of the nature of things-第46章

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Smiteth　into　a　cloud　already　hot
With　a　ripe　thunderbolt。　And　when　that　wind
Hath　splintered　that　cloud；　then　down　there　cleaves　forthwith
Yon　fiery　coil　of　flame　which　still　we　call；
Even　with　our　fathers'　word；　a　thunderbolt。
The　same　thing　haps　toward　every　other　side
Whither　that　force　hath　swept。　It　happens；　too；
That　sometimes　force　of　wind；　though　hurtled　forth
Without　all　fire；　yet　in　its　voyage　through　space
Igniteth；　whilst　it　comes　along；　along；…
Losing　some　larger　bodies　which　cannot
Pass；　like　the　others；　through　the　bulks　of　air；…
And；　scraping　together　out　of　air　itself
Some　smaller　bodies；　carries　them　along；
And　these；　commingling；　by　their　flight　make　fire：
Much　in　the　manner　as　oft　a　leaden　ball
Grows　hot　upon　its　aery　course；　the　while
It　loseth　many　bodies　of　stark　cold
And　taketh　into　itself　along　the　air
New　particles　of　fire。　It　happens；　too；
That　force　of　blow　itself　arouses　fire；
When　force　of　wind；　a…cold　and　hurtled　forth
Without　all　fire；　hath　strook　somewhere　amain…
No　marvel；　because；　when　with　terrific　stroke
'Thas　smitten；　the　elements　of　fiery…stuff
Can　stream　together　from　out　the　very　wind
And；　simultaneously；　from　out　that　thing
Which　then　and　there　receives　the　stroke：　as　flies
The　fire　when　with　the　steel　we　hack　the　stone；
Nor　yet；　because　the　force　of　steel's　a…cold；
Rush　the　less　speedily　together　there
Under　the　stroke　its　seeds　of　radiance　hot。
And　therefore；　thuswise　must　an　object　too
Be　kindled　by　a　thunderbolt；　if　haply
'Thas　been　adapt　and　suited　to　the　flames。
Yet　force　of　wind　must　not　be　rashly　deemed
As　altogether　and　entirely　cold…
That　force　which　is　discharged　from　on　high
With　such　stupendous　power；　but　if　'tis　not
Upon　its　course　already　kindled　with　fire；
It　yet　arriveth　warmed　and　mixed　with　heat。
　　And；　now；　the　speed　and　stroke　of　thunderbolt
Is　so　tremendous；　and　with　glide　so　swift
Those　thunderbolts　rush　on　and　down；　because
Their　roused　force　itself　collects　itself
First　always　in　the　clouds；　and　then　prepares
For　the　huge　effort　of　their　going…forth；
Next；　when　the　cloud　no　longer　can　retain
The　increment　of　their　fierce　impetus；
Their　force　is　pressed　out；　and　therefore　flies
With　impetus　so　wondrous；　like　to　shots
Hurled　from　the　powerful　Roman　catapults。
Note；　too；　this　force　consists　of　elements
Both　small　and　smooth；　nor　is　there　aught　that　can
With　ease　resist　such　nature。　For　it　darts
Between　and　enters　through　the　pores　of　things；
And　so　it　never　falters　in　delay
Despite　innumerable　collisions；　but
Flies　shooting　onward　with　a　swift　elan。
Next；　since　by　nature　always　every　weight
Bears　downward；　doubled　is　the　swiftness　then
And　that　elan　is　still　more　wild　and　dread；
When；　verily；　to　weight　are　added　blows；
So　that　more　madly　and　more　fiercely　then
The　thunderbolt　shakes　into　shivers　all
That　blocks　its　path；　following　on　its　way。
Then；　too；　because　it　comes　along；　along
With　one　continuing　elan；　it　must
Take　on　velocity　anew；　anew；
Which　still　increases　as　it　goes；　and　ever
Augments　the　bolt's　vast　powers　and　to　the　blow
Gives　larger　vigour；　for　it　forces　all；
All　of　the　thunder's　seeds　of　fire；　to　sweep
In　a　straight　line　unto　one　place；　as　'twere；…
Casting　them　one　by　other；　as　they　roll；
Into　that　onward　course。　Again；　perchance；
In　coming　along；　it　pulls　from　out　the　air
Some　certain　bodies；　which　by　their　own　blows
Enkindle　its　velocity。　And；　lo；
It　comes　through　objects　leaving　them　unharmed；
It　goes　through　many　things　and　leaves　them　whole；
Because　the　liquid　fire　flieth　along
Athrough　their　pores。　And　much　it　does　transfix；
When　these　primordial　atoms　of　the　bolt
Have　fallen　upon　the　atoms　of　these　things
Precisely　where　the　intertwined　atoms
Are　held　together。　And；　further；　easily
Brass　it　unbinds　and　quickly　fuseth　gold；
Because　its　force　is　so　minutely　made
Of　tiny　parts　and　elements　so　smooth
That　easily　they　wind　their　way　within；
And；　when　once　in；　quickly　unbind　all　knots
And　loosen　all　the　bonds　of　union　there。
　　And　most　in　autumn　is　shaken　the　house　of　heaven；
