CANTO IV WHENEVER by delight or else by pain, That seizes any faculty of ours, Wholly to that the soul collects itself, It seemeth that no other power it heeds; And this against that error is which thinketh One soul above another kindles in us. And hence, whenever aught is heard or seen Which keeps the soul intently bent upon it, Time passes on, and we perceive it not, Because one faculty is that which listens, And other that which the soul keeps entire ; In hearing and in gazing at that spirit; The sun, and I had not perceived it, when We came to where those souls with one accord Cried out unto us: "Here is what you ask." A greater opening ofttimes hedges up With but a little forkful of his thorns The villager, what time the grape imbrowns, One climbs Sanleo and descends in Noli, Line 5. And this against that error is which thinks ΙΟ 15 20 25 With feet alone; but here one needs must fly; With the swift pinions and the plumes I say Of great desire, conducted after him Who gave me hope, and made a light for me. We mounted upward through the rifted rock, And on each side the border pressed upon us, And feet and hands the ground beneath required. When we were come upon the upper rim take?" 30 35 40 Of the high bank, out on the open slope, "My Master," said I, "what way shall we And he to me: "No step of thine descend; Still up the mount behind me win thy way, Till some sage escort shall appear to us.” The summit was so high it vanquished sight, And the hillside precipitous far more Than line from middle quadrant to the centre. Spent with fatigue was I, when I began : "O my sweet Father! turn thee and behold How I remain alone, unless thou stay!" "O son," he said, "up yonder drag thyself," Pointing me to a terrace somewhat higher, Which on that side encircles all the hill. These words of his so spurred me on, that I Strained every nerve, behind him scrambling up, 50 Until the circle was beneath my feet. Thereon ourselves we seated both of us 45 Turned to the East, from which we had ascended, To the low shores mine eyes I first directed, 55 Bewildered at the chariot of the light, 60 Where 'twixt us and the Aquilon it entered. Whereon he said to me: "If Castor and Pollux Were in the company of yonder mirror, That up and down conducteth with its light, That wouldst behold the zodiac's jagged wheel Revolving still more near unto the Bears, Unless it swerved aside from its old track. How that may be wouldst thou have power to think, Collected in thyself, imagine Zion Together with this mount on earth to stand, So that they both one sole horizon have, And hemispheres diverse; whereby the road Which Phaeton, alas! knew not to drive, Thou 'lt see how of necessity must pass This on one side, when that upon the other, If thine intelligence right clearly heed." “Truly, my Master," said I, "never yet 65 Saw I so clearly as I now discern, There where my wit appeared incompetent, That the mid-circle of supernal motion, Which in some art is the Equator called, And aye remains between the Sun and Winter, For reason which thou sayest, departeth hence Tow'rds the Septentrion, what time the Hebrews Beheld it tow'rds the region of the heat. But, if it pleaseth thee, I fain would learn. How far we have to go; for the hill riseth Higher than eyes of mine have power to rise." And he to me: "This mount is such, that ever At the beginning down below 't is tiresome, Line 86. How far we have to go; for the hill rises 70 75 80 85 And aye the more one climbs, the less it hurts. 90 A voice close by us sounded: "Peradventure 95 100 105 ΠΙΟ Was sitting down, and both his knees embraced, Holding his face low down between them bowed. "O my sweet Lord," I said, " do turn thine eye On him who shows himself more negligent Than even if Sloth herself his sister were." Then he turned round to us, and he gave heed, Just lifting up his eyes above his thigh, And said: "Now go thou up, for thou art valiant.” Then knew I who he was; and the distress, That still a little did my breathing quicken, My going to him hindered not; and after I came to him he hardly raised his head, Saying: "Hast thou seen clearly how the sun O'er thy left shoulder drives his chariot ?"" His sluggish attitude and his curt words 115 120 A little unto laughter moved my lips; Then I began: “ Belacqua, I grieve not For thee henceforth; but tell me, wherefore seated In this place art thou? Waitest thou an escort ? Or has thy usual habit seized upon thee?” And he: "O brother, what's the use of climbing? Since to my torment would not let me go The Angel of God, who sitteth at the gate. First heaven must needs so long revolve me round Outside thereof, as in my life it did, 126 131 Since the good sighs I to the end postponed, Unless, e'er that, some prayer may bring me aid Which rises from a heart that lives in grace; What profit others that in heaven are heard not?" Meanwhile the Poet was before me mounting, 136 And saying: "Come now; see the sun has touched Meridian, and from the shore the night Covers already with her foot Morocco." |