Beatrice Departs, St. Bernard Arrives: Canto XXXI of Dante’s Paradise, Translated by Stephen Binns

Beatrice Departs, St. Bernard
Arrives: Canto XXXI of Paradise

by Dante Alighieri (1265-1321)
translated by Stephen Binns

It was in semblance of a bright white rose______Celestial Rose, holding souls in Heaven
__that I was shown the sacred soldiery, ______the souls
__which by the blood He shed Christ would espouse,______Church as bride of Christ
while other ones, who fly, with hymnody ______angels
__to glory of the One they see and love,
__to goodness fitting them to this ably,
like swarms of bees that in one moment move
__into a flowerbed and soon return
__to where their labor brings so sweet a trove— ______honey
those swooped into the bloom the souls adorn ______the angels, moving like bees
__like many petals; then they would ascend
__to where their love keeps His eternal bourne.
Each face is like a living firebrand.
__Their wings are gold, their vestments white, so pure
__that no snow equals it on earth. They wend
into the flower’s many spirals, sure
__and so adroit in operating wings,
__with such tranquility, yet such ardor.
Nor did so great a multitude of beings
__that flew between the summit and the rose
__obstruct the panorama of what brings
the universe the splendor He bestows
__according to each worth, the light divine, ______according to ability to receive God’s light
__for nothing there can ever interpose. ______between the light and recipient
And this domain, secure and saturnine,
__was thronged with souls from times both near and far,
__with looks and love all turned upon one Sign.______ God
O Triune Light, which as a single star ______the Trinity
__so satiates their sight, the three as one,
__look down upon this tempest where we are! ______on earth
If Gauls or Goths, who’d come from some region______ from the north
__above which spin all year, in one sky’s span,
__Helice along with her belovèd son, ______Ursa Major and Minor
reached Rome and marveled at the works of man,
__the structures there, stupendous in the main,
__and yet surpassed when rose the Lateran,
then I, a human come to His own rein,
__to things eternal from the temporal,
__from Florence to a people just and sane—
imagine how this had me in its thrall!
__Myself struck mute, I wished to hear nothing,
__dumbfounded and yet joyful most of all.
And like a breathless pilgrim wondering,
__the temple of his vow now in his sight, ______a shine of special devotion
__how he’ll describe this, what report he’ll bring, ______when back home
I made a passage through the lively light
__and gazed upon each grade that I could see,
__now up, now down, now looking left and right.
I saw those faces tell of charity,
__lit by His light and smiles of their own,
__and actions graced by every dignity.
The form of Heaven I saw as one zone,
__a whole, a unit that was so immense
__I could not fix on any part alone.
I turned. The longing was again intense
__to ask about these things of Beatrice,
__the questions that had left me in suspense.
Intending one thing, I encountered this:
__I looked for her, but found an elder there, ______St. Bernard of Clairvaux
__appareled like the glorious populace. ______like the other souls
A suffuse joy he had, I was aware—
__his eyes, his cheeks, and in his kindly ways—
__such as is fitting for a father dear.
“But where is she?” I cried in my amaze.
__And he: “To bring your longing to its end,
__your Beatrice has urged me from my place.
If you look up to where the circles bend,
__the third tier from the top, you will see her
__upon the throne her merits recommend.”
Without responding, I looked for her there
__and saw her haloed, by a nimbus crowned,
__reflecting God’s light from that regal chair.
From no high region where the thunders sound ______a place above the clouds
__was mortal eye removed so distantly,
__though plunged down to the seafloor most profound,
as Beatrice was distanced then from me.
__And yet it did not matter; I could tell
__her face, an image I could somehow see. ______distance has no effect in Heaven
“Lady, in whom my hope’s alive and well,
__who for my saving did not even disdain
__to leave her footprints in the depths of Hell:
In all the many things that I’ve seen plain,
__with help from your great strength and your goodness,
__I see what grace and virtue I obtain.
Where once in bondage, I am now chainless,
__set free along those roads, and by your toil,
__by what lies in your puissance and largess.
Munificence keep with me, that my soul,
__which you have brought to health and purity,
__may please you when unknotted from this coil.” ______which he has not yet shuffled off
That was my plea to Beatrice, and she,
__as far away as she was, gave a smile,
__then turned back to her fount: eternity.
The elder then: “To walk the final mile ______St. Bernard
__most perfectly, for which my love and prayer
__are joined to send me with you all the while,
behold the garden, all that you can bear. ______the Rose
__To mount still higher to the Divine Ray
__and see within it, you must first prepare.
This Heaven’s queen, to whom for you I’ll pray ______the Virgin Mary
__with ardent love, will grant the needed grace,
__for I’m Bernard, her faithful devotee.”
I was like one who sees Veronica’s face, ______cloth bearing image of Christ’s face
__a pilgrim from Croatia, let us say,
__whose long-held longing now still with him stays,
and says to self while it is on display: ______at the Vatican
__“O Jesus Christ, my Savior, O true Lord,
__can this be Thou? This cloth can Thee portray?”
Just so was I as I was looking toward
__that wondrous one of living charity, ______St. Bernard
__who found peace studying what he adored. ______when still on earth
“O child of grace, a true felicity,”
__the elder said, “cannot be known to you
__if you keep eyes down, held on only me.
Regard the circles farthest from your view
__to find the highest throne and crown that’s worn ______the Virgin’s place
__by her, the queen this reign’s devoted to.”
I looked up then, and just as in the morn
__the oriental side of sky holds light
__surpassing skies which setting suns adorn, ______east brighter than west at sunrise
so, as one moves from lowlands to some height,
__I moved my eyes to see the farthest bound
__Outshine all other fronts within sight.
And as the place where once, perhaps, was found ______place where the sun rises
__young Phaethon’s ineptly guided team ______failed charioteer of the sun
__will blaze and thus diminish its surround,
so did that placid oriflamme then seem: ______French war standard, here denoting peace
__the middle quickened, while around, instead,
__there was an equal lessening of the beam.
Within the center, with their wings outspread,
__more than a thousand angels would cavort,
__each one distinct in light and what it did.
And I saw, smiling at their song and sport,
__a beauty that reflected greater bliss ______the Virgin
__into the eyes of all the holy court.
And if I had the words for such richness
__I can imagine now, to sing her praise, ______imagine in memory
__I would not dare to tell the least of this.
Bernard, on noting my intent fixed gaze,
__with such affection cast his own eyes higher
__to her to whom he most fervently prays.
His ardor warmed my own into a fire.

