of the nature of things-第32节

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And　whilom　water　too　began　to　win…
As　goes　the　story…　when　it　overwhelmed
The　lives　of　men　with　billows；　and　thereafter；
When　all　that　force　of　water…stuff　which　forth
From　out　the　infinite　had　risen　up
Did　now　retire；　as　somehow　turned　aside；
The　rain…storms　stopped；　and　streams　their　fury　checked。

FORMATION　OF　THE　WORLD　AND
ASTRONOMICAL　QUESTIONS

　　But　in　what　modes　that　conflux　of　first…stuff
Did　found　the　multitudinous　universe
Of　earth；　and　sky；　and　the　unfathomed　deeps
Of　ocean；　and　courses　of　the　sun　and　moon；
I'll　now　in　order　tell。　For　of　a　truth
Neither　by　counsel　did　the　primal　germs
'Stablish　themselves；　as　by　keen　act　of　mind；
Each　in　its　proper　place；　nor　did　they　make；
Forsooth；　a　compact　how　each　germ　should　move；
But；　lo；　because　primordials　of　things；
Many　in　many　modes；　astir　by　blows
From　immemorial　aeons；　in　motion　too
By　their　own　weights；　have　evermore　been　wont
To　be　so　borne　along　and　in　all　modes
To　meet　together　and　to　try　all　sorts
Which；　by　combining　one　with　other；　they
Are　powerful　to　create：　because　of　this
It　comes　to　pass　that　those　primordials；
Diffused　far　and　wide　through　mighty　aeons；
The　while　they　unions　try；　and　motions　too；
Of　every　kind；　meet　at　the　last　amain；
And　so　become　oft　the　commencements　fit
Of　mighty　things…　earth；　sea；　and　sky；　and　race
Of　living　creatures。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　that　long…ago
The　wheel　of　the　sun　could　nowhere　be　discerned
Flying　far　up　with　its　abounding　blaze；
Nor　constellations　of　the　mighty　world；
Nor　ocean；　nor　heaven；　nor　even　earth　nor　air。
Nor　aught　of　things　like　unto　things　of　ours
Could　then　be　seen…　but　only　some　strange　storm
And　a　prodigious　hurly…burly　mass
Compounded　of　all　kinds　of　primal　germs；
Whose　battling　discords　in　disorder　kept
Interstices；　and　paths；　coherencies；
And　weights；　and　blows；　encounterings；　and　motions；
Because；　by　reason　of　their　forms　unlike
And　varied　shapes；　they　could　not　all　thuswise
Remain　conjoined　nor　harmoniously
Have　interplay　of　movements。　But　from　there
Portions　began　to　fly　asunder；　and　like
With　like　to　join；　and　to　block　out　a　world；
And　to　divide　its　members　and　dispose
Its　mightier　parts…　that　is；　to　set　secure
The　lofty　heavens　from　the　lands；　and　cause
The　sea　to　spread　with　waters　separate；
And　fires　of　ether　separate　and　pure
Likewise　to　congregate　apart。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　For；　lo；
First　came　together　the　earthy　particles
（As　being　heavy　and　intertangled）　there
In　the　mid…region；　and　all　began　to　take
The　lowest　abodes；　and　ever　the　more　they　got
One　with　another　intertangled；　the　more
They　pressed　from　out　their　mass　those　particles
Which　were　to　form　the　sea；　the　stars；　the　sun；
And　moon；　and　ramparts　of　the　mighty　world…
For　these　consist　of　seeds　more　smooth　and　round
And　of　much　smaller　elements　than　earth。
And　thus　it　was　that　ether；　fraught　with　fire；
First　broke　away　from　out　the　earthen　parts；
Athrough　the　innumerable　pores　of　earth；
