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The beings who must die, who live in fear surrounded by images, shadows, in an obscure labyrinth without door or window, by snares without number, outcast, pale, worn, ill, excluded from the fruit of God's blood, bound to the first lie, defeated, if they will let themselves gaze at that sweet bronze serpent wound round the cross, at the truth of their lives, at Christ whose integrity won our war, they will see safety, freedom above the stars, the sky, the elements. So, no need to lower your vision to this earth's--look up, look up to His Sunlight, you're on your way to Him, all eager joy . |
An image of the Italian text from Visconti's 1840 edition |
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Notes: From V CLXXIII:333. See also B S2:7:180; no MSs; 1548 Valgrisi; 1693 Bulifon; 1760 Rota. A twenty-fifth in a series meditating Christ. "In corce quel celeste eneo dolce Angue" refers to the archetypal use of the serpent wound round the cross as an image of Christ. Reference: Numbers 21:8 (God tellsMoses to lift up a serpent of brass on a pole to strengthen the Hebrews). Key |
