THE LIFE OF GIOVANNI PICO OF MIRANDOLA

They might offer death and teach those how to die.
And soon, when fifty days This likely refers to the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, fifty days after the Resurrection. had passed,
A draught of divine nectar nectar: In a Christian context, this refers to divine grace or the sweetness of the Spirit, borrowed from the classical term for the drink of the gods.
The breeze of the heavenly spirit original: "spiritus" brought down from the highest peak into the branches.
The leaves, heavy with sweet dew, dripped on every side:
Behold, beneath the vast shade of the covering boughs
There was a fountain original: "fons"; an allegory for the Sacrament of Baptism or the source of Life.: it was serene, undisturbed by any chance,
With waters clear and bright; and the grasses around it
Cast forth joyful colors from the various dews.
Around this fountain, countless nations and peoples gathered—
Various in race, sex, age, and status.
Unmarried and married women alike, widows and daughters-in-law,
Infants, boys, men, youths, and the elderly.
Here, where the branches bent low, weighed down by many kinds of fruit,
They strove to reach the branches with eager hands.
They rejoiced in the fruit soaked in heavenly nectar.
Yet they could not pluck these with their yearning palms
Until they had scrubbed away the foul, muddy tracks of their former path
And washed their bodies in the holy fountain.
So, wandering for a long time upon the soft grass,
They gazed up at the fruits hanging from the tall tree.
Then they fed upon the husks fallen from those branches
And the sweet leaves dripping with much nectar,
Longing to partake of the true fruit.
Therefore, once their mouths tasted the heavenly flavor,
They changed their spirits and cast away their greedy thoughts.
Indeed, many whose minds were renewed often restored
Their weary souls; they endured things they once thought impossible
And began to reap the fruit of their labor.
Many, too, having dared to touch holy thoughts,
Suddenly turned away again; slipping backward,
They wallowed once more in that same filth and mire.
But many others, bearing a good heart, received it
With their whole souls and hid it deep within their very core.
Therefore, for those who are able to approach the sacred springs,
The seventh light The "seventh light" may refer to the Sabbath or a final stage of spiritual initiation. brings them to the longed-for waves;
They bathe their fasting limbs in the clear fountains.
In this way, they finally cast off the uncleanness of the mind
And the stain of their former life; they bring back their bright souls,
Pure from death and ready to approach the threshold of heaven.
From here, the path leads to the branches and the sweet fruits of salvation;
From there, the journey goes to heaven through the branches of the tall tree.
This is the Tree of Life Tree of Life (lignum vitae): A central Christian symbol representing the Cross of Christ as a source of eternal life and wisdom. for all who believe; Amen.