Believe for certain, shouldst thou stand a full
Millennium in the bosom of this flame,

It could not make thee bald a single hair.
And if perchance thou think that I deceive thee,
Draw near to it, and put it to the proof
With thine own hands upon thy garment's hem.
Now lay aside, now lay aside all fear,

Turn hitherward, and onward come securely;"
And I still motionless, and 'gainst my conscience!
Seeing me stand still motionless and stubborn,

Somewhat disturbed he said: "Now look thou, Son,
'Twixt Beatrice and thee there is this wall."

As at the name of Thisbe oped his lids

The dying Pyramus, and gazed upon her,
What time the mulberry became vermilion,
Even thus, my obduracy being softened,

I turned to my wise Guide, hearing the name
That in my memory evermore is welling.
Whereat he wagged his head, and said: "How now?

Shall we stay on this side?" then smiled as one
Does at a child who's vanquished by an apple.

Then into the fire in front of me he entered,

Beseeching Statius to come after me,
Who a long way before divided us.

When I was in it, into molten glass

I would have cast me to refresh myself,
So without measure was the burning there!
And my sweet Father, to encourage me,

Discoursing still of Beatrice went on,
Saying: "Her eyes I seem to see already!"
A voice, that on the other side was singing,
Directed us, and we, attent alone

On that, came forth where the ascent began. "Venite, benedicti Patris mei,"

Sounded within a splendour, which was there
Such it o'ercame me, and I could not look.
"The sun departs," it added, "and night cometh ;
Tarry ye not, but onward urge your steps,
So long as yet the west becomes not dark."
Straight forward through the rock the path ascended
In such a way that I cut off the rays
Before me of the sun, that now was low.
And of few stairs we yet had made assay,

Ere by the vanished shadow the sun's setting
Behind us we perceived, I and my Sages.

PURGATORIO, XXVII.

And ere in all its parts immeasurable

The horizon of one aspect had become, And Night her boundless dispensation held, Each of us of a stair had made his bed;

Because the nature of the mount took from us The power of climbing, more than the delight. Even as in ruminating passive grow

The goats, who have been swift and venturesome
Upon the mountain-tops ere they were fed,
Hushed in the shadow, while the sun is hot,

Watched by the herdsman, who upon his staff
Is leaning, and in leaning tendeth them;
And as the shepherd, lodging out of doors,

Passes the night beside his quiet flock,
Watching that no wild beast may scatter it,
Such at that hour were we, all three of us,

I like the goat, and like the herdsmen they,
Begirt on this side and on that by rocks.
Little could there be seen of things without;
But through that little I beheld the stars
More luminous and larger than their wont.
Thus ruminating, and beholding these,

Sleep seized upon me,-sleep, that oftentimes
Before a deed is done has tidings of it.
It was the hour, I think, when from the East

First on the mountain Citherea beamed,

Who with the fire of love seems always burning;

Youthful and beautiful in dreams methought

I saw a lady walking in a meadow,
Gathering flowers; and singing she was saying:
"Know whosoever may my name demand

That I am Leah, and go moving round
My beauteous hands to make myself a garland.
To please me at the mirror, here I deck me,
But never does my sister Rachel leave
Her looking-glass, and sitteth all day long.
To see her beauteous eyes as eager is she,
As I am to adorn me with my hands;
Her, seeing, and me, doing satisfies.”
And now before the antelucan splendours

That unto pilgrims the more grateful rise,
As, home-returning, less remote they lodge,
The darkness fled away on every side,

And slumber with it; whereupon I rose,
Seeing already the great Masters risen.

"That apple sweet, which through so many branches
The care of mortals goeth in pursuit of,
To-day shall put in peace thy hungerings."
Speaking to me, Virgilius of such words

As these made use; and never were there guerdons
That could in pleasantness compare with these.
Such longing upon longing came upon me

To be above, that at each step thereafter
For flight I felt in me the pinions growing.
When underneath us was the stairway all

Run o'er, and we were on the highest step,
Virgilius fastened upon me his eyes,
And said: "The temporal fire and the eternal,
Son, thou hast seen, and to a place art come
Where of myself no farther I discern.

By intellect and art I here have brought thee;

Take thine own pleasure for thy guide henceforth;
Beyond the steep ways and the narrow art thou.
Behold the sun, that shines upon thy forehead;

Behold the grass, the flowerets, and the shrubs
Which of itself alone this land produces.