And　raised　itself　aloft；　and　with　itself
Bore　lightly　off　the　many　starry　fires；
And　not　far　otherwise　we　often　see
　　　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。　　　　　。
And　the　still　lakes　and　the　perennial　streams
Exhale　a　mist；　and　even　as　earth　herself
Is　seen　at　times　to　smoke；　when　first　at　dawn
The　light　of　the　sun；　the　many…rayed；　begins
To　redden　into　gold；　over　the　grass
Begemmed　with　dew。　When　all　of　these　are　brought
Together　overhead；　the　clouds　on　high
With　now　concreted　body　weave　a　cover
Beneath　the　heavens。　And　thuswise　ether　too；
Light　and　diffusive；　with　concreted　body
On　all　sides　spread；　on　all　sides　bent　itself
Into　a　dome；　and；　far　and　wide　diffused
On　unto　every　region　on　all　sides；
Thus　hedged　all　else　within　its　greedy　clasp。
Hard　upon　ether　came　the　origins
Of　sun　and　moon；　whose　globes　revolve　in　air
Midway　between　the　earth　and　mightiest　ether；…
For　neither　took　them；　since　they　weighed　too　little
To　sink　and　settle；　but　too　much　to　glide
Along　the　upmost　shores；　and　yet　they　are
In　such　a　wise　midway　between　the　twain
As　ever　to　whirl　their　living　bodies　round；
And　ever　to　dure　as　parts　of　the　wide　Whole；
In　the　same　fashion　as　certain　members　may
In　us　remain　at　rest；　whilst　others　move。
When；　then；　these　substances　had　been　withdrawn；
Amain　the　earth；　where　now　extend　the　vast
Cerulean　zones　of　all　the　level　seas；
Caved　in；　and　down　along　the　hollows　poured
The　whirlpools　of　her　brine；　and　day　by　day
The　more　the　tides　of　ether　and　rays　of　sun
On　every　side　constrained　into　one　mass
The　earth　by　lashing　it　again；　again；
Upon　its　outer　edges　（so　that　then；
Being　thus　beat　upon；　'twas　all　condensed
About　its　proper　centre）；　ever　the　more
The　salty　sweat；　from　out　its　body　squeezed；
Augmented　ocean　and　the　fields　of　foam
By　seeping　through　its　frame；　and　all　the　more
Those　many　particles　of　heat　and　air
Escaping；　began　to　fly　aloft；　and　form；
By　condensation　there　afar　from　earth；
The　high　refulgent　circuits　of　the　heavens。
The　plains　began　to　sink；　and　windy　slopes
Of　the　high　mountains　to　increase；　for　rocks
Could　not　subside；　nor　all　the　parts　of　ground
Settle　alike　to　one　same　level　there。
　　Thus；　then；　the　massy　weight　of　earth　stood　firm
With　now　concreted　body；　when　（as　'twere）
All　of　the　slime　of　the　world；　heavy　and　gross；
Had　run　together　and　settled　at　the　bottom；
Like　lees　or　bilge。　Then　ocean；　then　the　air；
Then　ether　herself；　the　fraught…with…fire；　were　all
Left　with　their　liquid　bodies　pure　and　free；
And　each　more　lighter　than　the　next　below；
And　ether；　most　light　and　liquid　of　the　three；
Floats　on　above　the　long　aerial　winds；
Nor　with　the　brawling　of　the　winds　of　air
Mingles　its　liquid　body。　It　doth　leave
All　there…　those　under…realms　below　her　heights…
There　to　be　overset　in　whirlwinds　wild；…
Doth　leave　all　there　to　brawl　in　wayward　gusts；
Whilst；　gliding　with　a　fixed　impulse　still；
Itself　it　bears　its　fires　along。　For；　lo；
That　ether　can　flow　thus　steadily　on；　on；
With　one　unaltered　urge；　the　Pontus　proves…
That　sea　which　floweth　forth　with　fixed　tides；
Keeping　one　onward　tenor　as　it　glides。
