of the nature of things-第21节

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Feeling　i'faith　no　better　off　abroad。
He　races；　driving　his　Gallic　ponies　along；
Down　to　his　villa；　madly；…　as　in　haste
To　hurry　help　to　a　house　afire。…　At　once
He　yawns；　as　soon　as　foot　has　touched　the　threshold；
Or　drowsily　goes　off　in　sleep　and　seeks
Forgetfulness；　or　maybe　bustles　about
And　makes　for　town　again。　In　such　a　way
Each　human　flees　himself…　a　self　in　sooth；
As　happens；　he　by　no　means　can　escape；
And　willy…nilly　he　cleaves　to　it　and　loathes；
Sick；　sick；　and　guessing　not　the　cause　of　ail。
Yet　should　he　see　but　that；　O　chiefly　then；
Leaving　all　else；　he'd　study　to　divine
The　nature　of　things；　since　here　is　in　debate
Eternal　time　and　not　the　single　hour；
Mortal's　estate　in　whatsoever　remains
After　great　death。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　too；　when　all　is　said；
What　evil　lust　of　life　is　this　so　great
Subdues　us　to　live；　so　dreadfully　distraught
In　perils　and　alarms？　one　fixed　end
Of　life　abideth　for　mortality；
Death's　not　to　shun；　and　we　must　go　to　meet。
Besides　we're　busied　with　the　same　devices；
Ever　and　ever；　and　we　are　at　them　ever；
And　there's　no　new　delight　that　may　be　forged
By　living　on。　But　whilst　the　thing　we　long　for
Is　lacking；　that　seems　good　above　all　else；
Thereafter；　when　we've　touched　it；　something　else
We　long　for；　ever　one　equal　thirst　of　life
Grips　us　agape。　And　doubtful　'tis　what　fortune
The　future　times　may　carry；　or　what　be
That　chance　may　bring；　or　what　the　issue　next
Awaiting　us。　Nor　by　prolonging　life
Take　we　the　least　away　from　death's　own　time；
Nor　can　we　pluck　one　moment　off；　whereby
To　minish　the　aeons　of　our　state　of　death。
Therefore；　O　man；　by　living　on；　fulfil
As　many　generations　as　thou　may：
Eternal　death　shall　there　be　waiting　still；
And　he　who　died　with　light　of　yesterday
Shall　be　no　briefer　time　in　death's　No…more
Than　he　who　perished　months　or　years　before。

BOOK　IV

PROEM

I　wander　afield；　thriving　in　sturdy　thought；
Through　unpathed　haunts　of　the　Pierides；
Trodden　by　step　of　none　before。　I　joy
To　come　on　undefiled　fountains　there；
To　drain　them　deep；　I　joy　to　pluck　new　flowers；
To　seek　for　this　my　head　a　signal　crown
From　regions　where　the　Muses　never　yet
Have　garlanded　the　temples　of　a　man：
First；　since　I　teach　concerning　mighty　things；
And　go　right　on　to　loose　from　round　the　mind
The　tightened　coils　of　dread　religion；
Next；　since；　concerning　themes　so　dark；　I　frame
Song　so　pellucid；　touching　all　throughout
Even　with　the　Muses'　charm…　which；　as　'twould　seem；
Is　not　without　a　reasonable　ground：
For　as　physicians；　when　they　seek　to　give
Young　boys　the　nauseous　wormwood；　first　do　touch
The　brim　around　the　cup　with　the　sweet　juice
And　yellow　of　the　honey；　in　order　that
The　thoughtless　age　of　boyhood　be　cajoled
As　far　as　the　lips；　and　meanwhile　swallow　down
The　wormwood's　bitter　draught；　and；　though　befooled；
Be　yet　not　merely　duped；　but　rather　thus
Grow　strong　again　with　recreated　health：
So　now　I　too　（since　this　my　doctrine　seems
In　general　somewhat　woeful　unto　those
Who've　had　it　not　in　hand；　and　since　the　crowd
Starts　back　from　it　in　horror）　have　desired
To　expound　our　doctrine　unto　thee　in　song
Soft…speaking　and　Pierian；　and；　as　'twere；
To　touch　it　with　sweet　honey　of　the　Muse…
If　by　such　method　haply　I　might　hold
The　mind　of　thee　upon　these　lines　of　ours；
Till　thou　dost　learn　the　nature　of　all　things
And　understandest　their　utility。

