Canto V

that heaven she entered, More luminous thereat the planet grew; And if the star itself was changed and smiled, What became I, who by my nature am Exceeding mutable in every guise! As, in a fishpond which is pure and tranquil, The fishes draw to that which from without Comes in such fashion that their food they deem it; So I beheld more than a thousand splendors Drawing towards us, and in each was heard: “Lo, this is she who shall increase our love.” And as each one was coming unto us, Full of beatitude the shade was seen, By the effulgence clear that issued from it. Think, Reader, if what here is just beginning No farther should proceed, how thou wouldst have An agonizing need of knowing more; And of thyself thou’lt see how I from these Was in desire of hearing their conditions, As they unto mine eyes were manifest. “O thou wellborn, unto whom Grace concedes To see the thrones of the eternal triumph, Or ever yet the warfare be abandoned With light that through the whole of heaven is spread Kindled are we, and hence if thou desirest To know of us, at thine own pleasure sate thee.” Thus by someone among those holy spirits Was spoken, and by Beatrice: “Speak, speak Securely, and believe them even as Gods.” “Well I perceive how thou dost nest thyself In thine own light, and drawest it from thine eyes, Because they coruscate when thou dost smile, But know not who thou art, nor why thou hast, Spirit august, thy station in the sphere That veils itself to men in alien rays.” This said I in direction of the light Which first had spoken to me; whence it became By far more lucent than it was before. Even as the sun, that doth conceal himself By too much light, when heat has worn away The tempering influence of the vapors dense, By greater rapture thus concealed itself In its own radiance the figure saintly, And thus close, close enfolded answered me In fashion as the following Canto sings.