of the nature of things-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Might　get　more　room　and　raise　its　lofty　roofs
Far　over　earth；　and　air　arise　around。
For　bodies　all；　from　out　all　regions；　are
Divided　by　blows；　each　to　its　proper　thing；
And　all　retire　to　their　own　proper　kinds：
The　moist　to　moist　retires；　earth　gets　increase
From　earthy　body；　and　fires；　as　on　a　forge；
Beat　out　new　fire；　and　ether　forges　ether；
Till　nature；　author　and　ender　of　the　world；
Hath　led　all　things　to　extreme　bound　of　growth：
As　haps　when　that　which　hath　been　poured　inside
The　vital　veins　of　life　is　now　no　more
Than　that　which　ebbs　within　them　and　runs　off。
This　is　the　point　where　life　for　each　thing　ends；
This　is　the　point　where　nature　with　her　powers
Curbs　all　increase。　For　whatsoe'er　thou　seest
Grow　big　with　glad　increase；　and　step　by　step
Climb　upward　to　ripe　age；　these　to　themselves
Take　in　more　bodies　than　they　send　from　selves；
Whilst　still　the　food　is　easily　infused
Through　all　the　veins；　and　whilst　the　things　are　not
So　far　expanded　that　they　cast　away
Such　numerous　atoms　as　to　cause　a　waste
Greater　than　nutriment　whereby　they　wax。
For　'tmust　be　granted；　truly；　that　from　things
Many　a　body　ebbeth　and　runs　off；
But　yet　still　more　must　come；　until　the　things
Have　touched　development's　top　pinnacle；
Then　old　age　breaks　their　powers　and　ripe　strength
And　falls　away　into　a　worser　part。
For　ever　the　ampler　and　more　wide　a　thing；
As　soon　as　ever　its　augmentation　ends；
It　scatters　abroad　forthwith　to　all　sides　round
More　bodies；　sending　them　from　out　itself。
Nor　easily　now　is　food　disseminate
Through　all　its　veins；　nor　is　that　food　enough
To　equal　with　a　new　supply　on　hand
Those　plenteous　exhalations　it　gives　off。
Thus；　fairly；　all　things　perish；　when　with　ebbing
They're　made　less　dense　and　when　from　blows　without
They　are　laid　low；　since　food　at　last　will　fail
Extremest　eld；　and　bodies　from　outside
Cease　not　with　thumping　to　undo　a　thing
And　overmaster　by　infesting　blows。
　　Thus；　too；　the　ramparts　of　the　mighty　world
On　all　sides　round　shall　taken　be　by　storm；
And　tumble　to　wrack　and　shivered　fragments　down。
For　food　it　is　must　keep　things　whole；　renewing；
'Tis　food　must　prop　and　give　support　to　all；…
But　to　no　purpose；　since　nor　veins　suffice
To　hold　enough；　nor　nature　ministers
As　much　as　needful。　And　even　now　'tis　thus：
Its　age　is　broken　and　the　earth；　outworn
With　many　parturitions；　scarce　creates
The　little　lives…　she　who　created　erst
All　generations　and　gave　forth　at　birth
Enormous　bodies　of　wild　beasts　of　old。
For　never；　I　fancy；　did　a　golden　cord
From　off　the　firmament　above　let　down
The　mortal　generations　to　the　fields；
Nor　sea；　nor　breakers　pounding　on　the　rocks
Created　them；　but　earth　it　was　who　bore…
The　same　to…day　who　feeds　them　from　herself。
Besides；　herself　of　own　accord；　she　first
The　shining　grains　and　vineyards　of　all　joy
Created　for　mortality；　herself
Gave　the　sweet　fruitage　and　the　pastures　glad；
Which　now　to…day　yet　scarcely　wax　in　size；
Even　when　aided　by　our　toiling　arms。
We　break　the　ox；　and　wear　away　the　strength
Of　sturdy　farm…hands；　iron　tools　to…day
Barely　avail　for　tilling　of　the　fields；
So　niggardly　they　grudge　our　harvestings；
So　much　increase　our　labour。　Now　to…day
The　aged　ploughman；　shaking　of　his　head；
Sighs　o'er　and　o'er　that　labours　of　his　hands
Have　fallen　out　in　vain；　and；　as　he　thinks
How　present　times　are　not　as　times　of　old；
Often　he　praises　the　fortunes　of　his　sire；
And　crackles；　prating；　how　the　ancient　race；
Fulfilled　with　piety；　supported　life
With　simple　comfort　in　a　narrow　plot；
Since；　man　for　man；　the　measure　of　each　field
Was　smaller　far　i'　the　old　days。　And；　again；
The　gloomy　planter　of　the　withered　vine
Rails　at　the　season's　change　and　wearies　heaven；
Nor　grasps　that　all　of　things　by　sure　degrees
Are　wasting　away　and　going　to　the　tomb；
Outworn　by　venerable　length　of　life。

