of the nature of things-第2章

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For　each　its　procreant　atoms；　could　things　have
Each　its　unalterable　mother　old？
But；　since　produced　from　fixed　seeds　are　all；
Each　birth　goes　forth　upon　the　shores　of　light
From　its　own　stuff；　from　its　own　primal　bodies。
And　all　from　all　cannot　become；　because
In　each　resides　a　secret　power　its　own。
Again；　why　see　we　lavished　o'er　the　lands
At　spring　the　rose；　at　summer　heat　the　corn；
The　vines　that　mellow　when　the　autumn　lures；
If　not　because　the　fixed　seeds　of　things
At　their　own　season　must　together　stream；
And　new　creations　only　be　revealed
When　the　due　times　arrive　and　pregnant　earth
Safely　may　give　unto　the　shores　of　light
Her　tender　progenies？　But　if　from　naught
Were　their　becoming；　they　would　spring　abroad
Suddenly；　unforeseen；　in　alien　months；
With　no　primordial　germs；　to　be　preserved
From　procreant　unions　at　an　adverse　hour。
Nor　on　the　mingling　of　the　living　seeds
Would　space　be　needed　for　the　growth　of　things
Were　life　an　increment　of　nothing：　then
The　tiny　babe　forthwith　would　walk　a　man；
And　from　the　turf　would　leap　a　branching　tree…
Wonders　unheard　of；　for；　by　Nature；　each
Slowly　increases　from　its　lawful　seed；
And　through　that　increase　shall　conserve　its　kind。
Whence　take　the　proof　that　things　enlarge　and　feed
From　out　their　proper　matter。　Thus　it　comes
That　earth；　without　her　seasons　of　fixed　rains；
Could　bear　no　produce　such　as　makes　us　glad；
And　whatsoever　lives；　if　shut　from　food；
Prolongs　its　kind　and　guards　its　life　no　more。
Thus　easier　'tis　to　hold　that　many　things
Have　primal　bodies　in　common　（as　we　see
The　single　letters　common　to　many　words）
Than　aught　exists　without　its　origins。
Moreover；　why　should　Nature　not　prepare
Men　of　a　bulk　to　ford　the　seas　afoot；
Or　rend　the　mighty　mountains　with　their　hands；
Or　conquer　Time　with　length　of　days；　if　not
Because　for　all　begotten　things　abides
The　changeless　stuff；　and　what　from　that　may　spring
Is　fixed　forevermore？　Lastly　we　see
How　far　the　tilled　surpass　the　fields　untilled
And　to　the　labour　of　our　hands　return
Their　more　abounding　crops；　there　are　indeed
Within　the　earth　primordial　germs　of　things；
Which；　as　the　ploughshare　turns　the　fruitful　clods
And　kneads　the　mould；　we　quicken　into　birth。
Else　would　ye　mark；　without　all　toil　of　ours；
Spontaneous　generations；　fairer　forms。
Confess　then；　naught　from　nothing　can　become；
Since　all　must　have　their　seeds；　wherefrom　to　grow；
Wherefrom　to　reach　the　gentle　fields　of　air。
Hence　too　it　comes　that　Nature　all　dissolves
Into　their　primal　bodies　again；　and　naught
Perishes　ever　to　annihilation。
For；　were　aught　mortal　in　its　every　part；
Before　our　eyes　it　might　be　snatched　away
Unto　destruction；　since　no　force　were　needed
To　sunder　its　members　and　undo　its　bands。
Whereas；　of　truth；　because　all　things　exist；
With　seed　imperishable；　Nature　allows
Destruction　nor　collapse　of　aught；　until
Some　outward　force　may　shatter　by　a　blow；
Or　inward　craft；　entering　its　hollow　cells；
Dissolve　it　down。　And　more　than　this；　if　Time；
That　wastes　with　eld　the　works　along　the　world；
Destroy　entire；　consuming　matter　all；
Whence　then　may　Venus　back　to　light　of　life
Restore　the　generations　kind　by　kind？
Or　how；　when　thus　restored；　may　daedal　Earth
Foster　and　plenish　with　her　ancient　food；
Which；　kind　by　kind；　she　offers　unto　each？
Whence　may　the　water…springs；　beneath　the　sea；
Or　inland　rivers；　far　and　wide　away；
Keep　the　unfathomable　ocean　full？
And　out　of　what　does　Ether　feed　the　stars？
For　lapsed　years　and　infinite　age　must　else
Have　eat　all　shapes　of　mortal　stock　away：
But　be　it　the　Long　Ago　contained　those　germs；
By　which　this　sum　of　things　recruited　lives；
Those　same　infallibly　can　never　die；
Nor　nothing　to　nothing　evermore　return。
And；　too；　the　selfsame　power　might　end　alike
All　things；　were　they　not　still　together　held
By　matter　eternal；　shackled　through　its　parts；
Now　more；　now　less。　A　touch　might　be　enough
To　cause　destruction。　For　the　slightest　force
Would　loose　the　weft　of　things　wherein　no　part
Were　of　imperishable　stock。　But　now
