This Canto concludes our time at the level of the Moon, with all its emphasis on inconstancy in the matter of vows made and broken. It has been an odd subject for modern sensibilities, at least at one level, since few of us have felt the need to delve into this topic at this level, ever. And yet, it has surely stirred echoes of times when a trusted family member or a prominent social servant or a respected figure of authority not only broke a vow, but did so without any effort to redress a wrong or earn back the trust that was lost. There are levels of resonance here, much like a piano tuners tuning fork that has been struck causing the vital strings to vibrate. I at least, have felt my heart strings vibrate in a number of ways after these three Cantos were concluded as I reviewed my own broken promises along with other events in my experience. Indeed, the hoopla and tragicomedy of this past election cycle, both before and after, has dominated the news and, other than the pandemic, garnered most of America’s attention. I felt there were parallels to these cantos on the moon that focused on broken vows and loss of integrity when promises were not kept. Where else could we find such a plethora of promises other than in those running for office and the chastising of their opponents’ failure to keep promises all the while piling up more and more of their own in order to be voted into office? Of course, who of us can honestly claim that we gave not broken promises as well? Who of us, in even the smallest incidents, have not broken a trust or at least disappointed a loved one? At whatever level, these cantos can touch us where we live.
This applies equally to our relationship with God and our promises and vows as well, to the Creator. It is remarkable that God listens to us, comes to terms with us, and in fact, treats us as worthy equals with whom to enter into a relational agreement such as a vow. God has His part in this covenantal reality, and there is nothing but respect and an assumption that each will honor the other in the vow. And yet, the shared air of equal respect is not seen by many. Lawgiver, Judge, Accountant; these are some of the titles given to God by current and past scholars when commenting on this Canto. All they see is the fact of a vow that is rigidly and unforgivingly demanded by the Divine Accountant of the one who foolishly made the vow in the first place. Indeed, there seems to be a fixed ratio of measurement that is applied if one tries to weasel out of the vow: 4 to 6 times greater must be the sacrifice. Some scholars have brought up the rigid Law in Leviticus 27, and applied it to their stereotype of God as Lawgiver and Judge. Indeed, some have even portrayed God as the Divine Pawnbroker and hence the one who makes the vow must barter in God’s divine pawnshop to get the best deal. Sigh… mea culpa on academia.
In fact, Beatrice pleads that common sense should be the guide in this matter of making and keeping vows. The fault lies not in God’s demands, but in the absence of wisdom and common sense in humanity. She gives us two cases that make this perfectly clear, with Jephthah and Agamemnon, both of whom killed their beloved daughters as a result of ill-considered, stupid vows. Vows should be duly considered and made well and wisely, rather than quickly tossed off with the result that God is blamed for the human’s immaturity and haste. [But of course, it is far too easy to blame God for any and all failings on our part; even among scholars and professors.]
64 'Let not mortals take vows lightly.
Non prendan li mortali il voto a ciancia;
65 Be faithful and, as well, not injudicious,
siate fedeli, e a ciò far non bieci,
66 as was Jephthah, offering up what first he saw,
come Ieptè a la sua prima mancia;
67 'who had done better had he said "I have done ill"
cui più si convenia dicer 'Mal feci,'
68 than keeping faith and doing worse. And you can find
che, servando, far peggio; e così stolto
69 this sort of folly in the leader of the Greeks,
ritrovar puoi il gran duca de' Greci,
70 'who made Iphigenia lament the beauty of her face
onde pianse Efigènia il suo bel volto,
71 and who made all those, whether wise or foolish,
e fé pianger di sé i folli e i savi
72 who heard reports of such a rite lament as well.
ch'udir parlar di così fatto cólto.
We must always bear in mind the respect and honor given us by God. This is a truth that Dante brings to us time and again. All of the details of these three Cantos must be considered in the light of the statement by Beatrice that God honors our choices above all else. Why? We have been given the gift of free will. Note especially lines 19-22 and 28-30.
19 'The greatest gift that God in His largesse
"Lo maggior don che Dio per sua larghezza
20 gave to creation, the most attuned
fesse creando, e a la sua bontate
21 to His goodness and that He accounts most dear,
più conformato, e quel ch'e' più apprezza,
22 'was the freedom of the will:
fu de la volontà la libertate…
28 …'For when man makes a pact with God,
ché, nel fermar tra Dio e l'omo il patto,
29 this treasure, as I have suggested, then becomes
vittima fassi di questo tesoro,
30 the sacrificial pledge, an action freely chosen.
tal quale io dico; e fassi col suo atto.
The integrity with which we claim and honor this gift of free will, the power of making and keeping promises not merely to God, but to one another and within the social and political spheres of human culture, shows why this topic is given such emphasis by Dante. Would that we were as trustworthy of respect, honor and maturity as God expects us to be.
Beatrice falls silent, is filled with longing, and as she turns her face up, they both are almost instantaneously drawn up to Mercury, the next level.
88 Her falling silent and her transformed look
Lo suo tacere e 'l trasmutar sembiante
89 imposed a silence on my eager mind,
puoser silenzio al mio cupido ingegno,
90 which was already teeming with new questions.
che già nuove questioni avea davante;
91 And next, like a shaft that strikes its target
e sì come saetta che nel segno
92 before the cord is still,
percuote pria che sia la corda queta,
93 we sped into the second realm.
così corremmo nel secondo regno.
The power of Dante’s poetry is at times so understated as to be sublime. As the light and love of Beatrice ascends to Mercury, the light and love of that “star” or realm is supplemented and they both shine with fierce love. The counterbalance of moving toward the sun to Mercury, surrounded by light and yet greeted with the serene image of the still waters of a quiet fishpond with a thousand splendors rising from its depths to greet him with love is breathtaking. Dante the Poet tells us that Dante the Pilgrim is, in fact, being changed by these wonders.
97 And if even that star then changed and smiled,
E se la stella si cambiò e rise,
98 what did I become who by my very nature
qual mi fec' io che pur da mia natura
99 am subject to each and every kind of change?
trasmutabile son per tutte guise!
Kierkegaard said, Truth Is Subjectivity, and here we see that as Dante the Pilgrim draws closer to and is immersed more deeply in the truth and presence of God’s love, his very being is changed. Subjectivity here does not mean we get to pick and choose our beliefs, but rather the presence of this loving truth changes the very core of our being.
In the next Canto, we will hear from the spirit addressed by Dante the Pilgrim in the closing lines of Canto 5. It will be one of the longest and most vital dialogues he has in the entire Commedia.