Our pilgrim finds everything doubled in brightness . . . because he's begun to fly up to the heavens, although he doesn't know it at first.

He's too busy figuring out all that light . . . and listening to the music of the spheres.

But Beatrice is there to set him straight and tell him that his ascent is faster than he could ever understand.

She also redefines "home"--not the Italian peninsula, nor the Garden of Eden, but the highest heaven, where they're headed in this journey to the final vision.

Join me, Mark Scarbrough, as we begin our flight among the planets and stars to head home.

Here are the segments for this episode of WALKING WITH DANTE:

[00:49] My English translation of PARADISO, Canto I, Lines 61 - 93. If you'd like to read along or drop a comment to continue the conversation, please find this episode's entry on my website, markscarbrough.com.

[03:34] Glaucus, the fisherman who becomes a sea-god.

[05:01] Glossing lines 61 - 72: the changing light and pilgrim.

[10:14] Glossing lines 73 - 75: the mind/body problem.

[13:19] Glossing lines 76 - 84: the sempiternal music of the spheres.

[18:55] Glossing lines 85 - 93: Beatrice's answer to an unasked question.

[21:00] How a guy transhumans--and how this guy translates some hard lines.

[28:06] There is always more light.

[30:06] Wonder and awe are not ends in themselves.

[32:03] Life is an on-going redefinition of "home."

[34:30] Rereading PARADISO, Canto I, lines 61 - 93.