Now our minds are like smoke, then they shall be like fire. - Dante Alighieri

"Lenivosti sa teraz zbaviť treba,"
riekol môj vodca, "sotva dôjdu slávy,
čo na perí sa mäkko uvelebia.

A ten, kto bez nej márny život strávi,
len takú stopu nechá v svete celom
jak v dielke dym a pena v prúde riavy,

A preto vstaň a slabost svoju prelom
so silou duch, ktorý všetko zdolá,
ak neklesne pod svojím ťažkým telom."

Thus it was up to God, to Him alone
in His own ways - by one or both, I say -
to give man back his whole life and perfection.

But since a deed done is more prized the more
it manifests within itself the mark
of the loving heart and goodness of the doer,

the Everlasting Love, whose seal is plain
on all the wax of the world was pleased to move
in all His ways to raise you up again.

There was not, nor will be, from the first day
to the last night, an act so glorious
and so magnificent, on either way.

For God, in giving Himself that man might be
able to raise himself, gave even more
than if he had forgiven him in mercy.

All other means would have been short, I say,
of perfect justice, but that God's own Son
humbled Himself to take on mortal clay.

-Paradiso, Canto VII

Lady, you who are so great, so powerful,
that who seeks grace without recourse to you
would have his wish fly upward without wings.