Purgatory Canto 27
Canto XXVII
Argument
An Angel sends them forward through the fire to the last ascent, which leads to the terrestrial Paradise, situated on the summit of the mountain.
They have not proceeded many steps on their way upward, when the fall of night hinders them from going further; and our Poet, who has lain down with Virgil and Statius to rest, beholds in a dream two females, figuring the active and contemplative life. With the return of morning, they reach the height; and here Virgil gives Dante full liberty to use his own pleasure and judgment in the choice of his way, till he shall meet with Beatrice.
Now was the sun so station'd as when first His early radiance quivers on the heights, Where stream'd his Maker's blood; while Libra hangs Above Hesperian Ebro; and new fires, Meridian, flash on Ganges' yellow tide.
[1: "The sun," At Jerusalem it was dawn, in Spain midnight, and in India noonday, in Purgatory sunset.]
So day was sinking, when the Angel of God Appear'd before us. Joy was in his mien.
Forth of the flame he stood upon the brink;
And with a voice, whose lively clearness far Surpass'd our human, "Blessed are the pure In heart," he sang: then near him as we came,
"Go ye not further, holy spirits!" he cried,
"Ere the fire pierce you: enter in; and list Attentive to the song ye hear from thence."
[2: "Blessed." - Matt. v. 8.]
I, when I heard his saying, was as one Laid in the grave. My hands together clasp'd, And upward stretching, on the fire I look'd;
And busy fancy conjured up the forms Erewhile beheld alive consumed in flames.
The escorting spirits turn'd with gentle looks Toward me; and the Mantuan spake: "My son, Here torment thou mayst feel, but canst not death.
Remember thee, remember thee, if I Safe e'en on Geryon brought thee; now I come More near to God, wilt thou not trust me now?
Of this be sure; though in its womb that flame A thousand years contain'd thee, from thy head No hair should perish. If thou doubt my truth, Approach; and with thy hand thy vesture's hem Stretch forth, and for thyself confirm belief.
Lay now all fear, oh! lay all fear aside.
Turn hither, and come onward undismay'd."
I still, though conscience urged, no step advanced.
When still he saw me fix'd and obstinate.
Somewhat disturb'd he cried: "Mark now, my son, From Beatrice thou art by this wall Divided." As at Thisbe's name the eye Of Pyramus was open'd, (when life ebb'd Fast from his veins), and took one parting glance, While vermeil dyed the mulberry; thus I turn'd To my sage guide, relenting, when I heard The name that springs forever in my breast.
He shook his forehead; and, "How long," he said,
"Linger we now?" then smiled, as one would smile Upon a child that eyes the fruit and yields.
Into the fire before me then he walk'd;
And Statius, who erewhile no little space Had parted us, he pray'd to come behind.
I would have cast me into molten glass To cool me, when I enter'd; so intense Raged the conflagrant mass. The sire beloved, To comfort me, as he proceeded, still Of Beatrice talk'd. "Her eyes," saith he,
"E'en now I seem to view." From the other side A voice, that sang, did guide us; and the voice Following, with heedful ear, we issued forth, There where the path led upward. "Come," we heard,
"Come, blessed of my Father." Such the sounds, That hail'd us from within a light, which shone So radiant, I could not endure the view.
"The sun," it added, "hastes: and evening comes.
Delay not: ere the western sky is hung With blackness, strive ye for the pass." Our way Upright within the rock arose, and faced Such part of heaven, that from before my steps
[3: "Come." - Matt. xxv. 34.]
The beams were shrouded of the sinking sun.
Nor many stairs were overpast, when now By fading of the shadow we perceived The sun behind us couch'd; and ere one face Of darkness o'er its measureless expanse Involved the horizon, and the night her lot Held individual, each of us had made A stair his pallet; not that will, but power, Had fail'd us, by the nature of that mount Forbidden further travel. As the goats, That late have skipt and wanton'd rapidly Upon the craggy cliffs, ere they had ta'en Their supper on the herb, now silent lie And ruminate beneath the umbrage brown, While noon - day rages; and the goatherd leans Upon his staff, and leaning watches them: And as the swain, that lodges out all night In quiet by his flock, lest beast of prey Disperse them: even so all three abode, I as a goat, and as the shepherds they, Close pent on either side by shelving rock.
