As to behold the apple-tree in blossom Which makes the Angels greedy for its fruit, And keeps perpetual bridals in the Heaven, Peter and John and James conducted were, And, overcome, recovered at the word By which still greater slumbers have been broken, And saw their school diminished by the loss Not only of Elias, but of Moses, And the apparel of their Master changed;
So I revived, and saw that piteous one Above me standing, who had been conductress Aforetime of my steps beside the river, And all in doubt I said, "Where's Beatrice?"
And she: "Behold her seated underneath The leafage new, upon the root of it.
Behold the company that circles her;
The rest behind the Griffin are ascending With more melodious song, and more profound."
And if her speech were more diffuse I know not, Because already in my sight was she Who from the hearing of aught else had shut me.
Alone she sat upon the very earth, Left there as guardian of the chariot Which I had seen the biform monster fasten.
Encircling her, a cloister made themselves The seven Nymphs, with those lights in their hands Which are secure from Aquilon and Auster.
"Short while shalt thou be here a forester, And thou shalt be with me for evermore A citizen of that Rome where Christ is Roman.
Therefore, for that world's good which liveth ill, Fix on the car thine eyes, and what thou seest, Having returned to earth, take heed thou write."
Thus Beatrice; and I, who at the feet Of her commandments all devoted was, My mind and eyes directed where she willed.
Never descended with so swift a motion Fire from a heavy cloud, when it is raining From out the region which is most remote, As I beheld the bird of Jove descend Down through the tree, rending away the bark, As well as blossoms and the foliage new, And he with all his might the chariot smote, Whereat it reeled, like vessel in a tempest Tossed by the waves, now starboard and now larboard.
Thereafter saw I leap into the body Of the triumphal vehicle a Fox, That seemed unfed with any wholesome food.
But for his hideous sins upbraiding him, My Lady put him to as swift a flight As such a fleshless skeleton could bear.
Then by the way that it before had come, Into the chariot's chest I saw the Eagle Descend, and leave it feathered with his plumes.
And such as issues from a heart that mourns, A voice from Heaven there issued, and it said:
"My little bark, how badly art thou freighted!"
Methought, then, that the earth did yawn between Both wheels, and I saw rise from it a Dragon, Who through the chariot upward fixed his tail, And as a wasp that draweth back its sting, Drawing unto himself his tail malign, Drew out the floor, and went his way rejoicing.
That which remained behind, even as with grass A fertile region, with the feathers, offered Perhaps with pure intention and benign, Reclothed itself, and with them were reclothed The pole and both the wheels so speedily, A sigh doth longer keep the lips apart.
Transfigured thus the holy edifice Thrust forward heads upon the parts of it, Three on the pole and one at either corner.
The first were horned like oxen; but the four Had but a single horn upon the forehead;
A monster such had never yet been seen!
Firm as a rock upon a mountain high, Seated upon it, there appeared to me A shameless whore, with eyes swift glancing round, And, as if not to have her taken from him, Upright beside her I beheld a giant;
And ever and anon they kissed each other.
But because she her wanton, roving eye Turned upon me, her angry paramour Did scourge her from her head unto her feet.
Then full of jealousy, and fierce with wrath, He loosed the monster, and across the forest Dragged it so far, he made of that alone A shield unto the whore and the strange beast.
