DANTE'S SUBLIME COMEDY: PARADISE: Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12: Of Dominic

And when that holy flame said his last word

the shining chorus circled once again,

            and I beheld that now surrounding it                3

a ring of other shining souls revolved.

            The outer ring echoed the middle one

            in colours of the purest harmony.                     6

As sunbursts pierce the clouds after a storm

            in double rainbows they enhaloed us,

also in dancing movements and sweet song.    9

                

And then this festival of light and sound

suddenly paused. From one new vivid heart

came speech. Like compass needle to the pole  12

I turned to that bright soul and heard it say:

“A love of justice forces me to speak

 of Dominic. You heard Aquinas say                15

for wisdom he was near the Cherubim.

Because Aquinas, a Dominican,

praised Francis to the height where he belongs 18

it is but right that I, a Franciscan,

equally celebrate Saint Dominic.

Christ made our Church to be God’s force on earth. 21

It ended European Paganism.

Since then its foes have been hypocrisy

(which Francis fought) and heresy.                  24

Heads of some well-fed priests had grown so thick

they did not clearly understand Christ’s laws

or know exactly what heresy was.                   27

Dominic came to teach these things, and did.

This mighty athlete for the Christian faith,

this hero keen to counteract God’s foes           30

came from a tiny village in Castile

near the Atlantic shore. His mother dreamed

            when he was in her womb she bore a dog       33

  

with flaming torch in mouth to kindle faith,

            then his godmother dreamed before baptism

            a guiding star was glowing on his brow.         36

           

She chose a Christian name whose greatest part

            is Latin word for master: dominus,

            so he became a master gardener                      39

tending the vines of Christ. When infant, he

            stared at the ground, as often pondering

            Christ’s early words, seek for God’s kingdom first. 42

His father’s name, Felici meant delight;

            his mother Giovanna’s, grace of God.

            Suitable names! Their son became a priest      45

renowned for honesty and industry

            not rich by mastery of canon laws

            but earning Heaven’s bread: enough to feed   48

his strength by working for the poor and week,

            in wasted fields where vines were withering

            because they’d been in need of proper care.    51

Then he approached the highest priest of all,

            one much less friendly to the upright poor

            than better popes who filled that seat before.  54

He did not want wealth left for pious use,

            or for a chance to rob from charities

            or for a more exulted job. He begged             57

for leave to preach against the erring world

            and use both learning and his holy zeal

            to combat false beliefs where these prevailed. 60

Permission thus requested was received.

            Like torrent pouring down a mountainside

            he and his preachers flung themselves upon      63

thickets and undergrowths of heresy,

            using most force in scouring up the roots

            where they had clung most deep. He is the source 66

of many pure streams watering young shoots

            and keeping faith’s Catholic garden green.

            Men like Saint Dominic compose the rings            69

            

shining like double garlands In this sun,

            or like two wheels on which our chariot,

            the Church, should run when strife is overcome.    72

Both deserve praise that Thomas Aquinas

            politely gave Francis before I spoke.

            I am the soul of Bonaventura,                                 75

once head of Francis’ Order who well knew

            honour and wealth are traps we can avoid.

            I fear that sorrow reaches me in Heaven.                78

My Order now is troubled by a schism

            for some now bind themselves to poverty

            too painfully for many to endure;                            81

some find the right track hard so go too slow

            retarding men who walk behind their back.

            These shirk our rule; the former narrow it.              84

Read our book carefully and I admit

            you will find pages truly written with

            I keep those rules of Francis I have vowed,            87

yet foul weeds sprout within our field of corn.

            When it is time to bring the harvest in,

            how loudly they will shout as they complain          90

of reapers who won’t garner them as grain!

            I’ll introduce you to my circle now.

            Illuminato and Augustine were                               93

first barefoot brethren to become God’s friends.

            See Hugh of Paris, theologian;

            two Peters next of Troyes and of Spain.                 96

The first expounded Bible history,

            the Spaniard made the use of logic plain

            in twelve small books before elected pope.            99

Now two who preached on sins of royalty –

            Nathan rebuked David of Israel,

            Empress Eudoxia winced from the tongue            102

of Chrysostom or Golden Mouth who was

            Byzantine Patriarch. Andselm came next,

            England’s Archbishop representing Rome            105

           

 who argued with its kings; then Donatus,

            grammarian and teacher of that art

            on which speech, writing, law depend, then next 108

Rabanus the German Latinist and

commentator. Lastly, here at my side

            shines Abbot Joachim, who drew divine              111

                                       

prophecies from St John’s Apocalypse.

            And now I must acknowledge yet again

the splendid courtesy of Aquinas                          114

to saintly Francis, my own paladin,                                                            

which moved me here to say the good I know

            about the equally great Dominic,                                                   

who also showed how to live free of sin.                         118