the divine comedy(神曲)-第67章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
Then reigned within my lofty fantasy
One crucified; disdainful and ferocious
In countenance; and even thus was dying。
Around him were the great Ahasuerus;
Esther his wife; and the just Mordecai;
Who was in word and action so entire。
And even as this image burst asunder
Of its own self; in fashion of a bubble
In which the water it was made of fails;
There rose up in my vision a young maiden
Bitterly weeping; and she said: 〃O queen;
Why hast thou wished in anger to be naught?
Thou'st slain thyself; Lavinia not to lose;
Now hast thou lost me; I am she who mourns;
Mother; at thine ere at another's ruin。〃
As sleep is broken; when upon a sudden
New light strikes in upon the eyelids closed;
And broken quivers ere it dieth wholly;
So this imagining of mine fell down
As soon as the effulgence smote my face;
Greater by far than what is in our wont。
I turned me round to see where I might be;
When said a voice; 〃Here is the passage up;〃
Which from all other purposes removed me;
And made my wish so full of eagerness
To look and see who was it that was speaking;
It never rests till meeting face to face;
But as before the sun; which quells the sight;
And in its own excess its figure veils;
Even so my power was insufficient here。
〃This is a spirit divine; who in the way
Of going up directs us without asking;
And who with his own light himself conceals。
He does with us as man doth with himself;
For he who sees the need; and waits the asking;
Malignly leans already tow'rds denial。
Accord we now our feet to such inviting;
Let us make haste to mount ere it grow dark;
For then we could not till the day return。〃
Thus my Conductor said; and I and he
Together turned our footsteps to a stairway;
And I; as soon as the first step I reached;
Near me perceived a motion as of wings;
And fanning in the face; and saying; 〃'Beati
Pacifici;' who are without ill anger。〃
Already over us were so uplifted
The latest sunbeams; which the night pursues;
That upon many sides the stars appeared。
〃O manhood mine; why dost thou vanish so?〃
I said within myself; for I perceived
The vigour of my legs was put in truce。
We at the point were where no more ascends
The stairway upward; and were motionless;
Even as a ship; which at the shore arrives;
And I gave heed a little; if I might hear
Aught whatsoever in the circle new;
Then to my Master turned me round and said:
〃Say; my sweet Father; what delinquency
Is purged here in the circle where we are?
Although our feet may pause; pause not thy speech。〃
And he to me: 〃The love of good; remiss
In what it should have done; is here restored;
Here plied again the ill…belated oar;
But still more openly to understand;
Turn unto me thy mind; and thou shalt gather
Some profitable fruit from our delay。
Neither Creator nor a creature ever;
Son;〃 he began; 〃was destitute of love
Natural or spiritual; and thou knowest it。
The natural was ever without error;
But err the other may by evil object;
Or by too much; or by too little vigour。
While in the first it well directed is;
And in the second moderates itself;
It cannot be the cause of sinful pleasure;
But when to ill it turns; and; with more care
Or lesser than it ought; runs after good;
'Gainst the Creator works his own creation。
Hence thou mayst comprehend that love must be
The seed within yourselves of every virtue;
And every act that merits punishment。
Now inasmuch as never from the welfare
Of its own subject can love turn its sight;
From their own hatred all things are secure;
And since we cannot think of any being
Standing alone; nor from the First divided;
Of hating Him is all desire cut off。
Hence if; discriminating; I judge well;
The evil that one loves is of one's neighbour;
And this is born in three modes in your clay。
There are; who; by abasement of their neighbour;
Hope to excel; and therefore only long
That from his greatness he may be cast down;
There are; who power; grace; honour; and renown
Fear they may lose because another rises;
Thence are so sad that the reverse they love;
And there are those whom injury seems to chafe;
So that it makes them greedy for revenge;
And such must needs shape out another's harm。
This threefold love is wept for down below;
Now of the other will I have thee hear;
That runneth after good with measure faulty。
Each one confusedly a good conceives
Wherein the mind may rest; and longeth for it;
Therefore to overtake it each one strives。
If languid love to look on this attract you;
Or in attaining unto it; this cornice;
After just penitence; torments you for it。
There's other good that does not make man happy;
'Tis not felicity; 'tis not the good
Essence; of every good the fruit and root。
The love that yields itself too much to this
Above us is lamented in three circles;
But how tripartite it may be described;
I say not; that thou seek it for thyself。〃
Purgatorio: Canto XVIII
An end had put unto his reasoning
The lofty Teacher; and attent was looking
Into my face; if I appeared content;
And I; whom a new thirst still goaded on;
Without was mute; and said within: 〃Perchance
The too much questioning I make annoys him。〃
But that true Father; who had comprehended
The timid wish; that opened not itself;
By speaking gave me hardihood to speak。
Whence I: 〃My sight is; Master; vivified
So in thy light; that clearly I discern
Whate'er thy speech importeth or describes。
Therefore I thee entreat; sweet Father dear;
To teach me love; to which thou dost refer
Every good action and its contrary。〃
〃Direct;〃 he said; 〃towards me the keen eyes
Of intellect; and clear will be to thee
The error of the blind; who would be leaders。
The soul; which is created apt to love;
Is mobile unto everything that pleases;
Soon as by pleasure she is waked to action。
Your apprehension from some real thing
An image draws; and in yourselves displays it
So that it makes the soul turn unto it。
And if; when turned; towards it she incline;
Love is that inclination; it is nature;
Which is by pleasure bound in you anew
Then even as the fire doth upward move
By its own form; which to ascend is born;
Where longest in its matter it endures;
So comes the captive soul into desire;
Which is a motion spiritual; and ne'er rests
Until she doth enjoy the thing beloved。
Now may apparent be to thee how hidden
The truth is from those people; who aver
All love is in itself a laudable thing;
Because its matter may perchance appear
Aye to be good; but yet not each impression
Is good; albeit good may be the wax。〃
〃Thy words; and my sequacious intellect;〃
I answered him; 〃have love revealed to me;
But that has made me more impregned with doubt;
For if love from without be offered us;
And with another foot the soul go not;
If right or wrong she go; 'tis not her merit。〃
And he to me: 〃What reason seeth here;
Myself can tell thee; beyond that await
For Beatrice; since 'tis a work of faith。
Every substantial form; that segregate
From matter is; and with it is united;
Specific power has in itself collected;
Which without act is not perceptible;
Nor shows itself except by its effect;
As life does in a plant by the green leaves。
But still; whence cometh the intelligence
Of the first notions; man is ignorant;
And the affection for the first allurements;
Which are in you as instinct in the bee
To make its honey; and this first desire
Merit of praise or blame containeth not。
Now; that to this all others may be gathered;
Innate within you is the power that counsels;
And it should keep the threshold of assent。
This is the principle; from which is taken
Occasion of desert in you; according
As good and guilty loves it takes and winnows。
Those who; in reasoning; to the bottom went;
Were of this innate liberty aware;
Therefore bequeathed they Ethics to the world。
Supposing; then; th