Italian Original

In forma dunque di candida rosa
mi si mostrava la milizia santa
che nel suo sangue Cristo fece sposa;

ma l’altra, che volando vede e canta
la gloria di colui che la ’nnamora
e la bontà che la fece cotanta,

sì come schiera d’ape che s’infiora
una fïata e una si ritorna
là dove suo laboro s’insapora,

nel gran fior discendeva che s’addorna
di tante foglie, e quindi risaliva
là dove ’l süo amor sempre soggiorna.

Le facce tutte avean di fiamma viva
e l’ali d’oro, e l’altro tanto bianco,
che nulla neve a quel termine arriva.

Quando scendean nel fior, di banco in banco
porgevan de la pace e de l’ardore
ch’elli acquistavan ventilando il fianco.

Né l’interporsi tra ’l disopra e ’l fiore
di tanta moltitudine volante
impediva la vista e lo splendore:

ché la luce divina è penetrante
per l’universo secondo ch’è degno,
sì che nulla le puote essere ostante.

Questo sicuro e gaudïoso regno,
frequente in gente antica e in novella,
viso e amore avea tutto ad un segno.

O trina luce che ’n unica stella
scintillando a lor vista, sì li appaga!
guarda qua giuso a la nostra procella!

Se i barbari, venendo da tal plaga
che ciascun giorno d’Elice si cuopra,
rotante col suo figlio ond’ ella è vaga,

veggendo Roma e l’ardüa sua opra,
stupefaciensi, quando Laterano
a le cose mortali andò di sopra;

ïo, che al divino da l’umano,
a l’etterno dal tempo era venuto,
e di Fiorenza in popol giusto e sano,

di che stupor dovea esser compiuto!
Certo tra esso e ’l gaudio mi facea
libito non udire e starmi muto.

E quasi peregrin che si ricrea
nel tempio del suo voto riguardando,
45e spera già ridir com’ ello stea,

su per la viva luce passeggiando,
menava ïo li occhi per li gradi,
mo sù, mo giù e mo recirculando.