Because　the　fastenings　of　primordial　parts
Are　put　together　diversely　and　stuff
Is　everlasting；　things　abide　the　same
Unhurt　and　sure；　until　some　power　comes　on
Strong　to　destroy　the　warp　and　woof　of　each：
Nothing　returns　to　naught；　but　all　return
At　their　collapse　to　primal　forms　of　stuff。
Lo；　the　rains　perish　which　Ether…father　throws
Down　to　the　bosom　of　Earth…mother；　but　then
Upsprings　the　shining　grain；　and　boughs　are　green
Amid　the　trees；　and　trees　themselves　wax　big
And　lade　themselves　with　fruits；　and　hence　in　turn
The　race　of　man　and　all　the　wild　are　fed；
Hence　joyful　cities　thrive　with　boys　and　girls；
And　leafy　woodlands　echo　with　new　birds；
Hence　cattle；　fat　and　drowsy；　lay　their　bulk
Along　the　joyous　pastures　whilst　the　drops
Of　white　ooze　trickle　from　distended　bags；
Hence　the　young　scamper　on　their　weakling　joints
Along　the　tender　herbs；　fresh　hearts　afrisk
With　warm　new　milk。　Thus　naught　of　what　so　seems
Perishes　utterly；　since　Nature　ever
Upbuilds　one　thing　from　other；　suffering　naught
To　come　to　birth　but　through　some　other's　death。
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
And　now；　since　I　have　taught　that　things　cannot
Be　born　from　nothing；　nor　the　same；　when　born；
To　nothing　be　recalled；　doubt　not　my　words；
Because　our　eyes　no　primal　germs　perceive；
For　mark　those　bodies　which；　though　known　to　be
In　this　our　world；　are　yet　invisible：
The　winds　infuriate　lash　our　face　and　frame；
Unseen；　and　swamp　huge　ships　and　rend　the　clouds；
Or；　eddying　wildly　down；　bestrew　the　plains
With　mighty　trees；　or　scour　the　mountain　tops
With　forest…crackling　blasts。　Thus　on　they　rave
With　uproar　shrill　and　ominous　moan。　The　winds；
'Tis　clear；　are　sightless　bodies　sweeping　through
The　sea；　the　lands；　the　clouds　along　the　sky；
Vexing　and　whirling　and　seizing　all　amain；
And　forth　they　flow　and　pile　destruction　round；
Even　as　the　water's　soft　and　supple　bulk
Becoming　a　river　of　abounding　floods；
Which　a　wide　downpour　from　the　lofty　hills
Swells　with　big　showers；　dashes　headlong　down
Fragments　of　woodland　and　whole　branching　trees；
Nor　can　the　solid　bridges　bide　the　shock
As　on　the　waters　whelm：　the　turbulent　stream；
Strong　with　a　hundred　rains；　beats　round　the　piers；
Crashes　with　havoc；　and　rolls　beneath　its　waves
Down…toppled　masonry　and　ponderous　stone；
Hurling　away　whatever　would　oppose。
Even　so　must　move　the　blasts　of　all　the　winds；
Which；　when　they　spread；　like　to　a　mighty　flood；
Hither　or　thither；　drive　things　on　before
And　hurl　to　ground　with　still　renewed　assault；
Or　sometimes　in　their　circling　vortex　seize
And　bear　in　cones　of　whirlwind　down　the　world：
The　winds　are　sightless　bodies　and　naught　else…
Since　both　in　works　and　ways　they　rival　well
The　mighty　rivers；　the　visible　in　form。
Then　too　we　know　the　varied　smells　of　things
Yet　never　to　our　nostrils　see　them　come；
With　eyes　we　view　not　burning　heats；　nor　cold；
Nor　are　we　wont　men's　voices　to　behold。
Yet　these　must　be　corporeal　at　the　base；
Since　thus　they　smite　the　senses：　naught　there　is
Save　body；　having　property　of　touch。
And　raiment；　hung　by　surf…beat　shore；　grows　moist；
The　same；　spread　out　before　the　sun；　will　dry；
Yet　no　one　saw　how　sank　the　moisture　in；
Nor　how　by　heat　off…driven。　Thus　we　know；
That　moisture　is　dispersed　about　in　bits
Too　small　for　eyes　to　see。　Another　case：
A　ring　upon　the　finger　thins　away
Along　the　under　side；　with　years　and　suns；
The　drippings　from　the　eaves　will　scoop　the　stone；
The　hooked　ploughshare；　though　of　iron；　wastes
Amid　the　fields　insidiously。　We　view
The　rock…paved　highways　worn　by　many　feet；
And　at　the　gates　the　brazen　statues　show
Their　right　hands　leaner　from　the　frequent　touch
Of　wayfarers　innumerable　who　greet。
We　see　how　wearing…down　hath　minished　these；
But　just　what　motes　depart　at　any　time；
The　envious　nature　of　vision　bars　our　sight。
Lastly　whatever　days　and　nature　add
Little　by　little；　constraining　things　to　grow
In　due　proportion；　no　gaze　however　keen
Of　these　our　eyes　hath　watched　and　known。　No　more
Can　we　observe　what's　lost　at　any　time；
When　things　wax　old　with　eld　and　foul　decay；
Or　when　salt　seas　eat　under　beetling　crags。