Canto 3

That sun which first had heated my breast with love, proving and refuting, had uncovered to me the sweet aspect of fair truth; and I, in order to confess myself corrected and assured so far as was needful, raised my head more erect to speak. But a vision appeared which held me to itself so close in order to be seen, that of my confession I remembered not.

The sun that first warmed my heart with love had revealed the sweet beauty of truth to me, proving and refuting. I raised my head to speak, ready to acknowledge that I had been corrected and reassured as much as I needed. But a vision appeared and drew my attention so completely that I forgot what I had meant to say.

As through transparent and polished glasses, or through clear and tranquil waters, not so deep that their bed be lost, the lineaments of our faces return so feebly that a pearl on a white brow comes not less readily to our eyes, so I saw many faces eager to speak; wherefore I ran into the error contrary to that which kindled love between the man and the fountain.⁴⁰ Suddenly, even as I became aware of them, supposing them mirrored semblances, I turned my eyes to see of whom they were; and I saw nothing; and I turned them forward again, straight into the light of the sweet guide who, smiling, was glowing in her holy eyes. “Wonder not because I smile,” she said to me, “at thy puerile thought, since thy foot trusts itself not yet upon the truth, but turns thee, as it is wont, to emptiness. True substances are these which thou seest, here relegated through failure in their vows. Therefore speak with them, and hear, and believe; for the veracious light which satisfies them allows them not to turn their feet from itself.”

In clear, polished glass, or in calm, clear water shallow enough to reveal its bed, our faces appear faintly reflected. The features are so faint that a pearl on a white forehead would be no harder to see. Just as faintly, I saw many faces eager to speak. So I made the opposite mistake from the one that kindled love between the man and the fountain.⁴⁰ As soon as I noticed the faces, I took them for reflections. I turned to see whose faces they were, but I saw nothing. Then I looked forward again, directly at my sweet guide. She was smiling, and her holy eyes glowed. “Do not wonder why I smile at your childish thought,” she said. “Your feet do not yet stand firm on the truth. Instead, as usual, your thought leads you astray. The ones you see are real beings, placed here because they failed to keep their vows. So speak with them, listen, and believe them. The truthful light that satisfies them does not allow them to turn away from it.”

And I directed me to the shade that seemed most eager to speak, and I began, even like a man whom too strong wish confuses, “O well-created spirit, who in the rays of life eternal tastest the sweetness, which untasted never is understood, it will be gracious to me, if thou contentest me with thy name, and with your destiny.” Whereon she promptly, and with smiling eyes, “Our charity locks not its door to a just wish, more than that which wills that all its court be like itself. I was in the world a virgin sister,⁴¹ and if thy mind well regards, my being more beautiful will not conceal me from thee; but thou wilt recognize that I am Piccarda,⁴² who, placed here with these other blessed Ones, am blessed in the slowest sphere. Our affections, which are inflamed only in the pleasure of the Holy Spirit, rejoice in being formed according to His order;⁴³ and this allotment, which appears so low, is forsooth given to us, because our vows were neglected or void in some part.” Whereon I to her, In your marvellous aspects there shines I know not what divine which transmutes you from our first conceptions; therefore I was not swift in remembering; but now that which you say to me assists me, so that refiguring is plainer to me. But tell me, ye who are happy here, do ye desire a highher place, in order to see more, or to make yourselves more friends?” With those other shades she first smiled a little; then answered me so glad, that she seemed to burn in the first fire of love, “Brother, virtue of charity⁴⁴ quiets our will, and makes us wish only for that which we have, and for aught else makes us not thirsty. Should we desire to be higher up, our desires would be discordant with the will of Him who assigns us to this place, which thou wilt see is not possible in these circles, if to be in charity is here necesse,⁴⁵ and if its nature thou dost well consider. Nay, it is essential to this blessed existence to hold ourselves within the divine will, whereby our very wills are made one. So that as we are, from stage to stage throughout this realm, to all the realm is pleasing, as to the King who inwills us with His will. And His will is our peace; it is that sea whereunto is moving all that which It creates and which nature makes.”

