Canto XXVII of the purgatory
The taste for the Eternal Pleasures.
Come, come to the dwelling of My Father, and you Marco, be received such as a Lover!
Sì come quando i primi raggi vibra là dove il suo fattor lo sangue sparse, cadendo Ibero sotto l'alta Libra, e l'onde in Gange da nona riarse, sì stava il sole; onde 'l giorno sen giva, come l'angel di Dio lieto ci apparse. Fuor de la fiamma stava in su la riva, e cantava 'Beati mundo corde!'. in voce assai più che la nostra viva. Poscia «Più non si va, se pria non morde, anime sante, il foco: intrate in esso, e al cantar di là non siate sorde»,
RETURN TO THE PORTAL OF PURGATORY
She stand very close, out of the flames, and she sang: "Blessed those, whose heart is pure!" And the beautiful Angel of Heaven added: "Stop, holy souls, and penetrate this fire, do not resist the songs of the Siren which invites you beyond the flames." But I was held close to the fire and I was afraid, and my guide says to me: "My son, it is not death which awaits you, only a momentary torment, and this flame could not burn you; it is only a wall, between you and Jeanne, which you must cross before tasting to the eternal Pleasures." Then he entered into the fire followed by Dante, who was going to Paradise, and, by hearing the name of Jeanne, my fears fled away. I followed them in the flames and while going, he fed my courage while speaking to me about Her: "It seems to me that I already see her soft eyes." Beyond the fire, a voice, with delicate accents, guided us: "Come, come to the dwelling of My Father, and you Marco, be received such as a Lover!" And, beyond the fire, the light invades me, and I could not look at it more longer. The voice added: "Do not stop, because it will grow dark soon" And we were very early, overcomed by the end of the day. At the time when the sleep invites to the games of love, it seemed to me I saw in dream, a young and beautiful woman, she went in a meadow gathering up fruits, flowers and lianas and who did have, for lothing, only her long golden hair. She said while singing: "You who will ask me my name, know that I am Eve, that with my nimble hands, I am fooling with you and that I retain your beautiful naked body attached to this tree, with bounds mad of flowered garlands. I am not like Lilith, my sister, who masturbates herself in front of the mirror whereas that, me, I prefer to act and bewitch the males, to offer them to me like mature Fruits." But already the night made place to the day, and my dreams flew away. "This Fruit, which pokes the appetite of men, will alleviate your hunger today." These words said by Baudelaire, at the moment when we took again the road, gave me such a pleasure that no present could have replaced them. My desire to be up there was such, that it gave me wings. When we had arrived at the top of the mountain, my guide directed its glance on me and he says: "I led you here, by my science and my art, through difficult and narrow ways. use now or your own pleasure as a guide. See, over there, the sun, the tender grass, the flowers, until appear, filled with joy, these beautiful eyes which, while crying, had made me come to you. Do not expect any more from me, neither gestures nor councils. You are free and your judgement is healthy, this is why I give you back the control of yourself."
Marco Polo ou le voyage imaginaire (La tragédie humaine, janvier 2000) © 1999 Jean-Pierre Lapointe
Theme musical: romanesca de Alonzo Mudarra, emprunté aux Classical Midi Archives.
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