Until rejoicing come the beauteous eyes

Which weeping caused me to come unto thee,
Thou canst sit down, and thou canst walk among them.

Expect no more or word or sign from me;

Free and upright and sound is thy free-will,
And error were it not to do its bidding;

Thee o'er thyself I therefore crown and mitre !"

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CANTO XXVIII.

EAGER already to search in and round

The heavenly forest, dense and living-green, Which tempered to the eyes the new-born day, Withouten more delay I left the bank,

Taking the level country slowly, slowly

Over the soil that everywhere breathes fragrance.

A softly-breathing air, that no mutation.

Had in itself, upon the forehead smote me
No heavier blow than of a gentle wind,

Whereat the branches, lightly tremulous,

Did all of them bow downward toward that side
Where its first shadow casts the Holy Mountain;

Yet not from their upright direction swayed,
So that the little birds upon their tops
Should leave the practice of each art of theirs ;
But with full ravishment the hours of prime,

Singing, received they in the midst of leaves,
That ever bore a burden to their rhymes,
Such as from branch to branch goes gathering on
Through the pine forest on the shore of Chiassi,
When Eolus unlooses the Sirocco.

Already my slow steps had carried me

Into the ancient wood so far, that I
Could not perceive where I had entered it.
And lo! my further course a stream cut off,

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Which tow'rd the left hand with its little waves
Bent down the grass that on its margin sprang.

All waters that on earth most limpid are

Would seem to have within themselves some mixture
Compared with that which nothing doth conceal,

Although it moves on with a brown, brown current

Under the shade perpetual, that never
Ray of the sun lets in, nor of the moon.

With feet I stayed, and with mine eyes I passed
Beyond the rivulet, to look upon
The great variety of the fresh may.
And there appeared to me (even as appears
Suddenly something that doth turn aside
Through very wonder every other thought)

A lady all alone, who went along

Singing and culling floweret after floweret,
With which her pathway was all painted over.

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"Ah, beauteous lady, who in rays of love

Dost warm thyself, if I may trust to looks,
Which the heart's witnesses are wont to be,

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May the desire come unto thee to draw

Near to this river's bank," I said to her,

So much that I may hear what thou art singing.
Thou makest me remember where and what

Proserpina that moment was when lost
Her mother her, and she herself the Spring."
As turns herself, with feet together pressed
And to the ground, a lady who is dancing,
And hardly puts one foot before the other,
On the vermilion and the yellow flowerets

She turned towards me, not in other wise

Than maiden who her modest eyes casts down ;

And my entreaties made to be content,

So near approaching, that the dulcet sound
Came unto me together with its meaning.
As soon as she was where the grasses are

Bathed by the waters of the beauteous river,
To lift her eyes she granted me the boon.
I do not think there shone so great a light

Under the lids of Venus, when transfixed
By her own son, beyond his usual custom!
Erect upon the other bank she smiled,

Bearing full many colours in her hands,
Which that high land produces without seed.
Apart three paces did the river make us ;
But Hellespont, where Xerxes passed across,
(A curb still to all human arrogance,)
More hatred from Leander did not suffer

For rolling between Sestos and Abydos,
Than that from me, because it oped not then.
"Ye are new-comers; and because I smile,"
Began she, "peradventure, in this place
Elect to human nature for its nest,
Some apprehension keeps you marvelling:
But the psalm Delectasti giveth light

Which has the power to uncloud your intellect.
And thou who foremost art, and didst entreat me,

Speak, if thou wouldst hear more; for I came ready
To all thy questionings, as far as needful."
"The water," said I, "and the forest's sound,
Are combating within me my new faith

In something which I heard opposed to this."
Whence she: "I will relate how from its cause

Proceedeth that which maketh thee to wonder,
And purge away the cloud that smites upon thee.
The Good Supreme, sole in itself delighting,

Created man good, and this goodly place
Gave him as hansel of eternal peace.

By his default short while he sojourned here;
By his default to weeping and to toil

He changed his innocent laughter and sweet play.

That the disturbance which below is made

By exhalations of the land and water,
(Which far as may be follow after heat,)

Might not upon mankind wage any war,

This mount ascended tow'rds the heaven so high,
And is exempt, from there where it is locked.