PURGATORIO, Episode 230. Brides, Grooms, And Virgil: PURGATORIO, Canto XXX, Lines 1 - 21

The grand parade of revelation has come to a stop across Lethe from our pilgrim, Virgil, and Statius. Everything seems to hold its breath: the constellations stop moving, the crowd goes quiet, one voice calls out for the bride, then a hundred angels appear, calling out for the groom . . . which is surely Jesus, right?

We seem to be on the verge of a celestial marriage ceremony, the mystic union of Jesus and his church . . . except Virgil's AENEID gets the last word and darkens the scene considerably.

The segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[01:24] My English translation of PURGATORIO, Canto XXX, Lines 1 - 21. If you'd like to read along or continue the conversation with me by dropping a comment on this episode, scroll down this page.

[04:33] The Little Dipper, the North Star, the chariot, a griffin, and the Bible, all bound up in the longest sentence in COMEDY.

[13:59] The resurrection with a reclothed voice (that is, the stuff of poetry).

[16:38] Many angels in a very small cart.

[19:32] Quoting the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem (here and in The Vita Nuova).

[21:44] Quoting the tragic prophecy about Marcellus from THE AENEID.

[24:43] Inserting Dante and Virgil into Biblical citations.

[26:59] Rereading the passage: PURGATORIO, Canto XXX, lines 1 - 21.

My English translation of PURGATORIO, Canto XXX, Lines 1 – 21

When the Little Dipper of the first heaven

(Which has neither the occasion for setting or rising,

Nor any other fog except for the veil of sin)

Had made each person aware of what

Must be done (as a lesser navigator does for someone

As he turns the wheel to get that person into port)

It came to a halt. The truthful people

(Who had first come between it and the griffin)

Turned toward that chariot as if toward their peace.

And one of them, who was sent from heaven,

Cried out in song, “Veni, sponsa, de Libano!”

[He did so] three times, and all the others [did so] after him.

As the blessed will quickly rise

From their caves at the final proclamation

While singing alleluia in a reclothed voice,

So a hundred rose up on

The divine cart, ad vocem tanti senis.

[They were] ministers and messengers of eternal life.

All said, “Benedictus qui venis!”

And all scattered flowers up and about

[With] “Manibus, oh, date lilia plenis!”