of the nature of things-第38章

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Of　the　whole　starry　Zodiac；　through　which
That　sun；　in　winding　onward；　takes　a　year；
Illumining　the　sky　and　all　the　lands
With　oblique　light…　as　men　declare　to　us
Who　by　their　diagrams　have　charted　well
Those　regions　of　the　sky　which　be　adorned
With　the　arranged　signs　of　Zodiac。
Or　else；　because　in　certain　parts　the　air
Under　the　lands　is　denser；　the　tremulous
Bright　beams　of　fire　do　waver　tardily；
Nor　easily　can　penetrate　that　air
Nor　yet　emerge　unto　their　rising…place：
For　this　it　is　that　nights　in　winter　time
Do　linger　long；　ere　comes　the　many…rayed
Round　Badge　of　the　day。　Or　else　because；　as　said；
In　alternating　seasons　of　the　year
Fires；　now　more　quick；　and　now　more　slow；　are　wont
To　stream　together；…　the　fires　which　make　the　sun
To　rise　in　some　one　spot…　therefore　it　is
That　those　men　seem　to　speak　the　truth　＇who　hold
A　new　sun　is　with　each　new　daybreak　born＇。
　　The　moon　she　possibly　doth　shine　because
Strook　by　the　rays　of　sun；　and　day　by　day
May　turn　unto　our　gaze　her　light；　the　more
She　doth　recede　from　orb　of　sun；　until；
Facing　him　opposite　across　the　world；
She　hath　with　full　effulgence　gleamed　abroad；
And；　at　her　rising　as　she　soars　above；
Hath　there　observed　his　setting；　thence　likewise
She　needs　must　hide；　as　'twere；　her　light　behind
By　slow　degrees；　the　nearer　now　she　glides；
Along　the　circle　of　the　Zodiac；
From　her　far　place　toward　fires　of　yonder　sun；…
As　those　men　hold　who　feign　the　moon　to　be
Just　like　a　ball　and　to　pursue　a　course
Betwixt　the　sun　and　earth。　There　is；　again；
Some　reason　to　suppose　that　moon　may　roll
With　light　her　very　own；　and　thus　display
The　varied　shapes　of　her　resplendence　there。
For　near　her　is；　percase；　another　body；
Invisible；　because　devoid　of　light；
Borne　on　and　gliding　all　along　with　her；
Which　in　three　modes　may　block　and　blot　her　disk。
Again；　she　may　revolve　upon　herself；
Like　to　a　ball's　sphere…　if　perchance　that　be…
One　half　of　her　dyed　o'er　with　glowing　light；
And　by　the　revolution　of　that　sphere
She　may　beget　for　us　her　varying　shapes；
Until　she　turns　that　fiery　part　of　her
Full　to　the　sight　and　open　eyes　of　men；
Thence　by　slow　stages　round　and　back　she　whirls；
Withdrawing　thus　the　luminiferous　part
Of　her　sphered　mass　and　ball；　as；　verily；
The　Babylonian　doctrine　of　Chaldees；
Refuting　the　art　of　Greek　astrologers；
Labours；　in　opposition；　to　prove　sure…
As　if；　forsooth；　the　thing　for　which　each　fights；
Might　not　alike　be　true；…　or　aught　there　were
Wherefore　thou　mightest　risk　embracing　one
More　than　the　other　notion。　Then；　again；
Why　a　new　moon　might　not　forevermore
Created　be　with　fixed　successions　there
Of　shapes　and　with　configurations　fixed；
And　why　each　day　that　bright　created　moon
Might　not　miscarry　and　another　be；
In　its　stead　and　place；　engendered　anew；
'Tis　hard　to　show　by　reason；　or　by　words
To　prove　absurd…　since；　lo；　so　many　things
Can　be　create　with　fixed　successions：
Spring…time　and　Venus　come；　and　Venus'　boy；
The　winged　harbinger；　steps　on　before；
And　hard　on　Zephyr's　foot…prints　Mother　Flora；
Sprinkling　the　ways　before　them；　filleth　all
With　colours　and　with　odours　excellent；
Whereafter　follows　arid　Heat；　and　he
Companioned　is　by　Ceres；　dusty　one；
And　by　the　Etesian　Breezes　of　the　north；
Then　cometh　Autumn　on；　and　with　him　steps
Lord　Bacchus；　and　then　other　Seasons　too
And　other　Winds　do　follow…　the　high　roar
Of　great　Volturnus；　and　the　Southwind　strong
With　thunder…bolts。　At　last　earth's　Shortest…Day
Bears　on　to　men　the　snows　and　brings　again
The　numbing　cold。　And　Winter　follows　her；
His　teeth　with　chills　a…chatter。　Therefore；　'tis
The　less　a　marvel；　if　at　fixed　time
A　moon　is　thus　begotten　and　again
At　fixed　time　destroyed；　since　things　so　many
Can　come　to　being　thus　at　fixed　time。
Likewise；　the　sun's　eclipses　and　the　moon's
Far　occultations　rightly　thou　mayst　deem
　　As　due　to　several　causes。　For；　indeed；
Why　should　the　moon　be　able　to　shut　out
Earth　from　the　light　of　sun；　and　on　the　side
To　earthward　thrust　her　high　head　under　sun；
Opposing　dark　orb　to　his　glowing　beams…
And　yet；　at　same　time；　one　suppose　the　effect
Could　not　result　from　some　one　other　body
Which　glides　devoid　of　light　forevermore？
Again；　why　could　not　sun；　in　weakened　state；
At　fixed　time　for…lose　his　fires；　and　then；
When　he　has　passed　on　along　the　air
Beyond　the　regions；　hostile　to　his　flames；
That　quench　and　kill　his　fires；　why　could　not　he
Renew　his　light？　And　why　should　earth　in　turn
Have　power　to　rob　the　moon　of　light；　and　there；
Herself　on　high；　keep　the　sun　hid　beneath；
Whilst　the　moon　glideth　in　her　monthly　course
Athrough　the　rigid　shadows　of　the　cone？…
And　yet；　at　same　time；　some　one　other　body
Not　have　the　power　to　under…pass　the　moon；
Or　glide　along　above　the　orb　of　sun；
Breaking　his　rays　and　outspread　light　asunder？
And　still；　if　moon　herself　refulgent　be
With　her　own　sheen；　why　could　she　not　at　times
In　some　one　quarter　of　the　mighty　world
Grow　weak　and　weary；　whilst　she　passeth　through
Regions　unfriendly　to　the　beams　her　own？

