Prayer of Penitents

Dante Alighieri (1265–1321)

Translated by Henry Francis Cary

Selections from “The Divine Comedy”
Purgatory: Canto XI.

“O THOU Almighty Father! who dost make

The heavens thy dwelling, not in bounds confined,

But that, with love intenser, there thou view’st

Thy primal effluence; hallowed be thy name:

Join, each created being, to extol

Thy might; for worthy humblest thanks and praise

Is thy blest Spirit. May thy kingdom’s peace

Come unto us; for we, unless it come,

With all our striving, thither tend in vain.

As, of their will, the angels unto thee

Tender meet sacrifice, circling thy throne

With loud hosannas; so of theirs be done

By saintly men on earth. Grant us, this day,

Our daily manna, without which he roams

Through this rough desert retrograde, who most

Toils to advance his steps. As we to each

Pardon the evil done us, pardon thou

Benign, and of our merit take no count.

’Gainst the old adversary, prove thou not

Our virtue, easily subdued; but free

From his incitements, and defeat his wiles.

This last petition, dearest Lord! is made

Not for ourselves; since that were needless now;

But for their sakes who after us remain.”