　　And　that　the　earth　may　there　abide　at　rest
In　the　mid…region　of　the　world；　it　needs
Must　vanish　bit　by　bit　in　weight　and　lessen；
And　have　another　substance　underneath；
Conjoined　to　it　from　its　earliest　age
In　linked　unison　with　the　vasty　world's
Realms　of　the　air　in　which　it　roots　and　lives。
On　this　account；　the　earth　is　not　a　load；
Nor　presses　down　on　winds　of　air　beneath；
Even　as　unto　a　man　his　members　be
Without　all　weight…　the　head　is　not　a　load
Unto　the　neck；　nor　do　we　feel　the　whole
Weight　of　the　body　to　centre　in　the　feet。
But　whatso　weights　come　on　us　from　without；
Weights　laid　upon　us；　these　harass　and　chafe；
Though　often　far　lighter。　For　to　such　degree
It　matters　always　what　the　innate　powers
Of　any　given　thing　may　be。　The　earth
Was；　then；　no　alien　substance　fetched　amain；
And　from　no　alien　firmament　cast　down
On　alien　air；　but　was　conceived；　like　air；
In　the　first　origin　of　this　the　world；
As　a　fixed　portion　of　the　same；　as　now
Our　members　are　seen　to　be　a　part　of　us。
　　Besides；　the　earth；　when　of　a　sudden　shook
By　the　big　thunder；　doth　with　her　motion　shake
All　that's　above　her…　which　she　ne'er　could　do
By　any　means；　were　earth　not　bounden　fast
Unto　the　great　world's　realms　of　air　and　sky：
For　they　cohere　together　with　common　roots；
Conjoined　both；　even　from　their　earliest　age；
In　linked　unison。　Aye；　seest　thou　not
That　this　most　subtle　energy　of　soul
Supports　our　body；　though　so　heavy　a　weight；…
Because；　indeed；　'tis　with　it　so　conjoined
In　linked　unison？　What　power；　in　sum；
Can　raise　with　agile　leap　our　body　aloft；
Save　energy　of　mind　which　steers　the　limbs？
Now　seest　thou　not　how　powerful　may　be
A　subtle　nature；　when　conjoined　it　is
With　heavy　body；　as　air　is　with　the　earth
Conjoined；　and　energy　of　mind　with　us？
　　Now　let　us　sing　what　makes　the　stars　to　move。
In　first　place；　if　the　mighty　sphere　of　heaven
Revolveth　round；　then　needs　we　must　aver
That　on　the　upper　and　the　under　pole
Presses　a　certain　air；　and　from　without
Confines　them　and　encloseth　at　each　end；
And　that；　moreover；　another　air　above
Streams　on　athwart　the　top　of　the　sphere　and　tends
In　same　direction　as　are　rolled　along
The　glittering　stars　of　the　eternal　world；
Or　that　another　still　streams　on　below
To　whirl　the　sphere　from　under　up　and　on
In　opposite　direction…　as　we　see
The　rivers　turn　the　wheels　and　water…scoops。
It　may　be　also　that　the　heavens　do　all
Remain　at　rest；　whilst　yet　are　borne　along
The　lucid　constellations；　either　because
Swift　tides　of　ether　are　by　sky　enclosed；
And　whirl　around；　seeking　a　passage　out；
And　everywhere　make　roll　the　starry　fires
Through　the　Summanian　regions　of　the　sky；
Or　else　because　some　air；　streaming　along
From　an　eternal　quarter　off　beyond；
Whileth　the　driven　fires；　or；　then；　because
The　fires　themselves　have　power　to　creep　along；
Going　wherever　their　food　invites　and　calls；
And　feeding　their　flaming　bodies　everywhere
Throughout　the　sky。　Yet　which　of　these　is　cause
In　this　our　world　'tis　hard　to　say　for　sure；
But　what　can　be　throughout　the　universe；
In　divers　worlds　on　divers　plan　create；
This　only　do　I