When the sun that illuminates the entire world
descends so far from our hemisphere
that daylight is consumed on every side,
the heaven that was lit by him alone
suddenly reveals itself again
through countless lights, with one most radiant.
This celestial act came into my mind
when the eagle—emblem of the world and its rulers—
had fallen silent in its blessed beak.
All those living lights of souls
became far more luminous and began songs
that now slip and fade from my memory.
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THE EAGLE
“All those living lights of souls / became far more luminous and began songs / that now slip and fade from my memory.”
O gentle Love, cloaked in smiles,
how ardent you appeared in those sparks
that breathed with nothing but holy thoughts!
After the precious, clear crystals
that adorned the sixth sphere I beheld
imposed silence on the angelic bells,
I seemed to hear the murmuring of a river
flowing clear down from rock to rock,
showing the abundance of its mountain source.
As sound takes form upon a guitar's neck,
or as wind entering a shepherd's pipe,
so too—released from waiting's delay—
that murmuring of the eagle rose up
along its neck, as if hollow within.
There it became a voice and issued forth
from its beak in words
my heart awaited, and which I now write:
"The part of me that sees and endures the sun
in mortal eagles," it began,
"must now be looked upon intently.
Of all the fires that form my figure,
those from which my eye sparkles
are supreme among their ranks.
He who shines in the center as my pupil
was once the singer of the Holy Spirit
who carried the ark from city to city.
Now he knows the merit of his song
in measure with the reward
that matches his own efforts.
Of the five who circle my brow,
he nearest to my beak
consoled the poor widow for her son.
Now he knows how dearly it costs
not to follow Christ, through experience
of this sweet life and its opposite.
The next along the circumference
at its highest arc
postponed death through sincere repentance.
Now he knows that eternal judgment
never changes, though worthy prayer
can make tomorrow of today.
The one who follows, with good laws and me,
under good intent that bore evil fruit,
became Greek by yielding to the shepherd.
Now he knows that all the harm
flowing from his good deed does not hurt him,
though the world may be destroyed by it.
And he whom you see in the downward arc
was William, mourned by the same land
that weeps for Charles and Frederick still living.
Now he knows how heaven falls in love
with a just king, and shows this still
in the brilliance of his light.
Who would believe in the wandering world below
that Trojan Ripheus could ever be
the fifth among these holy lights?
Now he knows enough of what the world
cannot see of divine grace,
though even his sight cannot reach the depths."
Like a lark soaring through the air,
first singing, then silent with contentment
at the final sweetness that satisfies her—
so appeared to me this image stamped
by eternal pleasure, whose will
makes everything become what it is.
Though my doubt was as transparent
as glass is to the color within it,
it could not endure waiting in silence.
"What are these things?" burst from my mouth
with the force of its own weight.
At this I saw great flashing joy.
Then with eyes even more kindled,
the blessed standard replied,
not to leave me suspended in wonder:
"I see you believe these things
because I speak them, but cannot see how—
so though believed, they remain hidden.
You act like one who grasps a thing by name
but cannot perceive its essence
unless another reveals it.
The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence
from fervent love and living hope
that conquers the Divine will—
not as one person conquers another,
but conquers because it wills to be conquered,
and conquered, conquers through kindness.
The first soul of the eyebrow and the fifth
cause your amazement because you see
the angelic realm painted with them.
They did not leave their bodies as pagans,
as you think, but as Christians
with steadfast faith in feet that would suffer and had suffered.
One returned from Hell—where none
ever turns back to good will—
returned to his bones, and this was living hope's reward.
Living hope that placed its power
in prayers made to God to resurrect him,
making it possible to move his will.
The glorious soul of whom I speak,
returning briefly to flesh,
believed in Him who could help.
Believing, he kindled such fire
of true love that at his second death
he was worthy to come to this joy.
The other, through grace that wells
from so deep a source that no creature's eye
has ever reached its primal wave,
set all his love on righteousness below.
So God opened his eye, grace upon grace,
to our redemption yet to come.
He believed in this and would not suffer
the stench of paganism from that day,
reproving the perverse people for it.
Those three maidens you saw
at the right wheel served as his baptism
more than a thousand years before baptizing.
O predestination! How remote
your root lies from the sight of all
who do not see the First Cause entire!
And you mortals, restrain yourselves
from judging—we who look upon God
do not yet know all the elect.
This limitation is sweet to us
because our good is perfected in this good:
whatever God wills, we also will."
In this manner that divine shape
gave me pleasant medicine
to clarify my short sight.
As a good singer with a good lute player
who accompanies with vibrating strings
to make the song more pleasing,
so while it spoke I remember seeing
both those blessed lights,
like eyes blinking in harmony,
moving their small flames to match the words.