Paradiso - Canto XI

Paradiso: Canto XI

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O Thou insensate care of mortal men,
How inconclusive are the syllogisms
That make thee beat thy wings in downward flight!

One after laws and one to aphorisms
Was going, and one following the priesthood,
And one to reign by force or sophistry,

And one in theft, and one in state affairs,
One in the pleasures of the flesh involved
Wearied himself, one gave himself to ease;

When I, from all these things emancipate,
With Beatrice above there in the Heavens
With such exceeding Glory was received!

When each one had returned unto that point
Within the circle where it was before,
It stood as in a candlestick a candle;

And from within the effulgence which at first
Had spoken unto me, I heard begin
Smiling while it more luminous became:

"Even as I am kindled in its ray,
So, looking into the Eternal Light,
The occasion of thy thoughts I apprehend.

Thou doubtest, and wouldst have me to resift
In language so extended and so open
My speech, that to thy sense it may be plain,

Where just before I said, 'where well one fattens,'
And where I said, 'there never rose a second;'
And here 'tis needful we distinguish well.

The Providence, which governeth the world
With counsel, wherein all created vision
Is vanquished ere it reach unto the bottom,

(So that towards her own Beloved might go
The bride of Him who, uttering a loud cry,
Espoused her with his consecrated blood,

Self-confident and unto Him more faithful,)
Two Princes did ordain in her behoof,
Which on this side and that might be her guide.

The one was all seraphical in ardour;
The other by his wisdom upon earth
A splendour was of light cherubical.

One will I speak of, for of both is spoken
In praising one, whichever may be taken,
Because unto one end their labours were.

Between Tupino and the stream that falls
Down from the hill elect of blessed Ubald,
A fertile slope of lofty mountain hangs,

From which Perugia feels the cold and heat
Through Porta Sole, and behind it weep
Gualdo and Nocera their grievous yoke.

From out that slope, there where it breaketh most
Its steepness, rose upon the world a sun
As this one does sometimes from out the Ganges;

Therefore let him who speaketh of that place,
Say not Ascesi, for he would say little,
But Orient, if he properly would speak.

He was not yet far distant from his rising
Before he had begun to make the earth
Some comfort from his mighty virtue feel.

For he in youth his father's wrath incurred
For certain Dame, to whom, as unto death,
The gate of pleasure no one doth unlock;

And was before his spiritual court
'Et coram patre' unto her united;
Then day by day more fervently he loved her.

She, reft of her first husband, scorned, obscure,
One thousand and one hundred years and more,
Waited without a suitor till he came.

Naught it availed to hear, that with Amyclas
Found her unmoved at sounding of his voice
He who struck terror into all the world;

Naught it availed being constant and undaunted,
So that, when Mary still remained below,
She mounted up with Christ upon the cross.

But that too darkly I may not proceed,
Francis and Poverty for these two lovers
Take thou henceforward in my speech diffuse.

Their concord and their joyous semblances,
The love, the wonder, and the sweet regard,
They made to be the cause of holy thoughts;

So much so that the venerable Bernard
First bared his feet, and after so great peace
Ran, and, in running, thought himself too slow.

O wealth unknown! O veritable good!
Giles bares his feet, and bares his feet Sylvester
Behind the bridegroom, so doth please the bride!

Then goes his way that father and that master,
He and his Lady and that family
Which now was girding on the humble cord;

Nor cowardice of heart weighed down his brow
At being son of Peter Bernardone,
Nor for appearing marvellously scorned;

But regally his hard determination
To Innocent he opened, and from him
Received the primal seal upon his Order.

After the people mendicant increased
Behind this man, whose admirable life
Better in Glory of the heavens were sung,

Incoronated with a second crown
Was through Honorius by the Eternal Spirit
The holy purpose of this Archimandrite.