EXISTENCE　AND　CHARACTER　OF　THE　IMAGES

　　But　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；
And　since　I've　taught　what　the　mind's　nature　is；
And　of　what　things　'tis　with　the　body　knit
And　thrives　in　strength；　and　by　what　mode　uptorn
That　mind　returns　to　its　primordials；
Now　will　I　undertake　an　argument…
One　for　these　matters　of　supreme　concern…
That　there　exist　those　somewhats　which　we　call
The　images　of　things：　these；　like　to　films
Scaled　off　the　utmost　outside　of　the　things；
Flit　hither　and　thither　through　the　atmosphere；
And　the　same　terrify　our　intellects；
Coming　upon　us　waking　or　in　sleep；
When　oft　we　peer　at　wonderful　strange　shapes
And　images　of　people　lorn　of　light；
Which　oft　have　horribly　roused　us　when　we　lay
In　slumber…　that　haply　nevermore　may　we
Suppose　that　souls　get　loose　from　Acheron；
Or　shades　go　floating　in　among　the　living；
Or　aught　of　us　is　left　behind　at　death；
When　body　and　mind；　destroyed　together；　each
Back　to　its　own　primordials　goes　away。
　　And　thus　I　say　that　effigies　of　things；
And　tenuous　shapes　from　off　the　things　are　sent；
From　off　the　utmost　outside　of　the　things；
Which　are　like　films　or　may　be　named　a　rind；
Because　the　image　bears　like　look　and　form
With　whatso　body　has　shed　it　fluttering　forth…
A　fact　thou　mayst；　however　dull　thy　wits；
Well　learn　from　this：　mainly；　because　we　see
Even　'mongst　visible　objects　many　be
That　send　forth　bodies；　loosely　some　diffused…
Like　smoke　from　oaken　logs　and　heat　from　fires…
And　some　more　interwoven　and　condensed…
As　when　the　locusts　in　the　summertime
Put　off　their　glossy　tunics；　or　when　calves
At　birth　drop　membranes　from　their　body's　surface；
Or　when；　again；　the　slippery　serpent　doffs
Its　vestments　'mongst　the　thorns…　for　oft　we　see
The　breres　augmented　with　their　flying　spoils：
Since　such　takes　place；　'tis　likewise　certain　too
That　tenuous　images　from　things　are　sent；
From　off　the　utmost　outside　of　the　things。
For　why　those　kinds　should　drop　and　part　from　things；
Rather　than　others　tenuous　and　thin；
No　power　has　man　to　open　mouth　to　tell；
Especially；　since　on　outsides　of　things
Are　bodies　many　and　minute　which　could；
In　the　same　order　which　they　had　before；
And　with　the　figure　of　their　form　preserved；
Be　thrown　abroad；　and　much　more　swiftly　too；
Being　less　subject　to　impediments；
As　few　in　number　and　placed　along　the　front。
For　truly　many　things　we　see　discharge
Their　stuff　at　large；　not　only　from　their　cores
Deep…set　within；　as　we　have　said　above；
But　from　their　surfaces　at　times　no　less…
Their　very　colours　too。　And　commonly
The　awnings；　saffron；　red　and　dusky　blue；
Stretched　overhead　in　mighty　theatres；
Upon　their　poles　and　cross…beams　fluttering；
Have　such　an　action　quite；　for　there　they　dye
And　make　to　undulate　with　their　every　hue
The　circled　throng　below；　and　all　the　stage；
And　rich　attire　in　the　patrician　seats。
And　ever　the　more　the　theatre's　dark　walls
Around　them　shut；　the　more　all　things　within
Laugh　in　the　bright　suffusion　of　strange　glints；
The　daylight　being　withdrawn。　And　therefore；　since
The　canvas　hangings　thus　discharge　their　dye
From　off　their　surface；　things　in　general　must
Likewise　their　tenuous　effigies　discharge；
Because　in　either　case　they　are　off…thrown
From　off　the　surface。　So　there　are　indeed
Such　certain　prints　and　vestiges　of　forms
Which　flit　around；　of　subtlest　texture　made；
Invisible；　when　separate；　each　and　one。
Again；　all　odour；　smoke；　and　heat；　and　such
Streams　out　of　things　diffusedly；　because；
Whilst　coming　from　the　deeps　of　body　forth
And　rising　out；　along　their　bending　path
They're　torn　asunder；　nor　have　gateways　straight
Wherethrough　to　mass　themselves　and　struggle　abroad。
But　contrariwise；　when　such　a　tenuous　film
Of　outside　colour　is　thrown　off；　there's　naught
Can　rend　it；　since　'tis　placed　along　the　front
Ready　to　hand。　Lastly　those　images
Which　to　our　eyes　in　mirrors　do　appear；
In　water；　or　in　any　shining　surface；
Must　be；　since　furnished　with　like　look　of　things；
Fashioned　from　images　of　things　sent　out。
There　are；　then；　tenuous　effigies　of　forms；
Like　unto　them；　which　no　one　can　divine
When　taken　singly；　which　do　yet　give　back；
When　by　continued　and　recurrent　discharge
Expelled；　a　picture　from　the　mirrors'　plane。
Nor　otherwise；　it　seems；　can　they　be　kept
So　well　conserved　that　thus　be　given　back
Figures　so　like　each　object。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Now　then；　learn
How　tenuous　is　the　nature　of　an　image。
And　in　the　first　place；　since　primordials　be
So　far　beneath　our　senses；　and　much　less
E'en　than　those　objects　which　begin　to　grow
Too　small　for　eyes　to　note；　learn　now　in　few
How　nice　are　the　beginnings　of　all　things…
That　this；　too；　I　may　yet　confirm　in　proof：
First；　living　creatures　are　sometimes　so　small
That　even　their　third　part　can　nowise　be　seen；
Judge；　then；　the　size　of　any　inward　organ…
What　of　their　sphered　heart；　their　eyes；　their　limbs；
The　skeleton？…　How　tiny　thus　they　are！
And　what　besides　of　those　first　particles
Whence　soul　and　mind　must　fashioned　be？…　Seest　not
How　nice　and　how　minute？　Besides；　whatever
Exhales　from　out　its　body　a　sharp　smell…
The　nauseous　absinth；　or　the　panacea；
Strong　southernwood；　or　bitter　centaury…
If　never　so　lightly　with　thy　＇fingers＇　twain
Perchance　＇thou　touch＇　a　one　of　them
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
Then　why　not　rather　know　that　images
Flit　hither　and　thither；　many；　in　many　modes；
Bodiless　and　invisible？
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　But　lest
Haply　thou　holdest　that　those　images
Which　come　from　objects　are　the　sole　that　flit；
Others　indeed　there　be　of　own　accord
Begot；　self…formed　in　earth's　aery　skies；
Which；　moul