Canto 31

“O thou who art on the further side of the sacred river,” turning her speech with the point to me, which only by the edge had seemed to me keen, she began anew, going on without delay, “say, say, if this is true: to so great an accusation it behoves that thine own confession be conjoined.” My power was so confused, that the voice moved, and became extinct before it could be released by its organs. A little she bore it; then she said, “What thinkest thou? Reply to me; for the sad memories in thee are not yet injured by the water.”⁴⁵⁴ Confusion and fear together mingled forced such a “Yes” from out my mouth, that the eyes were needed for the understanding of it.

“You on the far side of the sacred river,” she began again without delay. She now aimed her words directly at me, though even their edge had seemed sharp to me. “Tell me, tell me, is this true? Such a grave accusation must be joined by your own confession.” I was so overwhelmed that my voice died before I could speak. She waited a little, then said, “What are you thinking? Answer me, for the water has not yet erased your sad memories.”⁴⁵⁴ Confusion and fear together forced a “Yes” from my mouth, but it was so faint that it had to be read from my lips.

As a cross-bow breaks its cord and its bow when it shoots with too great tension, and with less force the shaft hits the mark, so did I burst under that heavy load, pouring forth tears and sighs, and the voice slackened along its passage. Whereupon she to me, “Within those desires of mine⁴⁵⁵ that were leading thee to love the Good beyond which there is nothing whereto man may aspire, what trenches running traverse, or what chains didst thou find, for which thou wert obliged thus to abandon the hope of passing onward? And what enticements, or what advantages on the brow of the others were displayed,⁴⁵⁶ for which thou wert obliged to court them?” After the drawing of a bitter sigh, hardly had I the voice that answered, and the lips with difficulty gave it form. Weeping, I said, “The present things with their false pleasure turned my steps, soon as your face was hidden.” And she: “Hadst thou been silent, or hadst thou denied that which thou dost confess, thy fault would be not less noted, by such a Judge is it known. But when the accusation of the sin, bursts from one’s own cheek, in our court the wheel turns itself back against the edge. But yet, that thou mayst now bear shame for thy error, and that another time, hearing the Sirens, thou mayst be stronger, hay aside the seed of weeping, and listen; so shalt thou hear how in opposite direction my buried flesh ought to have moved thee. Never did nature or art present to thee pleasure such as the fair limbs wherein I was enclosed; and they are scattered in earth. And if the supreme pleasure thus failed thee through my death, what mortal thing ought then to have drawn thee into its desire? Forsooth thou oughtest, at the first arrow of things deceitful, to have risen up, following me who was no longer such. Nor should thy wings have weighed thee downward to await more blows, either girl or other vanity of so brief a use. The young little bird awaits two or three; but before the eyes of the full-fledged, the net is spread in vain, the arrow shot.”

When a crossbow is drawn too tight, its cord and bow break, and the arrow hits its target with less force. So I broke under that heavy burden, pouring out tears and sighs. My voice faded as I tried to speak. Then she said to me, “My desires⁴⁵⁵ were leading you to love the Good, beyond which there is nothing anyone can aspire to. What trenches or chains did you find in their path that forced you to abandon hope of going forward? And what attractions or advantages did you see in the others⁴⁵⁶ that forced you to pursue them?” After a bitter sigh, I could hardly find the voice to answer, and my lips could barely form the words. Weeping, I said, “Present things, with their false pleasure, led me astray as soon as your face was hidden from me.” And she said, “Even if you had stayed silent or denied what you now confess, your fault would be no less apparent. It is known to such a Judge. But when the accusation of sin comes from a person's own lips, in our court the wheel turns back against the blade. Still, you must feel shame for your error now, so that you may be stronger when you hear the Sirens again. So put aside the cause of your weeping and listen. Then you will hear how my buried flesh should have moved you in the opposite direction. “Neither nature nor art ever offered you pleasure like the beautiful limbs that enclosed me, and they are scattered in the earth. If that supreme pleasure failed you through my death, what mortal thing should then have drawn you to desire it? Surely, at the first arrow of deceitful things, you should have risen up and followed me, who was no longer one of them. Nor should your wings have weighed you down, leaving you to wait for more blows from a girl or some other vanity of such brief use. A young bird waits for two or three blows, but the net is spread and the arrow shot in vain before the eyes of a fully fledged bird.”

As children, ashamed, dumb, with eyes upon the ground, stand listening and conscience-stricken and repentant, so was I standing. And she said, “Since through hearing thou art grieved, lift up thy beard, and thou shalt receive more grief in seeing.” With less resistance is a sturdy oak uprooted by a native wind, or by one from the land of Iarbas,⁴⁵⁷ than I raised up my chin at her command; and when by the beard she asked for my eyes, truly I recognized the venom of the argument.⁴⁵⁸ And as my face stretched upward, my sight perceived that those primal creatures were resting from their strewing, and my eyes, still little assured, saw Beatrice turned toward the animal that is only one person in two natures.⁴⁵⁹ Beneath her veil and beyond the stream she seemed to me more to surpass her ancient self, than she surpassed the others here when she was here. So pricked me there the nettle of repentance, that of all other things the one which most turned me aside unto its love became most hostile to me.⁴⁶⁰

