Paradiso Canto 6

Paradiso Canto 6 Translated by Robert Hollander 1 'Once Constantine reversed the eagle's flight,2 counter to the course of heaven it had followed3 behind that ancient who took Lavinia to wife, 4 'for two hundred years and more the bird of God5 remained at Europe's borders,6 near the mountains from which it first came forth. 7 'There it ruled the world beneath the shadow8 of its sacred wings, passing from hand to hand9 and, changing in this way, at last came into mine. 10 'Caesar I was and am Justinian,11 who, by will of the Primal Love I feel,12 pruned from the laws what was superfluous and vain. 13 'Before I had set my mind to that hard task14 I believed Christ had but a single nature,15 and not a second, and was content in that belief. 16 'But the blessèd Agapetus,17 the most exalted of our shepherds,18 brought me to the true faith with his words. 19 'I believed him. What he held by faith20 I now see just as clearly as you understand21 that any contradiction is both false and true. 22 'As soon as my footsteps moved at the Church's side,23 it pleased God, in His grace, to grant me inspiration24 in the noble task to which I wholly gave myself, 25 'entrusting my weapons to Belisarius,26 with whom Heaven's right hand was so conjoined27 it was a sign for me to give them up.  28 'Here, then, ends my reply to your first question,29 but its nature still constrains me30 to follow up with something further 31 'so that you may consider if with reason some rebel32 against that sacred standard, both those opposed33 and those who take it as their own. 34 'Consider how much valor has made it worthy35 of reverence, beginning with the hour36 when Pallas gave his life to give it sway. 37 'You know it made its home in Alba38 for three hundred years and more until, at last,39 again for its sake, three made war on three. 40 'And you know what it accomplished under seven kings,41 from the wrongs done Sabine women to Lucretia's woes,42 conquering the nearby people all around. 43 'You know what it accomplished when it was held aloft44 by the noble Romans against Brennus, against Pyrrhus,45 against the other kingdoms and republics, 46 'so that Torquatus, Quintius -- named47 for his unkempt locks -- the Decii, the Fabii:48 all achieved the fame that I am glad to keep. 49 'It brought the pride of Arabs low50 when they followed Hannibal along the Alpine crags51 from which, O river Po, you fall. 52 'Under it triumphed youthful Scipio and Pompey,53 and to that hill beneath which you were born54 it seemed indeed a bitter sight. 55 'Then, as the time approached when Heaven willed56 to bring the world to its own state of peace,57 Caesar, by the will of Rome, laid hold on it.  58 'And what it accomplished, from the Var to the Rhine,59 the Isère and the Loire and the Seine beheld,60 as did all the valleys that supply the Rhone. 61 'What it accomplished when it issued from Ravenna62 and leapt the Rubicon was such a flight63 that neither tongue nor pen could follow it. 64 'Toward Spain it wheeled in arms,65 then toward Durazzo, and smote Pharsalia,66 thus bringing grief to the tepid waters of the Nile. 67 'Antandros and the Simois, where it had set out,68 it saw again, and the place where Hector lies.69 Then it roused itself -- at Ptolemy's expense. 70 'From there, like lightning, it fell on Juba,71 then turned toward the region to your west,72 where it heard the sound of Pompey's trumpet. 73 'For what it wrought with the one who bore it next74 Brutus and Cassius bark in Hell,75 and both Modena and Perugia were aggrieved. 76 'Wretched Cleopatra still weeps because of it.77 She, fleeing before its advancing front,78 took from the asp her quick and baleful death. 79 'With him it raced to the shore of the Red Sea.80 With him it brought the world such peace81 that the doors of Janus's shrine were locked. 82 'But what the standard that promotes my speech83 had done before and had yet to do84 in the mortal realm where it holds sway 85 'comes to seem both small and dim86 if we observe it, with clear eyes and pure affection,87 when it was held in the third Caesar's hand.  88 'For the living justice that inspires me89 allowed it, in the hand of him of whom I speak,90 the glory of the vengeance for His wrath. 91 'Now must you marvel at what I unfold:92 Afterwards it raced with Titus, doing vengeance93 upon the vengeance for the ancient sin. 94 'Then, beneath its wings,95 when Lombard tooth bit Holy Church,96 Charlemagne, in victory, gave her comfort. 97 'Now you may judge such men as I accused before98 and consider their offenses,99 the very cause of all your ills. 100 'One sets against the universal standard101 yellow lilies, while the other claims it for a party,102 so that it's hard to see which one offends the more. 103 'Let the Ghibellines ply them, ply their tricks104 beneath another standard, for he follows105 this one poorly who severs it from justice. 106 'And let not this new Charles strive to fell it107 with his Guelphs, but let him fear its claws,108 which have ripped the hides from greater lions. 109 'Many a time have children wept110 for the father's sin, and let him not think111 that God will change His ensign for those lilies. 112 'This little star is ornamented113 with righteous spirits, those whose deeds were done114 for the honor and the glory that would follow. 115 'When such errant desires arise down there,116 then the rays of the one true love117 must rise with less intensity.  118 'But noting how our merit equals our reward119 is part of our happiness,120 because we see them being neither less nor more. 121 'So much does living justice sweeten our affection122 we cannot ever then take on123 the warp of wickedness. 124 'Differing voices make sweet music.125 Just so our differing ranks in this our life126 create sweet harmony among these wheels. 127 'Within this very pearl shines128 the shining light of Romeo,129 whose great and noble work was poorly paid. 130 'But those of Provence who schemed against him131 have not had the last laugh -- he takes an evil road132 to whom another's good deed seems a wrong. 133 'Raymond Berenger had four daughters,134 each of them a queen, and Romeo, a man135 of little standing and a stranger, made that happen. 136 'And when malicious tongues moved Raymond137 to go over accounts with this just man,138 who had rendered him seven plus five for ten, 139 'Romeo left there, poor in his old age.140 And, if the world knew the heart he had within141 when, crust by crust, he begged his bread, 142 much as it praises him, it would praise him more.'