The world used in its peril to believe
  That the fair Cypria delirious love
  Rayed out, in the third epicycle turning;

Wherefore not only unto her paid honour
  Of sacrifices and of votive cry
  The ancient nations in the ancient error,

But both Dione honoured they and Cupid,
  That as her mother, this one as her son,
  And said that he had sat in Dido's lap;

And they from her, whence I beginning take,
  Took the denomination of the star
  That woos the sun, now following, now in front.

I was not ware of our ascending to it;
  But of our being in it gave full faith
  My Lady whom I saw more beauteous grow.

And as within a flame a spark is seen,
  And as within a voice a voice discerned,
  When one is steadfast, and one comes and goes,

Within that light beheld I other lamps
  Move in a circle, speeding more and less,
  Methinks in measure of their inward vision.

From a cold cloud descended never winds,
  Or visible or not, so rapidly
  They would not laggard and impeded seem

To any one who had those lights divine
  Seen come towards us, leaving the gyration
  Begun at first in the high Seraphim.

And behind those that most in front appeared
  Sounded "Osanna!" so that never since
  To hear again was I without desire.

Then unto us more nearly one approached,
  And it alone began: "We all are ready
  Unto thy pleasure, that thou joy in us.

We turn around with the celestial Princes,
  One gyre and one gyration and one thirst,
  To whom thou in the world of old didst say,

'Ye who, intelligent, the third heaven are moving;'
  And are so full of love, to pleasure thee
  A little quiet will not be less sweet."

After these eyes of mine themselves had offered
  Unto my Lady reverently, and she
  Content and certain of herself had made them,

Back to the light they turned, which so great promise
  Made of itself, and "Say, who art thou?" was
  My voice, imprinted with a great affection.

O how and how much I beheld it grow
  With the new joy that superadded was
  Unto its joys, as soon as I had spoken!

Thus changed, it said to me: "The world possessed me
  Short time below; and, if it had been more,
  Much evil will be which would not have been.

My gladness keepeth me concealed from thee,
  Which rayeth round about me, and doth hide me
  Like as a creature swathed in its own silk.

Much didst thou love me, and thou hadst good reason;
  For had I been below, I should have shown thee
  Somewhat beyond the foliage of my love.

That left-hand margin, which doth bathe itself
  In Rhone, when it is mingled with the Sorgue,
  Me for its lord awaited in due time,

And that horn of Ausonia, which is towned
  With Bari, with Gaeta and Catona,
  Whence Tronto and Verde in the sea disgorge.

Already flashed upon my brow the crown
  Of that dominion which the Danube waters
  After the German borders it abandons;

And beautiful Trinacria, that is murky
  'Twixt Pachino and Peloro, (on the gulf
  Which greatest scath from Eurus doth receive,)

Not through Typhoeus, but through nascent sulphur,
  Would have awaited her own monarchs still,
  Through me from Charles descended and from Rudolph,

If evil lordship, that exasperates ever
  The subject populations, had not moved
  Palermo to the outcry of 'Death! death!'