And when he had, through thirst of martyrdom,
In the proud presence of the Sultan preached
Christ and the others who came after him,

And, finding for conversion too unripe
The folk, and not to tarry there in vain,
Returned to fruit of the Italic grass,

On the rude rock 'twixt Tiber and the Arno
From Christ did he receive the final seal,
Which during two whole years his members bore.

When He, who chose him unto so much good,
Was pleased to draw him up to the reward
That he had merited by being lowly,

Unto his friars, as to the rightful heirs,
His most dear Lady did he recommend,
And bade that they should love her faithfully;

And from her bosom the illustrious soul
Wished to depart, returning to its realm,
And for its body wished no other bier.

Think now what man was he, who was a fit
Companion over the high seas to keep
The bark of Peter to its proper bearings.

And this man was our Patriarch; hence whoever
Doth follow him as he commands can see
That he is laden with good merchandise.

But for new pasturage his flock has grown
So greedy, that it is impossible
They be not scattered over fields diverse;

And in proportion as his sheep remote
And vagabond go farther off from him,
More void of milk return they to the fold.

Verily some there are that fear a hurt,
And keep close to the shepherd; but so few,
That little cloth doth furnish forth their hoods.

Now if my utterance be not indistinct,
If thine own hearing hath attentive been,
If thou recall to mind what I have said,

In part contented shall thy wishes be;
For thou shalt see the plant that's chipped away,
And the rebuke that lieth in the words,

'Where well one fattens, if he strayeth not.'"

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La Divina Commedia di Dante: Paradiso: Canto XI

O insensata cura de' mortali,
  quanto son difettivi silogismi
  quei che ti fanno in basso batter l'ali!

Chi dietro a iura, e chi ad amforismi
  sen giva, e chi seguendo sacerdozio,
  e chi regnar per forza o per sofismi,

e chi rubare, e chi civil negozio,
  chi nel diletto de la carne involto
  s'affaticava e chi si dava a l'ozio,

quando, da tutte queste cose sciolto,
  con Beatrice m'era suso in cielo
  cotanto gloriosamente accolto.

Poi che ciascuno fu tornato ne lo
  punto del cerchio in che avanti s'era,
  fermossi, come a candellier candelo.

E io senti' dentro a quella lumera
  che pria m'avea parlato, sorridendo
  incominciar, faccendosi piu` mera:

"Cosi` com'io del suo raggio resplendo,
  si`, riguardando ne la luce etterna,
  li tuoi pensieri onde cagioni apprendo.

Tu dubbi, e hai voler che si ricerna
  in si` aperta e 'n si` distesa lingua
  lo dicer mio, ch'al tuo sentir si sterna,

ove dinanzi dissi "U' ben s'impingua",
  e la` u' dissi "Non nacque il secondo";
  e qui e` uopo che ben si distingua.

La provedenza, che governa il mondo
  con quel consiglio nel quale ogne aspetto
  creato e` vinto pria che vada al fondo,

pero` che andasse ver' lo suo diletto
  la sposa di colui ch'ad alte grida
  disposo` lei col sangue benedetto,

in se' sicura e anche a lui piu` fida,
  due principi ordino` in suo favore,
  che quinci e quindi le fosser per guida.

L'un fu tutto serafico in ardore;
  l'altro per sapienza in terra fue
  di cherubica luce uno splendore.

De l'un diro`, pero` che d'amendue
  si dice l'un pregiando, qual ch'om prende,
  perch'ad un fine fur l'opere sue.

Intra Tupino e l'acqua che discende
  del colle eletto dal beato Ubaldo,
  fertile costa d'alto monte pende,

onde Perugia sente freddo e caldo
  da Porta Sole; e di rietro le piange
  per grave giogo Nocera con Gualdo.

Di questa costa, la` dov'ella frange
  piu` sua rattezza, nacque al mondo un sole,
  come fa questo tal volta di Gange.

Pero` chi d'esso loco fa parole,
  non dica Ascesi, che' direbbe corto,
  ma Oriente, se proprio dir vuole.

