by Dante
‘If I am correct, you should no more wonder →
at your rising than at a stream’s descent
138
from a mountain’s peak down to its foot.
‘It would be as astounding if you, set free
from every hindrance, had remained below,
as if on earth a living flame held still.’
142
Then she turned her face up to the heavens. →
OUTLINE: PARADISO II
MOON
1–9
apostrophe of readers (class one): turn back
1–6
certain readers are warned not to read Paradiso
7–9
the untraveled sea of the poem and Dante’s guides
10–18
apostrophe of readers (class two): you may follow
10–15
if early on you tasted the bread of angels
16–18
implicit simile: readers/Dante = Jason’s crew/Jason
19–30
ascent to the Moon
19–26
flight upward toward the Moon
27–30
Beatrice to Dante: thank God for bringing us here
31–45
arrival in the lunar landscape
31–36
Dante’s penetration of this space
37–45
this possible penetration of matter by matter stirs further thought (relating to the Incarnation)
46–51
Dante’s question: what accounts for these moonspots?
52–148
Beatrice’s answer: not the quantity (density and rarity), but the quality of light
52–58
incorrect sense-based reason surely won’t help here; but tell me what you think of this problem
59–60
Dante: I think it’s about rare and dense matter
61–63
Beatrice: you don’t know what you are talking about
64–148
Beatrice’s exposition:
64–72
(a) the fixed stars, too, seem diverse; if rarity and density were the only distinguishing marks for them, no other power would mark them;
73–84
(b) further, if rarity caused the dark spots, then the Moon would (i) either have “holes” or (ii) be mixed in its composition. Eclipses show (i) is false. Therefore, I shall work on (ii) and destroy that argument as well.
85–111
the experiment involving three mirrors
112–148
the “formal principle” of distribution for the universe’s matter is spiritual, not physical.
PARADISO II
O you, eager to hear more, → → →
who have followed in your little bark →
3
my ship that singing makes its way, →
turn back if you would see your shores again. →
Do not set forth upon the deep,
6
for, losing sight of me, you would be lost.
The seas I sail were never sailed before. → →
Minerva fills my sails, Apollo is my guide,
9
nine Muses point me toward the Bears. →
You other few who craned your necks in time → →
to reach for angels’ bread, which gives us life on earth, →
12
yet never leaves us satisfied, →
you may indeed set out, your ship afloat →
upon the salty deep, keeping to the furrow
15
I have made, before the sea goes smooth again.
Those famous men who made their way to Colchis, →
when they saw Jason had become a plowman, →
18
were not as stunned as you shall be.
The innate and never-ending thirst for God →
in His own kingdom drew us up,
21
almost as swiftly as you know the heavens turn. →
Beatrice was gazing upward, my gaze fixed on her,
when, perhaps as quickly as a bolt strikes, →
24
flies, and releases from its catch,
suddenly I found myself there
where my eyes were drawn to an astounding sight.
27
And she, from whom my thoughts could not be kept
turned to me, as full of joy as she was fair,
to say: ‘Direct your grateful mind to God,
30
who has conjoined us with the nearest star.’ →
It seemed to me that we were in a cloud, →
shining, dense, solid, and unmarred, →
33
like a diamond struck by sunlight.
The eternal pearl received us in itself,
as water does a ray of light
36
and yet remains unsundered and serene.
If I was there in flesh—on earth we can’t conceive →
how matter may admit another matter to it,
39
when body flows into, becomes another body— →
that, all the more, should kindle our desire
to see the very One who lets us see
42
the way our nature was conjoined with God.
What now we take on faith will then be seen,
not demonstrated but made manifest,
45
like a priori truths, which we accept.
I replied: ‘My Lady, with absolute devotion →
I offer thanks to Him
48
who has removed me from the world of death.
‘But tell me, what are the dark spots
on this body that make those down on earth
51
repeat their preposterous tales of Cain?’ →
She smiled a little, then: ‘If the understanding →
of mortals errs,’ she said, ‘there where the key
54
of the senses fails in its unlocking,
‘surely the shafts of wonder should no longer
strike you, since you see that, dependent
57
on the senses, reason’s wings fall short.
‘But tell me what you make of this yourself.’ →
And I: ‘The different shadings here →
60
are caused, I think, by bodies rare or dense.’
And she: ‘No doubt but you shall see that this belief →
lies deep in error—if you consider well
63
the arguments that I shall lodge against it.
‘The eighth sphere shows you many lights, → →
which, both in magnitude and luminosity,
66
may be seen as having different aspects.
‘If this were caused by rare and dense alone,
a single power would be in them all:
69
here more, there less—or equally.
‘Different powers must be the fruit resulting from
formative principles, but these, except for one,
72
according to your reasoning, would be annulled.
‘What is more, if that dark of which you ask → →
had rareness as its cause, this planet
75
would be lacking matter in some parts,
‘or else, just as fat and lean
alternate in mass upon a body, this planet
78
would alternate the pages of its volume.
Were the first case true, this would be shown
in the sun’s eclipse, when light showed through,
81
as when it shines through any rarer medium.
‘But such is not the case: therefore, let us consider
your other argument and, if I show it to be false, →
84
then your opinion will be proven wrong.
‘If this r
arer substance does not go all the way,
there must be a point at which its denser opposite
87
would not allow the light to pass on through
‘and thus a ray of light would be thrown back
just as color is reflected from the glass
90
by the hidden layer of lead that lies beneath.
‘Now, you will object, the ray shows dark there →
more than in the other parts
93
because it is reflected from a farther source.
‘From this objection, an experiment— →
should you ever try it—may set you free, experiment,
96
the source that feeds the streams of all your arts.