I turned to the shade who seemed most eager to speak. Like someone confused by a desire too strong for words, I began, “O well-created spirit, in the rays of eternal life you taste a sweetness no one can understand without tasting it. Please tell me your name and your destiny.” She answered at once, her eyes smiling. “Our love does not close its door to a just wish, any more than God does. He wishes everyone in his court to be like him. In the world I was a virgin sister,⁴¹ and if you look closely, my greater beauty will not hide me from you. You will recognize that I am Piccarda,⁴² blessed here with these other blessed souls in the slowest sphere. Our hearts are set aflame only by what pleases the Holy Spirit. We rejoice that our desires are shaped by his order.⁴³ We have been given this place, which seems so low, because our vows were neglected or left partly unfulfilled.” Then I said to her, “A divine quality shines in your marvelous appearance, transforming you from what we first knew. So I was slow to recognize you. But now your words help me, and I can more clearly recall your face. Tell me, do you who are happy here desire a higher place, so that you can see more or become closer friends?” She and the other shades smiled a little. Then she answered so joyfully that she seemed to burn in the first fire of love. “Brother, the virtue of charity⁴⁴ calms our will. It makes us wish only for what we have, and leaves us thirsting for nothing else. If we wished to be higher, our desires would conflict with the will of him who assigns us to this place. You will see that such conflict is impossible in these circles, if charity is necessary here⁴⁵ and if you consider its nature carefully. Indeed, it is essential to this blessed life that we keep ourselves within the divine will. Through that will, our own wills are made one. So our places, from level to level throughout this realm, are pleasing to the whole realm. They are also pleasing to the King, who fills our wills with his own. And his will is our peace. It is the sea toward which all that it creates and all that nature makes are moving.”

Clear was it then to me, how everywhere in Heaven is Paradise, although the grace of the Supreme Good rains not there in one measure.

Then I understood that Paradise is everywhere in Heaven, although the grace of the Supreme Good does not rain equally everywhere.

But even as it happen, if one food sates, and for another the appetite still remains, that this is asked for, and that declined with thanks; so did I, with gesture and with speech, to learn from her, what was the web whereof she did not draw the shuttle to the head.⁴⁶ “Perfect life and high merit in-heaven a lady higher up,” she said to me, “according to whose rule, in your world below, there are who vest and veil themselves, so that till death they may wake and sleep with that Spouse who accepts every vow which love conforms unto His pleasure. A young girl, I fled from the world to follow her, and in her garb I shut myself, and pledged me to the pathway of her order. Afterward men, more used to ill than good, dragged me forth from the sweet cloister;⁴⁷ and God knows what then my life became. And this other splendor, which shows itself to thee at my right side, and which glows with all the light of our sphere, that which I say of me understands of herself.⁴⁸ A sister was she; and in like manner from her head the shadow of the sacred veils was taken. But after she too was returned unto the world against her liking and against good usage, from the veil of the heart she was never unbound.⁴⁹ This is the light of the great Constance,⁵⁰ who from the second wind of Swabia produced the third and the last power.”

But sometimes one food satisfies us while we still want another. We ask for one and decline the other with thanks. So, in words and gestures, I asked her about the work she had left unfinished, like a weaver who had not carried her shuttle to the end of the cloth.⁴⁶ “Perfect life and great merit place a lady higher in heaven,” she said to me. “In your world below, some women put on robes and veils according to her rule. They do this so that, until death, they may wake and sleep with the Spouse who accepts every vow that love shapes to please him. As a young girl, I fled the world to follow her. I put on her robes and pledged myself to the path of her order. Later, men more accustomed to evil than good dragged me from the sweet cloister.⁴⁷ God knows what my life became then. “The other shining spirit you see at my right glows with all the light of our sphere. What I have said of myself is true of her too.⁴⁸ She was a sister, and the sacred veils were taken from her head in the same way. But although she too was returned to the world against her will and against all right, she was never freed from the veil of her heart.⁴⁹ This is the light of the great Constance,⁵⁰ who from the second wind of Swabia produced the third and last power.”

Thus she spoke to me, and then began singing “Ave Maria,” and Singing vanished, like a heavy thing through deep water. My sight, that followed her so far as was possible, after it lost her turned to the mark of greater desire, and wholly rendered itself to Beatrice; but she so flashed upon my gaze that at first the sight endured it not: and this made me more slow in questioning.

After saying this, she began singing “Ave Maria.” Still singing, she vanished like a heavy object sinking through deep water. I followed her with my eyes as far as I could. When I could no longer see her, I turned toward what I desired more and gave Beatrice my full attention. But she shone so brightly that at first I could not bear to look at her. This made me slower to ask my question.