Because that poor and fasting thou didst enter Into the field to sow there the good plant, Which was a vine and has become a thorn!” This being finished, the high, holy Court Resounded through the spheres, “One God we praise!” In melody that there above is chanted. And then that Baron, who from branch to branch, Examining, had thus conducted me, Till the extremest leaves we were approaching, Again began: “The Grace that dallying Plays with thine intellect thy mouth has opened, Up to this point, as it should opened be, So that I do approve what forth emerged; But now thou must express what thou believest, And whence to thy belief it was presented.” “O holy father, spirit who beholdest What thou believedst so that thou o’ercamest, Towards the sepulchre, more youthful feet,” Began I, “thou dost wish me in this place The form to manifest of my prompt belief, And likewise thou the cause thereof demandest. And I respond: In one God I believe, Sole and eterne, who moveth all the heavens With love and with desire, himself unmoved; And of such faith not only have I proofs Physical and metaphysical, but gives them Likewise the truth that from this place rains down Through Moses, through the Prophets and the Psalms, Through the Evangel, and through you, who wrote After the fiery Spirit sanctified you; In Persons three eterne believe, and these One essence I believe, so one and trine They bear conjunction both with ‘sunt’ and ‘est.’ With the profound condition and divine Which now I touch upon, doth stamp my mind Ofttimes the doctrine evangelical. This the beginning is, this is the spark Which afterwards dilates to vivid flame, And, like a star in heaven, is sparkling in me.” Even as a lord who hears what pleaseth him His servant straight embraces, gratulating For the good news as soon as he is silent; So, giving me its benediction, singing, Three times encircled me, when I was silent, The apostolic light, at whose command I spoken had, in speaking I so pleased him. Paradiso: Canto XXV If e’er it happen that the Poem Sacred, To which both heaven and earth have set their hand, So that it many a year hath made me lean, O’ercome the cruelty that bars me out From the fair sheepfold, where a lamb I slumbered, An enemy to the wolves that war upon it, With other voice forthwith, with other fleece Poet will I return, and at my font Baptismal will I take the laurel crown; Because into the Faith that maketh known All souls to God there entered I, and then Peter for her sake thus my brow encircled. Thereafterward towards us moved a light Out of that band whence issued the first-fruits Which of his vicars Christ behind him left, And then my Lady, full of ecstasy, Said unto me: “Look, look! behold the Baron For whom below Galicia is frequented.”