VII:1-24
One’s notes from one’s translation will surely touch on the high points in these opening lines, including the odd, almost untranslatable opening which is a hodge-podge of Hebrew and Latin. A. W. Tozer tried his best to translate it as follows: “Hosanna, holy God of hosts, who by Thy brightness dost illuminate from above the happy fires of these realms.” These three opening lines are an effort by Dante the Poet to emulate the Latin hymns of his time. Hence, the joy of heaven is reflected in the singing of the hymn and the stately dance that follows.
What will not usually be noted in most translations is the poetry that is central to this opening; poetry that is playful and powerful at the same time. For instance, there are times when having the original Italian side by side with one’s translation can lead to delightful “Easter Egg” surprises that are hidden in a translation. While these reflections on Scholastic Theology, Justification and Redemption are of course central to Dante the Poet’s thematic content, Dante still is, after all, a POET, a wordsmith who loves language and the delight which poetic language can bring into our lives. Take for instance, the alliteration in Cantos V and VII, both using the ‘d’ letter and sound to carry us through certain passages.
Canto VII
10 I was in doubt, saying to myself, 'Tell her,
Io dubitava e dicea "Dille, dille!"
11 tell her,' saying to myself, 'tell this to my lady,
fra me, "dille" dicea, "a la mia donna
12 who slakes my thirst with her sweet drops.'
che mi diseta con le dolci stille."
Canto V
119 And so, if you would like us to enlighten you,
noi semo accesi; e però, se disii
120 content yourself as you desire.'
di noi chiarirti, a tuo piacer ti sazia."
121 This came to me from one of those good spirits.
Così da un di quelli spirti pii
122 And Beatrice began: 'Speak, speak with confidence,
detto mi fu; e da Beatrice: "Dì, dì
123 having faith in them as you would trust in gods.'
sicuramente, e credi come a dii."
In both of these selections, Dante’s usage of the “d” sound acts as a drumbeat’s “rat-a-tat-tat” tempo to move us forward, get our blood stirring. There is in both the fierce desire to speak, to open one’s mouth and ASK, TALK! In Par VII:10-11, tell her, tell this lady! – Dille, Dille! Dille dicea a la mia Donna! And in Par V: 122-123 Speak! Speak! Speak with confidence! – Di! Di! … e credi come a dii. Speak as you would trust in gods! In VII we find the thirst for hunger and knowledge also joined to the “rat-a-tat-tat” of the “d” tempo, being urged on and fulfilled:
12 who slakes my thirst with her sweet drops.'
che mi diseta con le dolci stille."
One should also be delighted and stunned to find in line 19 the only time the word “infallible” used in the Commedia for human speech is coming from a woman and applying it to her own speech. In a patriarchal world where the witness of a woman was not accepted in a court of law, nor ever permitted from a pulpit, we find Dante the Poet learning at the feet of a woman with complete trust and humility. "Secondo mio infallibile aviso…-- 'In my infallible opinion this idea… In a world where misogyny was the order of the day or at least the place of woman in the culture greatly restricted, we once again find Dante the Poet to be profoundly open-minded. In fact, one scholar writes: “Beatrice’s “secondo mio infallibile avviso” constitutes the Commedia’s only use of “infallibile” for human speech of any sort, male or female.” Just as with popes in Hell, pagans in Purgatory we see here that Dante the Pilgrim’s greatest and wisest teacher is a woman in whom he puts his complete trust; let’s put aside the fallacy that Christians need be narrow-minded and judgmental.
25 'By not enduring, for his own good, a rein
Per non soffrire a la virtù che vole
26 upon his will, that man who was not born,
freno a suo prode, quell' uom che non nacque,
27 damning himself, damned all his offspring.
dannando sé, dannò tutta sua prole;
There is an insight here that I found fascinating. Adam did not endure any type of restriction or parameter on his own desire and will, even though it was supposed to be for his own benefit [and ultimately, for the benefit of all humankind within this Christian narrative]. I am struck in this section of how often I’ve run across this self-same tendency in some of the greatest / worst sinners or characters of history. Think of Dante’s characterization of Ulysses who damned himself and his crew by not accepting the limitations place on him by the gods. Think of Mozart’s Don Giovanni who refuses to limit his voracious desires and will not repent for his actions, thus being dragged to Hell at the end of the opera. Think, of course, of Milton’s portrayal of Satan, preferring to rule in Hell than be limited to servitude in Heaven.
Another hidden wonder in the original Italian is that, due to the alienation of humanity from their loving Creator, action was needed. We could not reach up all on our own. What was needed was incisive, powerful and sacrificial action which, as we see in Dante’s Italian, is represented by the “VERB” of God. Most translations will give us in line 30 “the Word of God,” yet the original is, “Verbo di Dio discender piacque” The Verb Of God Chose to Descend.” What a magnificent, hidden description of the Incarnational reality of God’s love. Vibrant, active, alive and fully present, Jesus is the “Verbo di Dio!”
VI:34-64
Paradox is apparent throughout this section in that the fact of Christ being fully human and fully divine results in paradoxical consequences. The question that is lifted up in the Incarnation is carried through to the Crucifixion: How is this possible? Why should this need to happen? Dante the Poet acknowledges this paradox and mystery.
