True　constellation　and　the　double　dance
  That　circled　round　the　point　at　which　I　was；
  Because　it　is　as　much　beyond　our　wont；
  As　swifter　than　the　motion　of　the　Chiana
  Moveth　the　heaven　that　all　the　rest　outspeeds。
  There　sang　they　neither　Bacchus；　nor　Apollo；
  But　in　the　divine　nature　Persons　three；
  And　in　one　person　the　divine　and　human。
  The　singing　and　the　dance　fulfilled　their　measure；
  And　unto　us　those　holy　lights　gave　need；
  Growing　in　happiness　from　care　to　care。
  Then　broke　the　silence　of　those　saints　concordant
  The　light　in　which　the　admirable　life
  Of　God's　own　mendicant　was　told　to　me；
  And　said：　〃Now　that　one　straw　is　trodden　out
  Now　that　its　seed　is　garnered　up　already；
  Sweet　love　invites　me　to　thresh　out　the　other。
  Into　that　bosom；　thou　believest；　whence
  Was　drawn　the　rib　to　form　the　beauteous　cheek
  Whose　taste　to　all　the　world　is　costing　dear；
  And　into　that　which；　by　the　lance　transfixed；
  Before　and　since；　such　satisfaction　made
  That　it　weighs　down　the　balance　of　all　sin；
  Whate'er　of　light　it　has　to　human　nature
  Been　lawful　to　possess　was　all　infused
  By　the　same　power　that　both　of　them　created；
  And　hence　at　what　I　said　above　dost　wonder；
  When　I　narrated　that　no　second　had
  The　good　which　in　the　fifth　light　is　enclosed。
  Now　ope　thine　eyes　to　what　I　answer　thee；
  And　thou　shalt　see　thy　creed　and　my　discourse
  Fit　in　the　truth　as　centre　in　a　circle。
  That　which　can　die；　and　that　which　dieth　not；
  Are　nothing　but　the　splendour　of　the　idea
  Which　by　his　love　our　Lord　brings　into　being；
  Because　that　living　Light；　which　from　its　fount
  Effulgent　flows；　so　that　it　disunites　not
  From　Him　nor　from　the　Love　in　them　intrined；
  Through　its　own　goodness　reunites　its　rays
  In　nine　subsistences；　as　in　a　mirror；
  Itself　eternally　remaining　One。
  Thence　it　descends　to　the　last　potencies；
  Downward　from　act　to　act　becoming　such
  That　only　brief　contingencies　it　makes；
  And　these　contingencies　I　hold　to　be
  Things　generated；　which　the　heaven　produces
  By　its　own　motion；　with　seed　and　without。
  Neither　their　wax；　nor　that　which　tempers　it；
  Remains　immutable；　and　hence　beneath
  The　ideal　signet　more　and　less　shines　through；
  Therefore　it　happens；　that　the　selfsame　tree
  After　its　kind　bears　worse　and　better　fruit；
  And　ye　are　born　with　characters　diverse。
  If　in　perfection　tempered　were　the　wax；
  And　were　the　heaven　in　its　supremest　virtue；
  The　brilliance　of　the　seal　would　all　appear；
  But　nature　gives　it　evermore　deficient；
  In　the　like　manner　working　as　the　artist；
  Who　has　the　skill　of　art　and　hand　that　trembles。
  If　then　the　fervent　Love；　the　Vision　clear；
  Of　primal　Virtue　do　dispose　and　seal；
  Perfection　absolute　is　there　acquired。
  Thus　was　of　old　the　earth　created　worthy
  Of　all　and　every　animal　perfection；
  And　thus　the　Virgin　was　impregnate　made；
  So　that　thine　own　opinion　I　commend；
  That　human　nature　never　yet　has　been；
  Nor　will　be；　what　it　was　in　those　two　persons。
  Now　if　no　farther　forth　I　should　proceed；
  'Then　in　what　way　was　he　without　a　peer？'
  Would　be　the　first　beginning　of　thy　words。
  But；　that　may　well　appear　what　now　appears　not；
  Think　who　he　was；　and　what　occasion　moved　him
  To　make　request；　when　it　was　told　him；　'Ask。'
  I've　not　so　spoken　that　thou　canst　not　see
  Clearly　he　was　a　king　who　asked　for　wisdom；
  That　he　might　be　sufficiently　a　king；
  'Twas　not　to　know　the　number　in　which　are
  The　motors　here　above；　or　if　'necesse'
  With　a　contingent　e'er　'necesse'　make；
  'Non　si　est　dare　primum　motum　esse；'
  Or　if　in　semicircle　can　be　made
  Triangle　so　that　it　have　no　right　angle。
  Whence；　if　thou　notest　this　and　what　I　said；
  A　regal　prudence　is　that　peerless　seeing
  In　which　the　shaft　of　my　intention　strikes。
  And　if　on　'rose'　thou　turnest　thy　clear　eyes；
  Thou'lt　see　that　it　has　reference　alone
  To　kings　who're　many；　and　the　good　are　rare。
  With　this　distinction　take　thou　what　I　said；
  And　thus　it　can　consist　with　thy　belief
  Of　the　first　father　and　of　our　Delight。
  And　lead　shall　this　be　always　to　thy　feet；
  To　make　thee；　like　a　weary　man；　move　slowly
  Both　to　the　Yes　and　No　thou　seest　not；
  For　very　low　among　the　fools　is　he
  Who　affirms　without　distinction；　or　denies；
  As　well　in　one　as　in　the　other　case；
  Because　it　happens　that　full　often　bends
  Current　opinion　in　the　false　direction；
  And　then　the　feelings　bind　the　intellect。
  Far　more　than　uselessly　he　leaves　the　shore；
  （Since　he　returneth　not　the　same　he　went；）
  Who　fishes　for　the　truth；　and　has　no　skill；
  And　in　the　world　proofs　manifest　thereof
  Parmenides；　Melissus；　Brissus　are；
  And　many　who　went　on　and　knew　not　whither；
  Thus　did　Sabellius；　Arius；　and　those　fools
  Who　have　been　even　as　swords　unto　the　Scriptures
  In　rendering　distorted　their　straight　faces。
  Nor　yet　shall　people　be　too　confident
  In　judging；　even　as　he　is　who　doth　count
  The　corn　in　field　or　ever　it　be　ripe。
  For　I　have　seen　all　winter　long　the　thorn
  First　show　itself　intractable　and　fierce；
  And　after　bear　the　rose　upon　its　top；
  And　I　have　seen　a　ship　direct　and　swift
  Run　o'er　the　sea　throughout　its　course　entire；
  To　perish　at　the　harbour's　mouth　at　last。
  Let　not　Dame　Bertha　nor　Ser　Martin　think；
  Seeing　one　steal；　another　offering　make；
  To　see　them　in　the　arbitrament　divine；
  For　one　may　rise；　and　fall　the　other　may。〃
  Paradiso：　Canto　XIV
  From　centre　unto　rim；　from　rim　to　centre；
  In　a　round　vase　the　water　moves　itself；
  As　from　without　'tis　struck　or　from　within。
  Into　my　mind　upon　a　sudden　dropped
  What　I　am　saying；　at　the　moment　when
  Silent　became　the　glorious　life　of　Thomas；
  Because　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