Canto 26

While I was apprehensive because of my quenched sight, a breath which made me attentive issued from the effulgent flame that quenched it, saying, “While thou art regaining the sense of sight which thou hast consumed on me, it is well that thou make up for it by discourse. Begin then, and tell whereto thy soul is aimed, and make thy reckoning that sight is in thee bewildered and not dead; because the Lady who conducts thee through this divine region has in her look the virtue which the band of Ananias had.”⁵⁰² I said, “According to her pleasure, or soon or late, let the cure come to the eyes which were gates when she entered with the fire wherewith I ever burn! The Good which makes this court content is Alpha and Omega of whatsoever writing Love reads to me, either low or loud.” That same voice which had taken from me fear of the sudden dazzling, laid on me the charge to speak further, and said, “Surely with a finer sieve it behoves thee to clarify; it behoves thee to tell who directed thy bow to such a target.” And I, “By philosophic arguments and by authority that hence descends, such love must needs be impressed on me; for the good, so far as it is good, in proportion as it is understood, kindles love; and so much the greater as the more of goodness it includes within itself. Therefore, to the Essence (wherein is such supremacy that every good which is found outside of It is naught else than a beam of Its own radiance), more than to any other, the mind of every one who discerns the truth on which this argument is founded must needs be moved in love.⁵⁰³ Such truth to my intelligence he makes plain, who demonstrates to me the first love of all the sempiternal substances.⁵⁰⁴ The voice of the true Author makes it plain who, speaking of Himself, says to Moses, 'I will make thee see all goodness.'⁵⁰⁵ Thou, too, makest it plain to me, beginning the lofty proclamation which there below, above all other trump, declares the secret of this place on high.”⁵⁰⁶ And I heard, “By human understanding, and by authorities concordant with it, thy sovran love looks unto God; but say, further, if thou feelest other cords draw thee towards Him, so that thou mayest declare with how many teeth this love bites thee.”

While I was anxious about losing my sight, a voice came from the brilliant flame that had blinded me. It caught my attention and said, “You are recovering the sight you spent on me. Meanwhile, you should make up for its loss by speaking. Begin by telling me what your soul is set on. And know that your sight is confused, not dead. The Lady who guides you through this divine realm has the power in her gaze that Ananias had in his hand.”⁵⁰² I said, “Let my eyes be healed sooner or later, as she pleases. They were the gates through which she entered with the fire that burns in me still! The Good that makes this court content is the Alpha and Omega of everything Love tells me, softly or loudly.” The same voice had freed me from fear of the sudden blindness. Now it urged me to say more. “Surely you must sift your answer more finely,” it said. “You must tell me who aimed your bow at such a target.” And I said, “Philosophical arguments and authority that comes down from heaven both require me to love in this way. For goodness, as far as it is understood, kindles love in proportion to how good it is. The greater the goodness, the greater the love. The supreme Essence is such that every good found outside it is only a ray of its own light. So anyone who understands the truth behind this argument must be moved to love that Essence above all else.⁵⁰³ The philosopher who shows me the first love of all eternal beings makes this truth clear to my mind.⁵⁰⁴ The voice of the true Author also makes it clear. Speaking of himself, he says to Moses, 'I will make you see all goodness.'⁵⁰⁵ You, too, make it clear to me. You do so at the beginning of your lofty proclamation. There on earth, that proclamation reveals the secret of this heavenly place more clearly than any other trumpet.”⁵⁰⁶ Then I heard, “Your highest love is directed toward God by human reason and by authorities that agree with it. But tell me more. Do you feel other cords drawing you toward him? Tell me, so that you may reveal how many teeth this love bites you with.”

The holy intention of the Eagle of Christ was not latent to me; nay, rather I perceived whither he wished to lead my profession; therefore, I began again: “All those bitings which can make the heart turn to God have been concurrent unto my charity;⁵⁰⁷ for the existence of the world, and my own existence, the death that He endured that I may live, and that which all the faithful hope even as I do, together with the aforesaid living knowledge, have drawn me from the sea of perverted love, and have set me on the shore of the right. The leaves, wherewith all the garden of the Eternal Gardener is enleaved, I love in proportion as good is borne unto them from Him.”

The holy intention of the Eagle of Christ was clear to me. I understood what he wanted me to say, so I began again: “All the impulses that can turn the heart toward God have contributed to my love.⁵⁰⁷ The existence of the world and my own existence have drawn me from the sea of misguided love and set me on the shore of true love. So have the death he endured so that I may live, the hope I share with all the faithful, and the living knowledge mentioned before. I love the leaves that fill the garden of the Eternal Gardener in proportion to the good he gives them.”