A little glimpse of sky was seen above;
Yet by that little I beheld the stars, In magnitude and lustre shining forth With more than wonted glory. As I lay, Gazing on them, and in that fit of musing Sleep overcame me, sleep, that bringeth oft Tidings of future hap. About the hour, As I believe, when Venus from the east First lighten'd on the mountain, she whose orb Seems always glowing with the fire of love, A lady young and beautiful, I dream'd, Was passing o'er a lea; and, as she came, Methought I saw her ever and anon Bending to cull the flowers, and thus she sang:
"Know ye, whoever of my name would ask, That I am Leah: for my brow to weave
[4: Leah, the active life; Rachel, the contemplative; Michael Angelo has used these allegorical personages on his monument of Julius II in the church of S. Pietro in Vincolo.]
A garland, these fair hands unwearied ply.
To please me at the crystal mirror, here I deck me. But my sister Rachel, she Before her glass abides the livelong day, Her radiant eyes beholding, charm'd no less, Than I with this delightful task. Her joy In contemplation, as in labour mine."
And now as glimmering dawn appear'd, that breaks More welcome to the pilgrim still, as he Sojourns less distant on his homeward way, Darkness from all sides fled, and with it fled My slumber; whence I rose, and saw my guide Already risen. "That delicious fruit, Which through so many a branch the zealous care Of mortals roams in quest of, shall this day Appease thy hunger." Such the words I heard From Virgil's lip; and never greeting heard, So pleasant as the sounds. Within me straight Desire so grew upon desire to mount, Thenceforward at each step I felt the wings Increasing for my flight. When we had run O'er all the ladder to its topmost round, As there we stood, on me the Mantuan fix'd His eyes, and thus he spake: "Both fires, my son, The temporal and eternal, thou hast seen;
And art arrived, where of itself my ken No further reaches. I, with skill and art, Thus far have drawn thee. Now thy pleasure take For guide. Thou hast o'ercome the steeper way, O'ercome the straiter. Lo! the sun, that darts His beam upon my forehead: lo! the herb, The arboreta and flowers, which of itself This land pours forth profuse. Till those bright eyes With gladness come, which, weeping, made me haste To succour thee, thou mayst or seat thee down, Or wander where thou wilt. Expect no more Sanction of warning voice or sign from me, Free of thy own arbitrament to chose, Discreet, judicious. To distrust thy sense
[5: The eyes of Beatrice.]
Were henceforth error. I invest thee then With crown and mitre, sovereign o'er thyself."
Argument
An Angel sends them forward through the fire to the last ascent, which leads to the terrestrial Paradise, situated on the summit of the mountain.
They have not proceeded many steps on their way upward, when the fall of night hinders them from going further; and our Poet, who has lain down with Virgil and Statius to rest, beholds in a dream two females, figuring the active and contemplative life. With the return of morning, they reach the height; and here Virgil gives Dante full liberty to use his own pleasure and judgment in the choice of his way, till he shall meet with Beatrice.
Now was the sun so station'd as when first His early radiance quivers on the heights, Where stream'd his Maker's blood; while Libra hangs Above Hesperian Ebro; and new fires, Meridian, flash on Ganges' yellow tide.
[1: "The sun," At Jerusalem it was dawn, in Spain midnight, and in India noonday, in Purgatory sunset.]
So day was sinking, when the Angel of God Appear'd before us. Joy was in his mien.
Forth of the flame he stood upon the brink;
And with a voice, whose lively clearness far Surpass'd our human, "Blessed are the pure In heart," he sang: then near him as we came,
"Go ye not further, holy spirits!" he cried,
"Ere the fire pierce you: enter in; and list Attentive to the song ye hear from thence."
[2: "Blessed." - Matt. v. 8.]
I, when I heard his saying, was as one Laid in the grave. My hands together clasp'd, And upward stretching, on the fire I look'd;
And busy fancy conjured up the forms Erewhile beheld alive consumed in flames.
The escorting spirits turn'd with gentle looks Toward me; and the Mantuan spake: "My son, Here torment thou mayst feel, but canst not death.
Remember thee, remember thee, if I Safe e'en on Geryon brought thee; now I come More near to God, wilt thou not trust me now?
Of this be sure; though in its womb that flame A thousand years contain'd thee, from thy head No hair should perish. If thou doubt my truth, Approach; and with thy hand thy vesture's hem Stretch forth, and for thyself confirm belief.
Lay now all fear, oh! lay all fear aside.
Turn hither, and come onward undismay'd."
I still, though conscience urged, no step advanced.
When still he saw me fix'd and obstinate.