I stood like a child who listens in shame and silence, eyes on the ground, guilty and repentant. And she said, “Since hearing has caused you grief, lift your beard, and you will feel more grief when you see.” A sturdy oak is more easily uprooted by a local wind or one from the land of Iarbas⁴⁵⁷ than I raised my chin at her command. When she asked me to raise my eyes by calling them my beard, I truly felt the sting of her words.⁴⁵⁸ As I lifted my face, I saw that those primal creatures had stopped scattering flowers. My eyes, still uncertain, saw Beatrice turned toward the animal that is one person with two natures.⁴⁵⁹ She stood beneath her veil, beyond the stream. She seemed to surpass her former self more than she had surpassed the others here when she was here. There, repentance stung me so sharply that the thing which had drawn me most to love it became the most hateful to me.⁴⁶⁰

Such contrition stung my heart that I fell overcome; and what I then became she knows who afforded me the cause.

Remorse pierced my heart so deeply that I collapsed. Only the woman who caused my remorse knows what became of me then.

Then, when my heart restored my outward faculties, I saw above me the lady whom I had found alone,⁴⁶¹ and she was saying, “Hold me, hold me.” She had drawn me into the stream up to the throat, and dragging me behind was moving upon the water light as a shuttle. When I was near the blessed shore, “Asperges me”⁴⁶² I heard so sweetly that I cannot remember it, far less can write it. The beautiful lady opened her arms, clasped my head, and plunged me in where it behoved that I should swallow the water.⁴⁶³ Then she took me, and, thus bathed, brought me within the dance of the four beautiful ones,⁴⁶⁴ and each of them covered me with her arm. “Here we are nymphs, and in heaven we are stars: ere Beatrice had descended to the world we were ordained unto her for her handmaids. We will head thee to her eyes; but in the joyous light which is within them, the three yonder who deeper gaze shall make keen thine own.”⁴⁶⁵ Thus singing, they began; and then to the breast of the griffon they led me with them, where Beatrice was standing turned toward us. They said, “See that thou sparest not thy sight: we have placed thee before the emeralds whence Love of old drew his arrows upon thee.” A thousand desires hotter than flame bound my eyes to the relucent eyes which only upon the griffon were standing fixed. As the sun in a mirror, not otherwise the twofold animal was gleaming therewithin, now with one, now with another mode.⁴⁶⁶ Think, Reader, if I marvelled when I saw the thing stand quiet in itself, while in its image it was transmuting itself.

Then, when my heart restored my senses, I saw above me the lady I had found alone.⁴⁶¹ She was saying, “Hold me, hold me.” She had drawn me into the stream up to my throat. She moved across the water as lightly as a shuttle, dragging me behind her. When I was near the blessed shore, I heard “Asperges me”⁴⁶² sung so sweetly that I cannot remember it, much less write it down. The beautiful lady opened her arms, clasped my head, and plunged me under, where I had to swallow the water.⁴⁶³ Then she took me, bathed as I was, into the dance of the four beautiful ones.⁴⁶⁴ Each of them put an arm around me. “Here we are nymphs, and in heaven we are stars. Before Beatrice came down to the world, we were chosen to be her handmaids. We will lead you to her eyes. But the three over there, who see more deeply, will sharpen your sight for the joyful light within her eyes.”⁴⁶⁵ So they began to sing. Then they led me to the griffon’s breast, where Beatrice stood facing us. They said, “Do not hold back your gaze. We have placed you before the emeralds from which Love once drew his arrows against you.” A thousand desires, hotter than flame, bound my eyes to her shining eyes, which were fixed on the griffon alone. As the sun shines in a mirror, so the creature of two natures shone in her eyes. Now one nature appeared, now the other.⁴⁶⁶ Think, Reader, whether I marveled when I saw the creature remain unchanged while its reflection changed.

While, full of amazement and glad, my soul was tasting that food which, sating of itself, causes hunger for itself, the other three, showing themselves in their bearing of loftier order, came forward dancing to their angelic melody. “Turn, Beatrice, turn thy holy eyes,” was their song, “upon thy faithful one, who to see thee has taken so many steps. For grace do us the grace that thou unveil to hum thy mouth, so that he may discern the second beauty which thou concealest.”⁴⁶⁷

My soul was filled with wonder and joy as it tasted that food, which satisfies the soul yet leaves it hungry for more. Meanwhile, the other three came forward, dancing to their angelic melody. Their bearing showed that they were of a higher order. “Turn, Beatrice, turn your holy eyes,” they sang, “toward your faithful one, who has taken so many steps to see you. Please grant us the grace of unveiling your mouth to him, so that he may see the second beauty you conceal.”⁴⁶⁷

Oh splendor of living light eternal! Who hath become so pallid under the shadow of Parnassus, or hath so drunk at its cistern, that he would not seem to have his mind encumbered, trying to represent thee as thou didst appear there where in harmony the heaven overshadows thee when in the open air thou didst thyself disclose?

Oh splendor of eternal living light! Who has grown so pale in the shadow of Parnassus, or drunk so deeply from its cistern, that he would not struggle to describe you? You appeared there beneath the harmonious heavens, when you revealed yourself in the open air.