Vedëa visi a carità süadi,
d’altrui lume fregiati e di suo riso,
e atti ornati di tutte onestadi.

La forma general di paradiso
già tutta mïo sguardo avea compresa,
in nulla parte ancor fermato fiso;

e volgeami con voglia rïaccesa
per domandar la mia donna di cose
di che la mente mia era sospesa.

Uno intendëa, e altro mi rispuose:
credea veder Beatrice e vidi un sene
vestito con le genti glorïose.

Diffuso era per li occhi e per le gene
di benigna letizia, in atto pio
quale a tenero padre si convene.

E “Ov’ è ella?”, sùbito diss’ io.
Ond’ elli: “A terminar lo tuo disiro
mosse Beatrice me del loco mio;

e se riguardi sù nel terzo giro
dal sommo grado, tu la rivedrai
nel trono che suoi merti le sortiro.”

Sanza risponder, li occhi sù levai,
e vidi lei che si facea corona
reflettendo da sé li etterni rai.

Da quella regïon che più sù tona
occhio mortale alcun tanto non dista,
qualunque in mare più giù s’abbandona,

quanto lì da Beatrice la mia vista;
ma nulla mi facea, ché süa effige
non discendëa a me per mezzo mista.

“O donna in cui la mia speranza vige,
e che soffristi per la mia salute
in inferno lasciar le tue vestige,

di tante cose quant’ i’ ho vedute,
dal tuo podere e da la tua bontate
riconosco la grazia e la virtute.

Tu m’hai di servo tratto a libertate
per tutte quelle vie, per tutt’ i modi
che di ciò fare avei la potestate.

La tua magnificenza in me custodi,
sì che l’anima mia, che fatt’ hai sana,
piacente a te dal corpo si disnodi.”

Così orai; e quella, sì lontana
come parea, sorrise e riguardommi;
poi si tornò a l’etterna fontana.

E ’l santo sene: «Acciò che tu assommi
perfettamente», disse, «il tuo cammino,
a che priego e amor santo mandommi,

vola con li occhi per questo giardino;
ché veder lui t’acconcerà lo sguardo
più al montar per lo raggio divino.

E la regina del cielo, ond’ ïo ardo
tutto d’amor, ne farà ogne grazia,
però ch’i’ sono il suo fedel Bernardo».

Qual è colui che forse di Croazia
viene a veder la Veronica nostra,
che per l’antica fame non sen sazia,

ma dice nel pensier, fin che si mostra:
“Segnor mio Iesù Cristo, Dio verace,
or fu sì fatta la sembianza vostra?”;

tal era io mirando la vivace
carità di colui che ’n questo mondo,
contemplando, gustò di quella pace.

“Figliuol di grazia, quest’ esser giocondo,”
cominciò elli, “non ti sarà noto,
tenendo li occhi pur qua giù al fondo;

ma guarda i cerchi infino al più remoto,
tanto che veggi seder la regina
cui questo regno è suddito e devoto.”

Io levai li occhi; e come da mattina
la parte orïental de l’orizzonte
soverchia quella dove ’l sol declina,

così, quasi di valle andando a monte
con li occhi, vidi parte ne lo stremo
vincer di lume tutta l’altra fronte.

E come quivi ove s’aspetta il temo
che mal guidò Fetonte, più s’infiamma,
e quinci e quindi il lume si fa scemo,

così quella pacifica oriafiamma
nel mezzo s’avvivava, e d’ogne parte
per igual modo allentava la fiamma;

130e a quel mezzo, con le penne sparte,
131vid’ io più di mille angeli festanti,
132ciascun distinto di fulgore e d’arte.

Vidi a lor giochi quivi e a lor canti
ridere una bellezza, che letizia
era ne li occhi a tutti li altri santi;

e s’io avessi in dir tanta divizia
quanta ad imaginar, non ardirei
lo minimo tentar di sua delizia.

Bernardo, come vide li occhi miei
nel caldo suo caler fissi e attenti,
li suoi con tanto affetto volse a lei,

che ’ miei di rimirar fé più ardenti.

Stephen Binns is an editor at the Smithsonian (the institution, not the magazine). His most recently published poetry appeared in the January 2023 issue of First Things.