Soon as I was silent a most sweet song resounded through the heavens, and my Lady said with the rest, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

As soon as I fell silent, a very sweet song rang through the heavens. My Lady joined the others in saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

And as at a keen light sleep is broken by the spirit of sight, which runs to the splendor that goes from coat to coat,⁵⁰⁸ and he who awakes shrinks from what he sees, so confused is his sudden wakening, until his judgment comes to his aid; thus Beatrice chased away every mote from my eyes with the radiance of her own, which were resplendent more than a thousand miles; so that I then saw better than before; and, as it were amazed, I asked about a fourth light which I saw with us. And my Lady, “Within those rays the first soul which the First Power ever created gazes with joy upon its creator.”

A bright light can break a person’s sleep when the spirit of sight rushes toward its radiance as it passes through each layer of the eye.⁵⁰⁸ The person wakes and shrinks from what he sees. His sudden awakening leaves him confused until his judgment comes to his aid. In the same way, Beatrice swept every speck from my eyes with the radiance of her own eyes. They shone for more than a thousand miles. As a result, I could see better than before. Almost amazed, I asked about a fourth light I saw with us. And my Lady said, “Within those rays, the first soul ever created by the First Power gazes joyfully upon its creator.”

As the bough that bends its top at passing of the wind, and then lifts itself by its own virtue which raises it, so did I, in amazement, the while she was speaking; and then a desire to speak, wherewith I was burning, gave me again assurance, and I began, “O Apple, that alone wast produced mature, O ancient Father, to whom every bride is daughter and daughter-in-law, devoutly as I can, I supplicate thee that thou speak to me; thou seest my wish, and in order to hear thee quickly, I do not tell it.”

A branch bends its top as the wind passes, then rises again by its own strength. In my amazement, I did the same while she was speaking. Then my burning desire to speak gave me confidence again, and I began, “O Apple, you alone were created fully grown. O ancient Father, every bride is both your daughter and your daughter-in-law. I beg you as devoutly as I can to speak to me. You can see what I wish to ask. I will not say it, so that I may hear you sooner.”

Sometimes an animal, which is covered up, so stirs, that his desire must needs become apparent through the corresponding movement which that which wraps him makes; and in like manner the first soul made evident to me, through its covering, how gladly it came to do me pleasure. Then it breathed, “Without its being uttered to me by thee, I better discern thy wish, than thou whatever thing is most certain to thee; because I see it in the truthful mirror which makes of Itself a likeness of other tbings, while nothing makes for It a likeness of Itself.⁵⁰⁹ Thou wouldst hear how long it is since God placed me in the lofty garden where this Lady disposed thee for so long a stairway; and how long it was a delight to my eyes; and the proper cause of the great wrath; and the idiom which I used and which I made. Now, my son, the tasting of the tree was not by itself the cause of so long an exile, but only the overpassing of the bound. There whence thy Lady moved Virgil, I longed for this assembly during four thousand three hundred and two revolutions of the sun; and while I was on earth I saw him return to all the lights of his path nine hundred and thirty times. The tongue which I spoke was all extinct long before the people of Nimrod attempted their unaccomplishable work; for never was any product of the reason (because of human liking, which alters, following the heavens) durable for ever.⁵¹⁰ A natural action it is for man to speak; but, thus or thus, nature then leaves for you to do according as it pleases you. Before I descended to the infernal anguish, the Supreme Good, whence comes the gladness that swathes me, was on earth called I; EL it was called afterwards;⁵¹¹ and that must needs be,⁵¹² for the custom of mortals is as a leaf on a branch, which goes away and another comes. On the mountain which rises highest from the wave I was, with pure life and sinful, from the first hour to that which, when the sun changes quadrant, follows the sixth hour.”⁵¹³

Sometimes a covered animal moves so that its desire becomes clear from the movement of its covering. In the same way, the first soul showed me through its covering how gladly it came to please me. Then it breathed, “Even without your telling me, I see your wish more clearly than you see whatever is most certain to you. I see it in the truthful mirror. That mirror makes itself a likeness of other things, while nothing makes a likeness of it.⁵⁰⁹ You want to hear how long it has been since God placed me in the lofty garden. There, this Lady prepared you for so long a climb. You also want to know how long the garden delighted my eyes, and the true cause of the great wrath. And you want to know the language I used and made. “Now, my son, tasting the tree was not in itself the cause of so long an exile. The cause was simply crossing the boundary. From the place where your Lady sent Virgil, I longed for this assembly through four thousand three hundred and two revolutions of the sun. And while I was on earth, I saw the sun return to all the lights along its path nine hundred and thirty times. “The language I spoke had entirely died out long before the people of Nimrod attempted their impossible work. For no product of reason ever lasted forever, because human tastes change, following the heavens.⁵¹⁰ Speaking is natural to humans. But nature leaves you free to speak one way or another, as you please. Before I descended to the anguish of hell, the Supreme Good was called I on earth. From the Supreme Good comes the joy that envelops me. It was called EL afterward.⁵¹¹ And that had to be,⁵¹² for mortal custom is like a leaf on a branch. One leaf falls away, and another comes. “On the mountain that rises highest from the sea, I lived both in innocence and in sin. I was there from the first hour until the hour after the sixth, when the sun changes quadrant.”⁵¹³