Soon as the blessed flame had taken up
  The final word to give it utterance,
  Began the holy millstone to revolve,

And in its gyre had not turned wholly round,
  Before another in a ring enclosed it,
  And motion joined to motion, song to song;

Song that as greatly doth transcend our Muses,
  Our Sirens, in those dulcet clarions,
  As primal splendour that which is reflected.

And as are spanned athwart a tender cloud
  Two rainbows parallel and like in colour,
  When Juno to her handmaid gives command,

(The one without born of the one within,
  Like to the speaking of that vagrant one
  Whom love consumed as doth the sun the vapours,)

And make the people here, through covenant
  God set with Noah, presageful of the world
  That shall no more be covered with a flood,

In such wise of those sempiternal roses
  The garlands twain encompassed us about,
  And thus the outer to the inner answered.

After the dance, and other grand rejoicings,
  Both of the singing, and the flaming forth
  Effulgence with effulgence blithe and tender,

Together, at once, with one accord had stopped,
  (Even as the eyes, that, as volition moves them,
  Must needs together shut and lift themselves,)

Out of the heart of one of the new lights
  There came a voice, that needle to the star
  Made me appear in turning thitherward.

And it began: "The love that makes me fair
  Draws me to speak about the other leader,
  By whom so well is spoken here of mine.

'Tis right, where one is, to bring in the other,
  That, as they were united in their warfare,
  Together likewise may their glory shine.

The soldiery of Christ, which it had cost
  So dear to arm again, behind the standard
  Moved slow and doubtful and in numbers few,

When the Emperor who reigneth evermore
  Provided for the host that was in peril,
  Through grace alone and not that it was worthy;

And, as was said, he to his Bride brought succour
  With champions twain, at whose deed, at whose word
  The straggling people were together drawn.

Within that region where the sweet west wind
  Rises to open the new leaves, wherewith
  Europe is seen to clothe herself afresh,

Not far off from the beating of the waves,
  Behind which in his long career the sun
  Sometimes conceals himself from every man,

Is situate the fortunate Calahorra,
  Under protection of the mighty shield
  In which the Lion subject is and sovereign.

Therein was born the amorous paramour
  Of Christian Faith, the athlete consecrate,
  Kind to his own and cruel to his foes;

And when it was created was his mind
  Replete with such a living energy,
  That in his mother her it made prophetic.

As soon as the espousals were complete
  Between him and the Faith at holy font,
  Where they with mutual safety dowered each other,

The woman, who for him had given assent,
  Saw in a dream the admirable fruit
  That issue would from him and from his heirs;

And that he might be construed as he was,
  A spirit from this place went forth to name him
  With His possessive whose he wholly was.

Dominic was he called; and him I speak of
  Even as of the husbandman whom Christ
  Elected to his garden to assist him.