ORIGINS　OF　VEGETABLE　AND　ANIMAL　LIFE

　　And　now　to　what　remains！…　Since　I've　resolved
By　what　arrangements　all　things　come　to　pass
Through　the　blue　regions　of　the　mighty　world；…
How　we　can　know　what　energy　and　cause
Started　the　various　courses　of　the　sun
And　the　moon's　goings；　and　by　what　far　means
They　can　succumb；　the　while　with　thwarted　light；
And　veil　with　shade　the　unsuspecting　lands；
When；　as　it　were；　they　blink；　and　then　again
With　open　eye　survey　all　regions　wide；
Resplendent　with　white　radiance…　I　do　now
Return　unto　the　world's　primeval　age
And　tell　what　first　the　soft　young　fields　of　earth
With　earliest　parturition　had　decreed
To　raise　in　air　unto　the　shores　of　light
And　to　entrust　unto　the　wayward　winds。
In　the　beginning；　earth　gave　forth；　around
The　hills　and　over　all　the　length　of　plains；
The　race　of　grasses　and　the　shining　green；
The　flowery　meadows　sparkled　all　aglow
With　greening　colour；　and　thereafter；　lo；
Unto　the　divers　kinds　of　trees　was　given
An　emulous　impulse　mightily　to　shoot；
With　a　free　rein；　aloft　into　the　air。
As　feathers　and　hairs　and　bristles　are　begot
The　first　on　members　of　the　four…foot　breeds
And　on　the　bodies　of　the　strong…y…winged；
Thus　then　the　new　Earth　first　of　all　put　forth
Grasses　and　shrubs；　and　afterward　begat
The　mortal　generations；　there　upsprung…
Innumerable　in　modes　innumerable…
After　diverging　fashions。　For　from　sky
These　breathing…creatures　never　can　have　dropped；
Nor　the　land…dwellers　ever　have　come　up
Out　of　sea…pools　of　salt。　How　true　remains；
How　merited　is　that　adopted　name
Of　earth…　〃The　Mother！〃…　since　from　out　the　earth
Are　all　begotten。　And　even　now　arise
From　out　the　loams　how　many　living　things…
Concreted　by　the　rains　and　heat　of　the　sun。
Wherefore　'tis　less　a　marvel；　if　they　sprang
In　Long　Ago　more　many；　and　more　big；
Matured　of　those　days　in　the　fresh　young　years
Of　earth　and　ether。　First　of　all；　the　race
Of　the　winged　ones　and　parti…coloured　birds；
Hatched　out　in　spring…time；　left　their　eggs　behind；
As　now…a…days　in　summer　tree…crickets
Do　leave　their　shiny　husks　of　own　accord；
Seeking　their　food　and　living。　Then　it　was
This　earth　of　thine　first　gave　unto　the　day
The　mortal　generations；　for　prevailed
Among　the　fields　abounding　hot　and　wet。
And　hence；　where　any　fitting　spot　was　given；
There　'gan　to　grow　womb…cavities；　by　roots
Affixed　to　earth。　And　when　in　ripened　time
The　age　of　the　young　within　（that　sought　the　air
And　fled　earth's　damps）　had　burst　these　wombs；　O　then
Would　Nature　thither　turn　the　pores　of　earth
And　make　her　spurt　from　open　veins　a　juice
Like　unto　milk；　even　as　a　woman　now
Is　filled；　at　child…bearing；　with　the　sweet　milk；
Because　all　that　swift　stream　of　aliment
Is　thither　turned　unto　the　mother…breasts。
There　earth　would　furnish　to　the　children　food；
Warmth　was　their　swaddling　cloth；　the　grass　their　bed
Abounding　in　soft　down。　Earth's　newness　then
Would　rouse　no　dour　spells　of　the　bitter　cold；
Nor　extreme　heats　nor　winds　of　mighty　powers…
For　all　things　grow　and　gather　strength　through　time
In　like　proportions；　and　then　earth　was　young。
　　Wherefore；　again；　again；　how　merited
Is　that　adopte