One after laws and one to aphorisms
  Was going, and one following the priesthood,
  And one to reign by force or sophistry,

And one in theft, and one in state affairs,
  One in the pleasures of the flesh involved
  Wearied himself, one gave himself to ease;

When each one had returned unto that point
  Within the circle where it was before,
  It stood as in a candlestick a candle;

And from within the effulgence which at first
  Had spoken unto me, I heard begin
  Smiling while it more luminous became:

Thou doubtest, and wouldst have me to resift
  In language so extended and so open
  My speech, that to thy sense it may be plain,

Where just before I said, 'where well one fattens,'
  And where I said, 'there never rose a second;'
  And here 'tis needful we distinguish well.

(So that towards her own Beloved might go
  The bride of Him who, uttering a loud cry,
  Espoused her with his consecrated blood,

Self-confident and unto Him more faithful,)
  Two Princes did ordain in her behoof,
  Which on this side and that might be her guide.

One will I speak of, for of both is spoken
  In praising one, whichever may be taken,
  Because unto one end their labours were.

Between Tupino and the stream that falls
  Down from the hill elect of blessed Ubald,
  A fertile slope of lofty mountain hangs,

From out that slope, there where it breaketh most
  Its steepness, rose upon the world a sun
  As this one does sometimes from out the Ganges;

Therefore let him who speaketh of that place,
  Say not Ascesi, for he would say little,
  But Orient, if he properly would speak.

For he in youth his father's wrath incurred
  For certain Dame, to whom, as unto death,
  The gate of pleasure no one doth unlock;

And was before his spiritual court
  'Et coram patre' unto her united;
  Then day by day more fervently he loved her.

Naught it availed to hear, that with Amyclas
  Found her unmoved at sounding of his voice
  He who struck terror into all the world;

Naught it availed being constant and undaunted,
  So that, when Mary still remained below,
  She mounted up with Christ upon the cross. 

Their concord and their joyous semblances,
  The love, the wonder, and the sweet regard,
  They made to be the cause of holy thoughts;

So much so that the venerable Bernard
  First bared his feet, and after so great peace
  Ran, and, in running, thought himself too slow.

Then goes his way that father and that master,
  He and his Lady and that family
  Which now was girding on the humble cord;

Nor cowardice of heart weighed down his brow
  At being son of Peter Bernardone,
  Nor for appearing marvellously scorned;

After the people mendicant increased
  Behind this man, whose admirable life
  Better in glory of the heavens were sung,

Incoronated with a second crown
  Was through Honorius by the Eternal Spirit
  The holy purpose of this Archimandrite.

And, finding for conversion too unripe
  The folk, and not to tarry there in vain,
  Returned to fruit of the Italic grass,

On the rude rock 'twixt Tiber and the Arno
  From Christ did he receive the final seal,
  Which during two whole years his members bore.

Unto his friars, as to the rightful heirs,
  His most dear Lady did he recommend,
  And bade that they should love her faithfully;

And from her bosom the illustrious soul
  Wished to depart, returning to its realm,
  And for its body wished no other bier.

And this man was our Patriarch; hence whoever
  Doth follow him as he commands can see
  That he is laden with good merchandise.

But for new pasturage his flock has grown
  So greedy, that it is impossible
  They be not scattered over fields diverse;

Verily some there are that fear a hurt,
  And keep close to the shepherd; but so few,
  That little cloth doth furnish forth their hoods.

Now if my utterance be not indistinct,
  If thine own hearing hath attentive been,
  If thou recall to mind what I have said,

'Where well one fattens, if he strayeth not.'"