52 'But now I see your mind entangled,
Ma io veggi' or la tua mente ristretta
53 by one thought and another in a knot
di pensiero in pensier dentro ad un nodo,
The attempted answer, if there is one this side of heaven, must first be forged in the fires of love. Beatrice will unpack more of this in the rest of the Canto, but there must be this acknowledgement that Dante the Pilgrim will never understand any of it without being refined in the furnace of Divine Love. Without that purification and preparation, cynics and logicians will never understand the why of it, let alone the wherefore… Hence Voltaire and Nietzsche and Christopher Hitchens simply don’t “get it.”
58 'The reason for this decree, brother, lies buried,
Questo decreto, frate, sta sepulto
59 hidden from the eyes of all
a li occhi di ciascuno il cui ingegno
60 whose minds have not been ripened in the flame of love.
ne la fiamma d'amor non è adulto.
I am impressed by the fact that Dante the Poet takes sin seriously which isolates us from God and one another. And yet, he also embraces our Imago Dei, that we are created in the image of God, stamped with ‘God’s imprint’ and still bear that image. It is not either/or; it is both/and.
67 'That which, unmediated, derives from it
Ciò che da lei sanza mezzo distilla
68 is thus without an end, because its imprint,
non ha poi fine, perché non si move
69 once stamped, can never wear away.
la sua imprenta quand' ella sigilla.
Like God, we are created to be totally free, but that free will is what also leads us far away from the Loving Creator who made us so free! In line 71 we see that we are “wholly free.” And that is what enslaves us as well. That pride, that pride found in Ulysses and Don Giovanni and Voltaire and myself, is what isolates us all. God will not withdraw that freedom from this beloved creation, even though it is that very freedom which has led those of us who are the Beloved Creation far from God’s love.
79 'Sin alone is what enslaves him,
Solo il peccato è quel che la disfranca
80 making him unlike the highest good
e falla dissimìle al sommo bene,
VII:82-105
In these next lines, Beatrice opens up the two main options available for the Beloved Creation to try and return to God’s presence and light. The gifts and “privileges” that came from the Creator’s Hand had been cast aside by pride and sin:
88 'Nor could they be recovered --
né ricovrar potiensi, se tu badi
89 if you consider closely -- by any other recourse
ben sottilmente, per alcuna via,
90 except to ford one of these crossings:
sanza passar per un di questi guadi:
91 'either that God, in His own clemency,
o che Dio solo per sua cortesia
92 had pardoned, or that man, of himself,
dimesso avesse, o che l'uom per sé isso
The Beloved Creation could not bestow “self-pardon” so it must be done by the “Verb of God,” in the most loving and self-emptying way to completely undo that which had separated Creator from Beloved Creation. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”
103 'Thus it was necessary that God in His own ways
Dunque a Dio convenia con le vie sue
104 restore man to the fullness of his life --
riparar l'omo a sua intera vita,
105 by one way, that is, or by both of them.
dico con l'una, o ver con amendue.
VII:106-120
This had to be done in a manner which reflected “the heart from which it springs” (VII:108). The complete obedience reflected at the Cross reflected the complete Love from which it sprung. This was no Cheap Grace, but full and sacrificial love. I am reminded of Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession…. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”
Beatrice summarized this complete and loving sacrifice, this fullness of Grace, in the following way:
115 'More bountiful was God when He gave Himself,
ché più largo fu Dio a dar sé stesso
116 enabling man to rise again, than if,
per far l'uom sufficiente a rilevarsi,
117 in His sole clemency, he had simply pardoned.
che s'elli avesse sol da sé dimesso;
VII:121-148
In closing, Beatrice returns to the core of Creation, and God’s “informing power.” This is that which is throughout all of creation but more so in us than any other. Hence we are called to recognize that Presence in all we do.
139 'The soul of every beast and every plant
L'anima d'ogne bruto e de le piante
140 is drawn from a complex of potentials
di complession potenzïata tira
141 by the shining and the motion of the holy lights.
lo raggio e 'l moto de le luci sante;
142 'But supreme goodness breathes life in you,
ma vostra vita sanza mezzo spira
143 unmediated, and He so enamors your soul
la somma beninanza, e la innamora
144 of Himself that it desires Him forever after.
di sé sì che poi sempre la disira.
From this I am humbled by the Sacrificial Love that has restored the Beloved to the Creator, me to my loving God. And yet, I must also recognize and OWN the fact that my day to day walk in this life with this Creation around me, including all beings, are part of that very gift to me and should also be my responsibility. It absolutely ties in with Bonhoeffer’s concept of Grace, Costly Grace. He writes:
“I discovered later, and I’m still discovering right up to this moment, that is it only by living completely in this world that one learns to have faith. By this-worldliness I mean living unreservedly in life’s duties, problems, successes and failures. In so doing we throw ourselves completely into the arms of God, taking seriously, not our own sufferings, but those of God in the world. That, I think, is faith.”
Our flesh, our journeys, our failings and our celebrations, our very resurrections are all shared in the light of that Sacrificial Love.
145 'From this you may, in consequence, deduce
E quinci puoi argomentare ancora
146 your resurrection, if you but recall
vostra resurrezion, se tu ripens
147 how then your flesh was made
come l'umana carne fessi allora
148 in the making of the first two parents.'
che li primi parenti intrambo fensi.’