Non era ancor molto lontan da l'orto,
  ch'el comincio` a far sentir la terra
  de la sua gran virtute alcun conforto;

che' per tal donna, giovinetto, in guerra
  del padre corse, a cui, come a la morte,
  la porta del piacer nessun diserra;

e dinanzi a la sua spirital corte
  et coram patre le si fece unito;
  poscia di di` in di` l'amo` piu` forte.

Questa, privata del primo marito,
  millecent'anni e piu` dispetta e scura
  fino a costui si stette sanza invito;

ne' valse udir che la trovo` sicura
  con Amiclate, al suon de la sua voce,
  colui ch'a tutto 'l mondo fe' paura;

ne' valse esser costante ne' feroce,
  si` che, dove Maria rimase giuso,
  ella con Cristo pianse in su la croce.

Ma perch'io non proceda troppo chiuso,
  Francesco e Poverta` per questi amanti
  prendi oramai nel mio parlar diffuso.

La lor concordia e i lor lieti sembianti,
  amore e maraviglia e dolce sguardo
  facieno esser cagion di pensier santi;

tanto che 'l venerabile Bernardo
  si scalzo` prima, e dietro a tanta pace
  corse e, correndo, li parve esser tardo.

Oh ignota ricchezza! oh ben ferace!
  Scalzasi Egidio, scalzasi Silvestro
  dietro a lo sposo, si` la sposa piace.

Indi sen va quel padre e quel maestro
  con la sua donna e con quella famiglia
  che gia` legava l'umile capestro.

Ne' li gravo` vilta` di cuor le ciglia
  per esser fi' di Pietro Bernardone,
  ne' per parer dispetto a maraviglia;

ma regalmente sua dura intenzione
  ad Innocenzio aperse, e da lui ebbe
  primo sigillo a sua religione.

Poi che la gente poverella crebbe
  dietro a costui, la cui mirabil vita
  meglio in gloria del ciel si canterebbe,

di seconda corona redimita
  fu per Onorio da l'Etterno Spiro
  la santa voglia d'esto archimandrita.

E poi che, per la sete del martiro,
  ne la presenza del Soldan superba
  predico` Cristo e li altri che 'l seguiro,

e per trovare a conversione acerba
  troppo la gente e per non stare indarno,
  redissi al frutto de l'italica erba,

nel crudo sasso intra Tevero e Arno
  da Cristo prese l'ultimo sigillo,
  che le sue membra due anni portarno.

Quando a colui ch'a tanto ben sortillo
  piacque di trarlo suso a la mercede
  ch'el merito` nel suo farsi pusillo,

a' frati suoi, si` com'a giuste rede,
  raccomando` la donna sua piu` cara,
  e comando` che l'amassero a fede;

e del suo grembo l'anima preclara
  mover si volle, tornando al suo regno,
  e al suo corpo non volle altra bara.

Pensa oramai qual fu colui che degno
  collega fu a mantener la barca
  di Pietro in alto mar per dritto segno;

e questo fu il nostro patriarca;
  per che qual segue lui, com'el comanda,
  discerner puoi che buone merce carca.

Ma 'l suo pecuglio di nova vivanda
  e` fatto ghiotto, si` ch'esser non puote
  che per diversi salti non si spanda;

e quanto le sue pecore remote
  e vagabunde piu` da esso vanno,
  piu` tornano a l'ovil di latte vote.

Ben son di quelle che temono 'l danno
  e stringonsi al pastor; ma son si` poche,
  che le cappe fornisce poco panno.

Or, se le mie parole non son fioche,
  se la tua audienza e` stata attenta,
  se cio` ch'e` detto a la mente revoche,

in parte fia la tua voglia contenta,
  perche' vedrai la pianta onde si scheggia,
  e vedra' il corregger che argomenta

"U' ben s'impingua, se non si vaneggia".