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of the resemblance that was born

       Of his discourse and that of Beatrice,

       Whom, after him, it pleased thus to begin:

      "This man has need (and does not tell you so,

       Nor with the voice, nor even in his thought)

       Of going to the root of one truth more.

      Declare unto him if the light wherewith

       Blossoms your substance shall remain with you

       Eternally the same that it is now;

      And if it do remain, say in what manner,

       After ye are again made visible,

       It can be that it injure not your sight."

      As by a greater gladness urged and drawn

       They who are dancing in a ring sometimes

       Uplift their voices and their motions quicken;

      So, at that orison devout and prompt,

       The holy circles a new joy displayed

       In their revolving and their wondrous song.

      Whoso lamenteth him that here we die

       That we may live above, has never there

       Seen the refreshment of the eternal rain.

      The One and Two and Three who ever liveth,

       And reigneth ever in Three and Two and One,

       Not circumscribed and all things circumscribing,

      Three several times was chanted by each one

       Among those spirits, with such melody

       That for all merit it were just reward;

      And, in the lustre most divine of all

       The lesser ring, I heard a modest voice,

       Such as perhaps the Angel's was to Mary,

      Answer: "As long as the festivity

       Of Paradise shall be, so long our love

       Shall radiate round about us such a vesture.

      Its brightness is proportioned to the ardour,

       The ardour to the vision; and the vision

       Equals what grace it has above its worth.

      When, glorious and sanctified, our flesh

       Is reassumed, then shall our persons be

       More pleasing by their being all complete;

      For will increase whate'er bestows on us

       Of light gratuitous the Good Supreme,

       Light which enables us to look on Him;

      Therefore the vision must perforce increase,

       Increase the ardour which from that is kindled,

       Increase the radiance which from this proceeds.

      But even as a coal that sends forth flame,

       And by its vivid whiteness overpowers it

       So that its own appearance it maintains,

      Thus the effulgence that surrounds us now

       Shall be o'erpowered in aspect by the flesh,

       Which still to-day the earth doth cover up;

      Nor can so great a splendour weary us,

       For strong will be the organs of the body

       To everything which hath the power to please us."

      So sudden and alert appeared to me

       Both one and the other choir to say Amen,

       That well they showed desire for their dead bodies;

      Nor sole for them perhaps, but for the mothers,

       The fathers, and the rest who had been dear

       Or ever they became eternal flames.

      And lo! all round about of equal brightness

       Arose a lustre over what was there,

       Like an horizon that is clearing up.

      And as at rise of early eve begin

       Along the welkin new appearances,

       So that the sight seems real and unreal,

      It seemed to me that new subsistences

       Began there to be seen, and make a circle

       Outside the other two circumferences.

      O very sparkling of the Holy Spirit,

       How sudden and incandescent it became

       Unto mine eyes, that vanquished bore it not!

      But Beatrice so beautiful and smiling

       Appeared to me, that with the other sights

       That followed not my memory I must leave her.

      Then to uplift themselves mine eyes resumed

       The power, and I beheld myself translated

       To higher salvation with my Lady only.

      Well was I ware that I was more uplifted

       By the enkindled smiling of the star,

       That seemed to me more ruddy than its wont.

      With all my heart, and in that dialect

       Which is the same in all, such holocaust

       To God I made as the new grace beseemed;

      And not yet from my bosom was exhausted

       The ardour of sacrifice, before I knew

       This offering was accepted and auspicious;

      For with so great a lustre and so red

       Splendours appeared to me in twofold rays,

       I said: "O Helios who dost so adorn them!"

      Even as distinct with less and greater lights

       Glimmers between the two poles of the world

       The Galaxy that maketh wise men doubt,

      Thus constellated in the depths of Mars,

       Those rays described the venerable sign

       That quadrants joining in a circle make.

      Here doth my memory overcome my genius;

       For on that cross as levin gleamed forth Christ,

       So that I cannot find ensample worthy;

      But he who takes his cross and follows Christ

       Again will pardon me what I omit,

       Seeing in that aurora lighten Christ.

      From horn to horn, and 'twixt the top and base,

       Lights were in motion, brightly scintillating

       As they together met and passed each other;

      Thus level and aslant and swift and slow

       We here behold, renewing still the sight,

       The particles of bodies long and short,

      Across the sunbeam move, wherewith is listed

       Sometimes the shade, which for their own defence

       People with cunning and with art contrive.

      And as a lute and harp, accordant strung

       With many strings, a dulcet tinkling make

       To him by whom the notes are not distinguished,

      So from the lights that there to me appeared

       Upgathered through the cross a melody,

       Which rapt me, not distinguishing

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