The　house　so　studded　with　the　glittering　stars；
And　the　whole　earth　around…　most　too　in　spring
When　flowery　times　unfold　themselves：　for；　lo；
In　the　cold　season　is　there　lack　of　fire；
And　winds　are　scanty　in　the　hot；　and　clouds
Have　not　so　dense　a　bulk。　But　when；　indeed；
The　seasons　of　heaven　are　betwixt　these　twain；
The　divers　causes　of　the　thunderbolt
Then　all　concur；　for　then　both　cold　and　heat
Are　mixed　in　the　cross…seas　of　the　year；
So　that　a　discord　rises　among　things
And　air　in　vast　tumultuosity
Billows；　infuriate　with　the　fires　and　winds…
Of　which　the　both　are　needed　by　the　cloud
For　fabrication　of　the　thunderbolt。
For　the　first　part　of　heat　and　last　of　cold
Is　the　time　of　spring；　wherefore　must　things　unlike
Do　battle　one　with　other；　and；　when　mixed；
Tumultuously　rage。　And　when　rolls　round
The　latest　heat　mixed　with　the　earliest　chill…
The　time　which　bears　the　name　of　autumn…　then
Likewise　fierce　cold…spells　wrestle　with　fierce　heats。
On　this　account　these　seasons　of　the　year
Are　nominated　〃cross…seas。〃…　And　no　marvel
If　in　those　times　the　thunderbolts　prevail
And　storms　are　roused　turbulent　in　heaven；
Since　then　both　sides　in　dubious　warfare　rage
Tumultuously；　the　one　with　flames；　the　other
With　winds　and　with　waters　mixed　with　winds。
　　This；　this　it　is；　O　Memmius；　to　see　through
The　very　nature　of　fire…fraught　thunderbolt；
O　this　it　is　to　mark　by　what　blind　force
It　maketh　each　effect；　and　not；　O　not
To　unwind　Etrurian　scrolls　oracular；
Inquiring　tokens　of　occult　will　of　gods；
Even　as　to　whence　the　flying　flame　hath　come；
Or　to　which　half　of　heaven　it　turns；　or　how
Through　walled　places　it　hath　wound　its　way；
Or；　after　proving　its　dominion　there；
How　it　hath　speeded　forth　from　thence　amain；
Or　what　the　thunderstroke　portends　of　ill
From　out　high　heaven。　But　if　Jupiter
And　other　gods　shake　those　refulgent　vaults
With　dread　reverberations　and　hurl　fire
Whither　it　pleases　each；　why　smite　they　not
Mortals　of　reckless　and　revolting　crimes；
That　such　may　pant　from　a　transpierced　breast
Forth　flames　of　the　red　levin…　unto　men
A　drastic　lesson？…　why　is　rather　he…
O　he　self…conscious　of　no　foul　offence…
Involved　in　flames；　though　innocent；　and　clasped
Up…caught　in　skiey　whirlwind　and　in　fire？
Nay；　why；　then；　aim　they　at　eternal　wastes；
And　spend　themselves　in　vain？…　perchance；　even　so
To　exercise　their　arms　and　strengthen　shoulders？
Why　suffer　they　the　Father's　javelin
To　be　so　blunted　on　the　earth？　And　why
Doth　he　himself　allow　it；　nor　spare　the　same
Even　for　his　enemies？　O　why　most　oft
Aims　he　at　lofty　places？　Why　behold　we
Marks　of　his　lightnings　most　on　mountain　tops？
Then　for　what　reason　shoots　he　at　the　sea？…
What　sacrilege　have　waves　and　bulk　of　brine
And　floating　fields　of　foam　been　guilty　of？
Besides；　if　'tis　his　will　that　we　beware
Against　the　lightning…stroke；　why　feareth　he
To　grant　us　power　for　to　behold　the　shot？
And；　contrariwise；　if　wills　he　to　o'erwhelm　us；
Quite　off　our　guard；　with　fire；　why　thunders　he
Off　in　yon　quarter；　so　that　we　may　shun？
Why　rouseth　he　beforehand　darkling　air
And　the　far　din　and　rumblings？　And　O　how
Canst　thou　believe　he　shoots　at　one　same　time
Into　diverse　directions？　Or　darest　thou
Contend　that　never　hath　it　come　to　pass
That　divers　strokes　have　happened　at　one　time？
But　oft　and　often　hath　it　come　to　pass；
And　often　still　it　must；　that；　even　as　showers
And　rains　o'er　many　regions　fall；　so　too
Dart　many　thunderbolts　at　one　same　time。
Again；　why　never　hurtles　Jupiter
A　bolt　upon　the　lands　nor　pours　abroad
Clap　upon　clap；　when　skies　are　cloudless　all？
Or；　say；　doth　he；　so　soon　as　ever　the　clouds
Have　come　thereunder；　then　into　the　same
Descend　in　person；　that　from　thence　he　may
Near…by　decide　upon　the　stroke　of　shaft？
And；　lastly；　why；　with　devastating　bolt
Shakes　he　asunder　holy　shrines　of　gods
And　his　own　thrones　of　splendour；　and　to…breaks
The　well…wrought　idols　of　divinities；
And　robs　of　glory　his　own　images
By　wound　of　violence？
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　But　to　return　apace；
Easy　it　is　from　these　same　facts　to　know
In　just　what　wise　those　things　（which　fro