CANTO XXV Now was it the ascent no hindrance brooked, Because the sun had his meridian circle To Taurus left, and night to Scorpio; Wherefore as doth a man who tarries not, But goes his way, whate'er to him appear, If of necessity the sting transfix him, In this wise did we enter through the gap, Taking the stairway, one before the other, Which by its narrowness divides the climbers. And as the little stork that lifts its wing With a desire to fly, and doth not venture To leave the nest, and lets it downward droop, Even such was I, with the desire of asking Kindled and quenched, unto the motion coming He makes who doth address himself to speak. Not for our pace, though rapid it might be, My Father sweet forbore, but said: "Let fly The bow of speech thou to the barb hast drawn." With confidence I opened then my mouth, And I began: "How can one meagre grow There where the need of nutriment applies not?" "If thou wouldst call to mind how Meleager Was wasted by the wasting of a brand, ΤΟ 15 20 This would not," said he, "be to thee so sour; And wouldst thou think how at each tremulous motion Trembles within a mirror your own image; Line 11. With a desire to fly, and does not venture 26 That which seems hard would mellow seem to thee. But that thou mayst content thee in thy wish Lo Statius here; and him I call and pray He now will be the healer of thy wounds." "If I unfold to him the eternal vengeance," Responded Statius, "where thou present art, Be my excuse that I can naught deny thee." Then he began: "Son, if these words of mine Thy mind doth contemplate and doth receive, They'll be thy light unto the How thou sayest. The perfect blood, which never is drunk up Into the thirsty veins, and which remaineth Like food that from the table thou removest, Takes in the heart for all the human members Virtue informative, as being that 30 35 40 Which to be changed to them goes through the veins. Again digest, descends it where 't is better Silent to be than say; and then drops thence There one together with the other mingles, One to be passive meant, the other active By reason of the perfect place it springs from; And being conjoined, begins to operate, Coagulating first, then vivifying What for its matter it had made consistent. The active virtue, being made a soul As of a plant (in so far different, This on the way is, that arrived already), 45 50 Then works so much, that now it moves and feels 55 Like a sea-fungus, and then undertakes To organize the powers whose seed it is. Now, Son, dilates and now distends itself The virtue from the generator's heart, Where nature is intent on all the members. But how from animal it man becomes Thou dost not see as yet; this is a point He made the soul from possible intellect, Open thy breast unto the truth that's coming, Behold the sun's heat, which becometh wine, It separates from the flesh, and virtually Bears with itself the human and divine; The other faculties are voiceless all; The memory, the intelligence, and the will In marvellous way on one shore or the other; The virtue informative rays round about, 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 And even as the air, when full of rain, 95 Which followeth the fire where'er it shifts, And other affections, so the shade is shaped, And now unto the last of all the circles Had we arrived, and to the right hand turned, And were attentive to another care. There the embankment shoots forth flames of fire, And upward doth the cornice breathe a blast Hence we must needs go on the open side, And one by one; and I did fear the fire Of the great burning chanted then I heard, 115 120 Which made me no less eager to turn round; And spirits saw I walking through the flame ; Wherefore I looked, to my own steps and theirs Apportioning my sight from time to time. After the close which to that hymn is made, Aloud they shouted, "Virum non cognosco ; Then recommenced the hymn with voices low. This also ended, cried they : «To the wood Diana ran, and drove forth Helice 126 130 Therefrom, who had of Venus felt the poison." Then to their song returned they; then the wives They shouted, and the husbands who were chaste, As virtue and the marriage vow imposes. And I believe that them this mode sufficeth, For all the time the fire is burning them; With such care is it needful, and such food, That the last wound of all should be closed up. Line 136. And I believe that them this mode suffices, 135 |