Canto V
CANTO V
In answer to Dante’s question whether anything can satisfy for a broken vow, Beatrice radiates with the love of perfect spiritual vision as she explains that free will represents God’s most precious gift so that, when the will freely vows itself to God, nothing can compensate for breaking that vow (1–33). The Church, however, does occasionally grant dispensations, which requires further explanation. In every vow we find both a certain matter that is promised and the act itself of promising. Although a promise to God cannot be retracted, the matter promised may be exchanged for another, provided one obtains the proper ecclesiastical authorization and substitutes something of even greater value than the original, which is not possible when free will has vowed itself in a religious order (34–63). Therefore, one should not take the making of vows lightly, lest one vow foolishly as did both Jephthah and Agamemnon, but should rather weigh matters carefully under the guidance of Scripture and the Church before taking such a step (64–84). When Beatrice has finished, she turns towards the Empyrean and glows even more brightly, silencing Dante’s desire to ask further questions. Like an arrow, they shoot into the planet Mercury, which grows more resplendent reflecting the joy of Beatrice. More than a thousand shining souls come to meet them, like fish surfacing for a morsel of food that has fallen into a pond. Eager to learn their identities and the reason for their being here, Dante, encouraged by one of the souls and Beatrice as well, poses his question. The soul about to reply swells with joy and nestles itself in the light emanating from its eyes, so that its features become lost. Its answer occupies the following canto (85–139).
1 “If past what’s seen beneath the earthly skies
I’m flaming with a fire of love that could
Have overcome the power of your eyes,
4 Don’t be amazed, for such a flaming should
Proceed from perfect sight, which apprehends,
Then moves the foot to the envisioned good.
7 I see how the eternal light resplends
Now in your mind; once seen, it always of
Itself alone ignites its love in friends.
10 Should any other thing seduce your love,
It’s but a vestige of the Absolute,
Unrecognized, which shines through from above.
13 You wish to know if broken vows’ lost fruit
Can be made up by other works of men,
So as to make the soul secure from suit.”
16 Thus Beatrice began this canto then,
Like one who does not break off his address,
Continuing her holy words again:
19 “The greatest gift that God in his largesse
Gave at creation—that which matches best
His Goodness, that most precious—was no less
22 Than freedom of the will, of which those blest
As creatures with intelligence alone,
Each one of them, both were and are possessed.
25 The lofty value of the vow is known
When arguing from this—if it’s a fact
That God’s consent to your consent is shown.
28 For when between both God and man a pact
Is sealed, the treasure mentioned will remain
As sacrifice, and that by its own act.
31 What compensation, then, could still obtain?
To think to put what’s offered to good use
Would be to will good works with ill-got gain.
34 By now the major point is less abstruse;
Since Holy Church, though, may dispense from debt
—Which seems against the truth that I adduce—
37 You must sit longer at the table set,
For this tough food that you have not disdained
Requires some aid for its digestion yet.
40 Unlock your mind for what will be explained
And fix it there; to hear’s not relevant
To knowledge, if what’s heard is not retained.
43 Two things in essence are significant
For sacrifice: first, that of which it’s made,
And then the other is the covenant.[94]
46 The latter can’t be canceled, I’m afraid,
Unless it’s kept—concerning how we owe,
My words above were quite precisely weighed.
49 The Hebrews thus had need so long ago
To sacrifice, though nothing might impede
A change of offered things, as you should know.
52 The other, called its matter, may indeed
Be such that there’s no fault if it should be
Exchanged for other matter; but take heed
55 That no one by his choice shift burdens he
Has resting on his shoulders now, before
The turning of the white and yellow key.[95]
58 And thus as foolishness let him deplore
All change, unless the new-made sacrifice
Contains the one laid down as six does four.
61 Whatever weighs so much as to suffice
To tip all scales because of worth assessed
Can’t be made good at any other price.
64 Let mortals never take the vow in jest;
Be faithful here, and do not squint the eye,
Like Jephthah, whose first offering transgressed.[96]
67 He rather should have said, ‘I went awry,’
Than, keeping faith, done worse. No fool less slight
Was the Greek chief you’ll find; and that is why
70 The fair-faced Iphigenia mourned her plight,[97]
Which caused all men to weep at such a scene,
Both wise and fools who heard of such a rite.
73 Be slow in moving, Christians, grave in mien;
Don’t be like plumes to any wind blown through,
And do not think all waters wash you clean.
76 You have both Testaments, the Old and New;
You have the Church’s Shepherd as your guide,
Let this suffice for your salvation too.
79 If something else by evil greed is cried,[98]
Be each a man, not silly sheep, and bilk
The Jews of any laughter at your side.[99]
82 Don’t play the lamb that leaves its mother’s milk[100]
To fight against itself, and does all this
That it might please its simple, wanton ilk.”
85 The words I write were said by Beatrice;
She then turned full of longing to the place
In which the world is most alive with bliss.
88 Her stillness and the change upon her face
Imposed a silence on my eager wit,
Which had by now new questions to embrace.
91 And even as an arrow that will hit
The mark before the string has rested quite,
So to the second kingdom did we flit.[101]
94 And as she entered in that heaven’s light,
I saw my Lady coming to display
Such gladness that the planet grew more bright.
97 And if that star could change and smile, I say,
Then how did I most certainly appear,
Whose nature’s apt for change in every way!
100 As in a fish pond that is calm and clear
The fish will rise when something falls inside
If they believe it is their food, so here
103 More than a thousand splendors I descried[102]
Approaching us and heard each one declare:
“Behold, there’s one who’ll make our love more wide!”
106 And as each one of them came towards us there,
Its shade seemed filled with such a joyous store
Because they each gave forth a brilliant flare.
109 Think, Reader, if the start I made before
Did not proceed, how you would feel distressed
With anxious cravings to find out yet more,
112 And you will see just how my longings pressed
To hear of the condition of their race
As soon as I had seen them manifest.
115 “O happy-born, to whom God gives the grace
To see where thrones of lasting triumph sit
Before abandoning your battle place,
118 The light that spreads throughout the skies is lit
Inside of us, and so, if you should please
To share our light, be filled as you see fit.”
121 A pious spirit said such things as these;
Then Beatrice: “Speak freely, speak awhile,
And trust him as you would divinities.”[103]
124 “I clearly see just what a nest you style
From light that you are drawing from your gaze
Because it sparkles even as you smile.
127 But I don’t know you, soul deserving praise,
Nor why you have your rank within the sphere
That’s veiled from mortals by another’s rays.”[104]
130 Turned to the light that first had spoken here,
I said these words, at which its lucent glow,
Compared to earlier, became more clear.
133 And as the sun, whose heat consumes below
The temp’ring of thick vapors in the sky,
Conceals itself by light’s excess, just so[105]
136 That holy figure, since its joy ran high,
Was hid within its radiance from me,
And thus so well enclosed it made reply,
139 As in the coming canto’s song you’ll see.