‘Take three mirrors, placing two at equal distance
from you, letting the third, from farther off,
99
also meet your eyes, between the other two.
‘Still turned to them, have someone set,
well back of you, a light that, shining out,
102
returns as bright reflection from all three.
‘Although the light seen farthest off
seems smaller in its size, still you will observe
105
that it must shine with equal brightness.
‘Now, as the substantial form of snow, →
if struck by warming rays, is then deprived
108
both of its former color and its cold,
‘I shall now reshape your intellect,
thus deprived, with a light so vibrant
111
that your mind will quiver at the sight.
‘Beneath the heaven of divine repose →
revolves a body in whose power resides
114
the being of all things contained in it.
‘The next heaven, which holds so many sights, →
distributes its being among various forms,
117
contained in it and yet distinct from it.
‘All the other spheres, in varying ways, →
direct their distinctive qualities
120
to their own purposes and influence.
‘Thus do these organs of the universe proceed, →
as now you see, step by step,
123
rendering below what they take from above.
‘Observe well how I pass along this way →
to the truth you seek, so that in time
126
you may know how to ford the stream alone.
‘The motion and the power of the holy wheels →
must be derived from the blessèd movers,
129
as the work of the hammer from the smith.
‘And the heaven made fair by all these lights →
takes its stamp from the intellect that makes it turn,
132
making of itself the very seal of that imprinting.
‘And as the soul within your dust →
is distributed through the different members,
135
conforming to their various faculties,
‘so angelic intelligence unfolds its bounty,
multiplied down through the stars,
138
while revolving in its separate oneness.
‘Each differentiated power makes a different alloy →
with each precious body that it quickens,
141
with which, even as does life in you, it binds.
‘From the joyous nature whence it springs, →
the mingled potency shines through its star,
144
as joy shines in the living pupil of an eye.
‘From this power is derived the difference seen →
from light to light, and not from dense and rare.
This is the formative principle that creates,
148
according to its worth, the dark and bright.’
OUTLINE: PARADISO III
MOON (continues)
1–9
Dante’s intellect corrected (about the moonspots)
1–9
Dante would confess his error and newfound certitude, but he is distracted by a presence
10–24
souls in the Moon
10–18
simile: image in Moon and reflection on mirror or water
19–24
Dante as counter-Narcissus, looking away
25–33
Beatrice’s smiling reproof and correction
25–27
silly fellow, looking into vacancy,
28–33
these are real beings; speak to them
34–41
Dante focuses on questioning Piccarda:
34–41
(a) who are you? (b) what is your condition?
42–57
Piccarda’s responses
42–45
our charity conforms to such a wish as yours
46–51
(a) I am the nun Piccarda
52–57
(b) with cause are we low in celestial rank
58–66
Dante’s reaction and follow-up question
58–63
your words allow me to recognize you
64–66
don’t you long to be higher in the heavens?
67–87
Piccarda’s response
67–87
our will is His will
88–96
Dante returns to his first question
88–90
Dante understands Piccarda’s precision
91–96
simile: Dante wants to order a second course
97–108
Piccarda’s response
97–108
Piccarda narrates her vocation and dereliction
109–120
Piccarda tells of Costanza
109–120
she never gave up her will to be a nun
121–130
Piccarda withdraws
121–125
Dante follows the sight of her as long as he can,
126–130
then turns back to Beatrice, whose splendor quiets his questioning.
PARADISO III
That sun which first made warm my breast with love → →
had now disclosed, by proof and refutation, →
3
the sweet and lovely features of the truth.
To confess myself corrected and convinced →
I raised my head no higher
6
than saying so required,
but then appeared a sight →
which so drew my attention
9
that my confession quickly slipped from mind.
As through clear, transparent glass →
or through still and limpid water,
12
not so deep that its bed is lost from view,
the outlines of our faces are returned
so faint a pearl on a pallid forehead
15
comes no less clearly to our eyes,
I saw many such faces eager to speak,
at which I fell into the error opposite to that →
18
which inflamed a man to love a fountain.
As soon as I became aware of them, →
believing them to be reflections,
21
I turned around to see from whom they came
and, seeing nothing, I returned my gaze
to the light of my sweet guide,
24
whose holy eyes were glowing as she smiled.
‘Be not surprised,’ she said, ‘if I am smiling →
at your childish thoughts, since they as yet trust not
27
their steps to truth but turn you back,
‘as is their custom,
toward emptiness.
These are real beings that you see, →
30
assigned this place for failing in their vows.
‘Therefore speak with them, listen, and believe, →
for the true light that brings them peace
33
does not allow their steps to stray.’
And, addressing myself to the shade →
that seemed most keen to speak, I began, →
36
like a man muddled by excessive zeal:
‘O spirit made for bliss, who in the beams →
of life eternal savor the sweetness
39
that, untasted, cannot be understood,
‘I shall take it as a kindness if you share with me
your name and lot, and the lot of others here.’
42
Then she, eager and with smiling eyes:
‘Our love shuts not its doors against just will, →
any more than does the love of God, who wills
45
that all His court be like Himself.
‘In the world I was a virgin sister. →
If you search your memory, →
48
my having grown more fair will not conceal my name
‘and you will recognize me as Piccarda, →
placed here among these other blessèd souls,
51
and blessèd am I in the slowest of these spheres. →
‘Our affections, which are inflamed →
only when they please the Holy Spirit,
54
take joy in their adherence to His plan,
‘and this our lot, which seems so very low, →
is given us because of vows neglected
57
and, in part, no longer valid.’
Then I said to her: ‘From your transfigured faces →
