As when the sturdy north blows from his cheek
A blast, that scours the sky, forthwith our air,
Clear’d of the rack, that hung on it before,
Glitters; and, With his beauties all unveil’d,
The firmament looks forth serene, and smiles;
Such was my cheer, when Beatrice drove
With clear reply the shadows back, and truth
Was manifested, as a star in heaven. 
And when the words were ended, not unlike
To iron in the furnace, every cirque
Ebullient shot forth scintillating fires: 
And every sparkle shivering to new blaze,
In number did outmillion the account
Reduplicate upon the chequer’d board. 
Then heard I echoing on from choir to choir,
“Hosanna,” to the fixed point, that holds,
And shall for ever hold them to their place,
From everlasting, irremovable.

Musing awhile I stood:  and she, who saw by inward meditations, thus began:  “In the first circles, they, whom thou beheldst, Are seraphim and cherubim.  Thus swift Follow their hoops, in likeness to the point, Near as they can, approaching; and they can The more, the loftier their vision.  Those, That round them fleet, gazing the Godhead next, Are thrones; in whom the first trine ends.  And all Are blessed, even as their sight descends Deeper into the truth, wherein rest is For every mind.  Thus happiness hath root
In seeing, not in loving, which of sight
Is aftergrowth.  And of the seeing such
The meed, as unto each in due degree
Grace and good-will their measure have assign’d. 
The other trine, that with still opening buds
In this eternal springtide blossom fair,
Fearless of bruising from the nightly ram,
Breathe up in warbled melodies threefold
Hosannas blending ever, from the three
Transmitted. hierarchy of gods, for aye
Rejoicing, dominations first, next then
Virtues, and powers the third.  The next to whom
Are princedoms and archangels, with glad round
To tread their festal ring; and last the band
Angelical, disporting in their sphere. 
All, as they circle in their orders, look
Aloft, and downward with such sway prevail,
That all with mutual impulse tend to God. 
These once a mortal view beheld.  Desire
In Dionysius so intently wrought,
That he, as I have done rang’d them; and nam’d
Their orders, marshal’d in his thought.  From him
Dissentient, one refus’d his sacred read. 
But soon as in this heav’n his doubting eyes
Were open’d, Gregory at his error smil’d
Nor marvel, that a denizen of earth
Should scan such secret truth; for he had learnt
Both this and much beside of these our orbs,
From an eye-witness to heav’n’s mysteries.”

CANTO XXIX