BOOK　III

PROEM

O　thou　who　first　uplifted　in　such　dark
So　clear　a　torch　aloft；　who　first　shed　light
Upon　the　profitable　ends　of　man；
O　thee　I　follow；　glory　of　the　Greeks；
And　set　my　footsteps　squarely　planted　now
Even　in　the　impress　and　the　marks　of　thine…
Less　like　one　eager　to　dispute　the　palm；
More　as　one　craving　out　of　very　love
That　I　may　copy　thee！…　for　how　should　swallow
Contend　with　swans　or　what　compare　could　be
In　a　race　between　young　kids　with　tumbling　legs
And　the　strong　might　of　the　horse？　Our　father　thou；
And　finder…out　of　truth；　and　thou　to　us
Suppliest　a　father's　precepts；　and　from　out
Those　scriven　leaves　of　thine；　renowned　soul
（Like　bees　that　sip　of　all　in　flowery　wolds）；
We　feed　upon　thy　golden　sayings　all…
Golden；　and　ever　worthiest　endless　life。
For　soon　as　ever　thy　planning　thought　that　sprang
From　god…like　mind　begins　its　loud　proclaim
Of　nature's　courses；　terrors　of　the　brain
Asunder　flee；　the　ramparts　of　the　world
Dispart　away；　and　through　the　void　entire
I　see　the　movements　of　the　universe。
Rises　to　vision　the　majesty　of　gods；
And　their　abodes　of　everlasting　calm
Which　neither　wind　may　shake　nor　rain…cloud　splash；
Nor　snow；　congealed　by　sharp　frosts；　may　harm
With　its　white　downfall：　ever；　unclouded　sky
O'er　roofs；　and　laughs　with　far…diffused　light。
And　nature　gives　to　them　their　all；　nor　aught
May　ever　pluck　their　peace　of　mind　away。
But　nowhere　to　my　vision　rise　no　more
The　vaults　of　Acheron；　though　the　broad　earth
Bars　me　no　more　from　gazing　down　o'er　all
Which　under　our　feet　is　going　on　below
Along　the　void。　O；　here　in　these　affairs
Some　new　divine　delight　and　trembling　awe
Takes　hold　through　me；　that　thus　by　power　of　thine
Nature；　so　plain　and　manifest　at　last；
Hath　been　on　every　side　laid　bare　to　man！
　　And　since　I've　taught　already　of　what　sort
The　seeds　of　all　things　are；　and　how；　distinct
In　divers　forms；　they　flit　of　own　accord；
Stirred　with　a　motion　everlasting　on；
And　in　what　mode　things　be　from　them　create；
Now；　after　such　matters；　should　my　verse；　meseems；
Make　clear　the　nature　of　the　mind　and　soul；
And　drive　that　dread　of　Acheron　without；
Headlong；　which　so　confounds　our　human　life
Unto　its　deeps；　pouring　o'er　all　that　is
The　black　of　death；　nor　leaves　not　anything
To　prosper…　a　liquid　and　unsullied　joy。
For　as　to　what　men　sometimes　will　affirm：
That　more　than　Tartarus　（the　realm　of　death）
They　fear　diseases　and　a　life　of　shame；
And　know　the　substance　of　the　soul　is　blood；
Or　rather　wind　（if　haply　thus　their　whim）；
And　so　need　naught　of　this　our　science；　then
Thou　well　may'st　note　from　what's　to　follow　now
That　more　for　glory　do　they　braggart　forth
Than　for　belief。　For　mark　these　very　same：
Exiles　from　country；　fugitives　afar
From　sight　of　men；　with　charges　foul　attaint；
Abased　with　every　wretchedness；　they　yet
Live；　and　where'er　the　wretches　come；　they　yet
Make　the　ancestral　sacrifices　there；
Butcher　the　black　sheep；　and　to　gods　below
Offer　the　honours；　and　in　bitter　case
Turn　much　more　keenly　to　religion。
Wherefore；　it's　surer　testing　of　a　man
In　doubtful　perils…　mark　him　as　he　is
Amid　adversities；　for　then　alone
Are　the　true　voices　conjured　from　his　breast；
The　mask　off…stripped；　reality　behind。
And　greed；　again；　and　the　blind　lust　of　honours
Which　force　poor　wretches　past　the　bounds　of　law；
And；　oft　allies　and　ministers　of　crime；
To　push　through　nights　and　days　with　hugest　toil
To　rise　untrammelled　to　the　peaks　of　power…
These　wounds　of　life　in　no　mean　part　are　kept
Festering　and　open　by　this　fright　of　death。
For　ever　we　see　fierce　Want　and　foul　Disgrace
Dislodged　afar　from　secure　life　and　sweet；
Like　huddling　Shapes　before　the　doors　of　death。
And　whilst；　from　these；　men　wish　to　scape　afar；
Driven　by　false　terror；　and　afar　remove；
With　civic　blood　a　fortune　they　amass；
They　double　their　riches；　greedy；　heapers…up
Of　corpse　on　corpse　they　have　a　cruel　laugh
For　the　sad　burial　of　a　brother…born；
And　hatred　and　fear　of　tables　of　their　kin。
Likewise；　through　this　same　terror；　envy　oft
Makes　them　to　peak　because　before　their　eyes
That　man　is　lordly；　that　man　gazed　upon
Who　walks　begirt　with　honour　glorious；
Whilst　they　in　filth　and　darkness　roll　around；
Some　perish　away　for　statues　and　a　name；
And　oft　to　that　degree；　from　fright　of　death；
Will　hate　of　living　and　beholding