The Divine Comedy by Dante: The Vision Of Purgatory: Canto XXIX

Singing, as if enamour'd, she resum'd     And clos'd the song, with "Blessed they whose sins     Are cover'd." Like the wood-nymphs then, that tripp'd     Singly across the sylvan shadows, one     Eager to view and one to 'scape the sun,     So mov'd she on, against the current, up     The verdant rivage. I, her mincing step     Observing, with as tardy step pursued.     Between us not an hundred paces trod,     The bank, on each side bending equally,     Gave me to face the orient. Nor our way     Far onward brought us, when to me at once     She turn'd, and cried: "My brother! look and hearken."     And lo! a sudden lustre ran across     Through the great forest on all parts, so bright     I doubted whether lightning were abroad;     But that expiring ever in the spleen,     That doth unfold it, and this during still     And waxing still in splendor, made me question     What it might be: and a sweet melody     Ran through the luminous air. Then did I chide     With warrantable zeal the hardihood     Of our first parent, for that there were earth     Stood in obedience to the heav'ns, she only,     Woman, the creature of an hour, endur'd not     Restraint of any veil: which had she borne     Devoutly, joys, ineffable as these,     Had from the first, and long time since, been mine.     While through that wilderness of primy sweets     That never fade, suspense I walk'd, and yet     Expectant of beatitude more high,     Before us, like a blazing fire, the air     Under the green boughs glow'd; and, for a song,     Distinct the sound of melody was heard.     O ye thrice holy virgins! for your sakes     If e'er I suffer'd hunger, cold and watching,     Occasion calls on me to crave your bounty.     Now through my breast let Helicon his stream     Pour copious; and Urania with her choir     Arise to aid me: while the verse unfolds     Things that do almost mock the grasp of thought.     Onward a space, what seem'd seven trees of gold,     The intervening distance to mine eye     Falsely presented; but when I was come     So near them, that no lineament was lost     Of those, with which a doubtful object, seen     Remotely, plays on the misdeeming sense,     Then did the faculty, that ministers     Discourse to reason, these for tapers of gold     Distinguish, and it th' singing trace the sound     "Hosanna." Above, their beauteous garniture     Flam'd with more ample lustre, than the moon     Through cloudless sky at midnight in her full.     I turn'd me full of wonder to my guide;     And he did answer with a countenance     Charg'd with no less amazement: whence my view     Reverted to those lofty things, which came     So slowly moving towards us, that the bride     Would have outstript them on her bridal day.     The lady called aloud: "Why thus yet burns     Affection in thee for these living, lights,     And dost not look on that which follows them?"     I straightway mark'd a tribe behind them walk,     As if attendant on their leaders, cloth'd     With raiment of such whiteness, as on earth     Was never. On my left, the wat'ry gleam     Borrow'd, and gave me back, when there I look'd.     As in a mirror, my left side portray'd.     When I had chosen on the river's edge     Such station, that the distance of the stream     Alone did separate me; there I stay'd     My steps for clearer prospect, and beheld     The flames go onward, leaving, as they went,     The air behind them painted as with trail     Of liveliest pencils! so distinct were mark'd     All those sev'n listed colours, whence the sun     Maketh his bow, and Cynthia her zone.     These streaming gonfalons did flow beyond     My vision; and ten paces, as I guess,     Parted the outermost. Beneath a sky     So beautiful, came foul and-twenty elders,     By two and two, with flower-de-luces crown'd.     All sang one song: "Blessed be thou among     The daughters of Adam! and thy loveliness     Blessed for ever!" After that the flowers,     And the fresh herblets, on the opposite brink,     Were free from that elected race; as light     In heav'n doth second light, came after them     Four animals, each crown'd with verdurous leaf.     With six wings each was plum'd, the plumage full     Of eyes, and th' eyes of Argus would be such,     Were they endued with life. Reader, more rhymes     Will not waste in shadowing forth their form:     For other need no straitens, that in this     I may not give my bounty room. But read     Ezekiel; for he paints them, from the north     How he beheld them come by Chebar's flood,     In whirlwind, cloud and fire; and even such     As thou shalt find them character'd by him,     Here were they; save as to the pennons; there,     From him departing, John accords with me.     The space, surrounded by the four, enclos'd     A car triumphal: on two wheels it came     Drawn at a Gryphon's neck; and he above     Stretch'd either wing uplifted, 'tween the midst     And the three listed hues, on each side three;     So that the wings did cleave or injure none;     And out of sight they rose. The members, far     As he was bird, were golden; white the rest     With vermeil intervein'd. So beautiful     A car in Rome ne'er grac'd Augustus pomp,     Or Africanus': e'en the sun's itself     Were poor to this, that chariot of the sun     Erroneous, which in blazing ruin fell     At Tellus' pray'r devout, by the just doom     Mysterious of all-seeing Jove. Three nymphs     at the right wheel, came circling in smooth dance;     The one so ruddy, that her form had scarce     Been known within a furnace of clear flame:     The next did look, as if the flesh and bones     Were emerald: snow new-fallen seem'd the third.     Now seem'd the white to lead, the ruddy now;     And from her song who led, the others took     Their treasure, swift or slow. At th' other wheel,     A band quaternion, each in purple clad,     Advanc'd with festal step, as of them one     The rest conducted, one, upon whose front     Three eyes were seen. In rear of all this group,     Two old men I beheld, dissimilar     In raiment, but in port and gesture like,     Solid and mainly grave; of whom the one     Did show himself some favour'd counsellor     Of the great Coan, him, whom nature made     To serve the costliest creature of her tribe.     His fellow mark'd an opposite intent,     Bearing a sword, whose glitterance and keen edge,     E'en as I view'd it with the flood between,     Appall'd me. Next four others I beheld,     Of humble seeming: and, behind them all,     One single old man, sleeping, as he came,     With a shrewd visage. And these seven, each     Like the first troop were habited, but wore     No braid of lilies on their temples wreath'd.     Rather with roses and each vermeil flower,     A sight, but little distant, might have sworn,     That they were all on fire above their brow.     Whenas the car was o'er against me, straight.     Was heard a thund'ring, at whose voice it seem'd     The chosen multitude were stay'd; for there,     With the first ensigns, made they solemn halt.