PURGATORIO, Episode 222. The Essential Fulcrum Of COMEDY: PURGATORIO, Canto XXVIII, Lines 134 - 148

The beautiful lady winds up her discourse with a corollary that combines both revelation and reason to offer a fulcrum to COMEDY as a whole: The classical world dreamed of Eden.

Redemption is a cul-de-sac, returning us to our primal state while also offering us a way to remain readers of the classical world's poetry.

The segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[01:15] My English translation of PURGATORIO, Canto XXVIII, lines 134 - 148. If you'd like to read along or drop a comment on this episode to continue the conversation, please scroll down this page.

[02:55] Revelation and reason as coequals in scholastic theology.

[06:52] The Golden Age and the Garden of Eden as overlapping spaces and the cul-de-sac of revelation.

[09:14] The pilgrim (and indeed, the poem) in the cul-de-sac with the classical poets on one side and the beautiful lady on the other.

[12:27] The longest speech by a woman yet in COMEDY.

[16:57] Rereading this passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXVIII, lines 134 - 148.

My English translation of PURGATORIO, Canto XXVIII, Lines 134 – 148:

[She continued:] “And although your thirst may be satisfied enough as it is,

Even if I should uncover nothing else for you,

“I will still offer a corollary as grace.

I don’t believe that my saying [this] to you will be less dear

If it wanders beyond my promise with you.

“Those who in ancient days wrote poetry

About the Golden Age and its happy state

Perhaps on Parnassus envisioned this place.

“The human root was innocent here,

Where it’s always spring and there’s every [type of] fruit.

This is the nectar each one speaks about.”

I turned all the way around

To my poets and saw that they heard

Her last argument with a smile.

Then I turned my gaze back to the beautiful lady.