Somewhat disturb'd he cried: "Mark now, my son, From Beatrice thou art by this wall Divided." As at Thisbe's name the eye Of Pyramus was open'd, (when life ebb'd Fast from his veins), and took one parting glance, While vermeil dyed the mulberry; thus I turn'd To my sage guide, relenting, when I heard The name that springs forever in my breast.
He shook his forehead; and, "How long," he said,
"Linger we now?" then smiled, as one would smile Upon a child that eyes the fruit and yields.
Into the fire before me then he walk'd;
And Statius, who erewhile no little space Had parted us, he pray'd to come behind.
I would have cast me into molten glass To cool me, when I enter'd; so intense Raged the conflagrant mass. The sire beloved, To comfort me, as he proceeded, still Of Beatrice talk'd. "Her eyes," saith he,
"E'en now I seem to view." From the other side A voice, that sang, did guide us; and the voice Following, with heedful ear, we issued forth, There where the path led upward. "Come," we heard,
"Come, blessed of my Father." Such the sounds, That hail'd us from within a light, which shone So radiant, I could not endure the view.
"The sun," it added, "hastes: and evening comes.
Delay not: ere the western sky is hung With blackness, strive ye for the pass." Our way Upright within the rock arose, and faced Such part of heaven, that from before my steps
[3: "Come." - Matt. xxv. 34.]
The beams were shrouded of the sinking sun.
Nor many stairs were overpast, when now By fading of the shadow we perceived The sun behind us couch'd; and ere one face Of darkness o'er its measureless expanse Involved the horizon, and the night her lot Held individual, each of us had made A stair his pallet; not that will, but power, Had fail'd us, by the nature of that mount Forbidden further travel. As the goats, That late have skipt and wanton'd rapidly Upon the craggy cliffs, ere they had ta'en Their supper on the herb, now silent lie And ruminate beneath the umbrage brown, While noon - day rages; and the goatherd leans Upon his staff, and leaning watches them: And as the swain, that lodges out all night In quiet by his flock, lest beast of prey Disperse them: even so all three abode, I as a goat, and as the shepherds they, Close pent on either side by shelving rock.
A little glimpse of sky was seen above;
Yet by that little I beheld the stars, In magnitude and lustre shining forth With more than wonted glory. As I lay, Gazing on them, and in that fit of musing Sleep overcame me, sleep, that bringeth oft Tidings of future hap. About the hour, As I believe, when Venus from the east First lighten'd on the mountain, she whose orb Seems always glowing with the fire of love, A lady young and beautiful, I dream'd, Was passing o'er a lea; and, as she came, Methought I saw her ever and anon Bending to cull the flowers, and thus she sang:
"Know ye, whoever of my name would ask, That I am Leah: for my brow to weave
[4: Leah, the active life; Rachel, the contemplative; Michael Angelo has used these allegorical personages on his monument of Julius II in the church of S. Pietro in Vincolo.]
A garland, these fair hands unwearied ply.
To please me at the crystal mirror, here I deck me. But my sister Rachel, she Before her glass abides the livelong day, Her radiant eyes beholding, charm'd no less, Than I with this delightful task. Her joy In contemplation, as in labour mine."
And now as glimmering dawn appear'd, that breaks More welcome to the pilgrim still, as he Sojourns less distant on his homeward way, Darkness from all sides fled, and with it fled My slumber; whence I rose, and saw my guide Already risen. "That delicious fruit, Which through so many a branch the zealous care Of mortals roams in quest of, shall this day Appease thy hunger." Such the words I heard From Virgil's lip; and never greeting heard, So pleasant as the sounds. Within me straight Desire so grew upon desire to mount, Thenceforward at each step I felt the wings Increasing for my flight. When we had run O'er all the ladder to its topmost round, As there we stood, on me the Mantuan fix'd His eyes, and thus he spake: "Both fires, my son, The temporal and eternal, thou hast seen;
And art arrived, where of itself my ken No further reaches. I, with skill and art, Thus far have drawn thee. Now thy pleasure take For guide. Thou hast o'ercome the steeper way, O'ercome the straiter. Lo! the sun, that darts His beam upon my forehead: lo! the herb, The arboreta and flowers, which of itself This land pours forth profuse. Till those bright eyes With gladness come, which, weeping, made me haste To succour thee, thou mayst or seat thee down, Or wander where thou wilt. Expect no more Sanction of warning voice or sign from me, Free of thy own arbitrament to chose, Discreet, judicious. To distrust thy sense
[5: The eyes of Beatrice.]
Were henceforth error. I invest thee then With crown and mitre, sovereign o'er thyself."
