
106–108
his words will fall shorter, even of what he remembers, than those of a nursing infant
109–120
his view of the changing Godhead in its three circles
121–123
Dante’s speech falls short of his conception
124–126
apostrophe: Light that loves and knows Itself
127–132
the second circling bears our likeness
133–139
simile: Dante as geometer
trying to square the circle
140–141
the flash that makes all plain at last;
142–145
his vision failed, but his intellect and will rotate, both spun by the love that moves the heavens.
PARADISO XXXIII
‘Virgin Mother, daughter of your Son, → →
more humble and exalted than any other creature, →
3
fixed goal of the eternal plan, →
‘you are the one who so ennobled human nature →
that He, who made it first, did not disdain
6
to make Himself of its own making.
‘Your womb relit the flame of love— →
its heat has made this blossom seed →
9
and flower in eternal peace.
‘To us you are a noonday torch of charity, →
while down below, among those still in flesh, →
12
you are the living fountainhead of hope.
‘Lady, you are so great and so prevail above,
should he who longs for grace not turn to you, →
15
his longing would be doomed to wingless flight. →
‘Your loving kindness does not only aid
whoever seeks it, but many times →
18
gives freely what has yet to be implored.
‘In you clemency, in you compassion, →
in you munificence, in you are joined
21
all virtues found in any creature.
‘This man who, from within the deepest pit →
the universe contains up to these heights
24
has seen the disembodied spirits, one by one,
‘now begs you, by your grace, to grant such power
that, by lifting up his eyes,
27
he may rise higher toward his ultimate salvation.
‘And I, who never burned for my own seeing →
more than now I burn for his, offer all my prayers, →
