DANTE'S SUBLIME COMEDY: PARADISE: Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Saint James and John

I have grown thin through working years upon

            this sacred song both Heaven and earth require.

            Perhaps it may persuade my enemies                     3

who drove me from the town where I was born, 

            a lamb among ferocious wolves, to change

            their minds, invite me back with thicker fleece,      6

sharper horns, stronger bleat, to be crowned as

            Italy’s Poet Laureate within

            the kirk where I was christened, given entry          9

           

to the faith that had Saint Peter welcome me 

in Heaven. Here Peter thrice circled me.

From out that part of the sphere wherein shine     12

our Lord’s apostles, a new glory came

             “See the noble James,” my guide now murmured,

             “Brother of Saint John and martyred in Spain      15

where pilgrims worship at his shrine.” I saw

            Peter and James converse, rotating round                                               

              each other like mating doves, then both gazed    18

so steadily at me. I had to cringe

            and look away. Laughing, Beatrice said,                                        

             “O famous poet! Only living soul                         21

chosen to see the court of Paradise

            and show the world it’s generosity!                                                               

              To make good hope resound about this height    24

you must meet Peter, James and John, the three

            to whom their Master showed the greatest light.”                                   

             “Lift up your head! take comfort!” James declared,  27

the second glory, adding, “At this height 

              everyone is ripened by our rays.”

              So I raised my eyes to those whose greatness       30

previously held them down, then James said.

            “God’s grace has brought you to meet face to face                                  

              those of His inner cabinet, that you                       33

  

may strengthen in yourself and others, hope

            that lets love flourish on the earth below.                                    

              So first of all let me examine you.                         36

Say what hope is, how grows in you, and whence                            

              hope came.” She who had winged me here replied.

            “Our Kirk has nobody more full of hope                39

than this man our Sun chooses for His Grace.

            Yes, he may enter new Jerusalem

            from out the land of bondage into which                42

he must return. You ask for two more facts,

            not because you don’t know his answers, but

            to show how much you value hopeful speech.        45

He will answer for himself easily,

without boasting. God’s Grace will be his help.”

Like student keen to see his master smile,              48

“Hope,” said I, “is sure expectation of

glory to come, made by God’s Grace in souls

purged fully of old sins. This light reached me       51

from many stars, but first King David’s psalm

            inspired the surest hope. He sang Let them

            hope in Me who know My name. I who was          54

baptized knew it well. To David’s stream

            of hope your Epistle added more, so

            satisfied, I now try to satisfy                                   57

others with what I know.” In that fire’s heart

            flashes like lightning were repeated while

            I spoke, then it breathed this: “The love of hope    60

still burns in me and always will. Please me

            more. Say what hope now promises to you.”

            Said I, “Old and new scriptures tell the goal          63

God provides for his friends. They point me here.

            Isaiah says, All reaching their own land

will be clad, body and soul, in double robes.         66

Your brother John says the robes will be white.

The promised land is here.” When I said this

            I heard above, “Hope for all is in You.”                69

All choirs in Paradise repeated that,

            and a great star among them shone as bright

            as any in the zodiac. As at                                     72

wedding feasts a happy maiden dances,

            not just for fun, but honouring the bride,

            I saw this new splendour join the two flames        75

dance to the anthem that proclaimed their love.

            Said Beatrice, “See John, who Christ loved most

            of His disciples and when crucified,                      78

begged him to care for His mother Mary.”       

              As after eclipse folk have been blinded

by suddenly the sun striking their eyes                  81

I discovered my eyes had lost their sight

            “Why dazzle yourself to see what’s not here?”

            Said John, “My body is earth, will be there            84

till our number equals the pure sum God

requires. My brothers in this company

are the only lights that have come so high.             87

Take this report back to your world.” At this

            the flaming sphere fell silent, with the sound

            of the saints’ sweetly mingled breath, just as          90

at a whistle’s sound, oarsmen stop rowing

            to avoid danger or fatigue. O how

            troubled I was not to see Beatrice,

though she was by my side in Paradise!                             94