Divine Comedy, Longfellow's Translation, Complete

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.